Each time you go into your closet, you want it to be a good experience and not one that is full of stress. If you put a lot of junk in your closet, this is exactly what will happen. When you to go get dressed, you don’t want to be hindered by boxes or golf clubs in the corner. These things get in the way and give you less room for your clothes.

A good starting point to having a well organized closet is to simply purge your closet of everything. When you are moving your clothes out, sort through them and remove anything you haven’t worn in a year or so. You can store these items somewhere else or get rid of them. I suggest donating them to charity.

Once you have a closet organizer in place, you won’t have any room for all of these items. Organizers are meant and designed to store clothes and nothing else. By simplifying the items in your closet, you should be well on your way to having a much more organized life.

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The first thing you will need to do is to take out all of your belongings so you can more accurately access the situation. Cleaning out your closet shouldn’t be that hard and there’s a good chance that you needed to anyway. And, besides, when was the last time you completely removed everything just so you could put it all back in an organized manner?

Once you have it all out, then you can remove the organization system that is currently in place. I use the term “organization system” lightly since most closets come with a simple rod and shelf that is standard. And, this doesn’t really hold that many clothes or even help you at all with organization.

Now that everything has been removed, you may need to fix some holes and add some paint but that’s about it. The shell of your closet should look a bit roomier now that everything is out. Now is the best time to take some measurements so that you can pick out the closet organization system that will fit best.

Your new closet organizer should come with all the components and hardware that you will need. Simply follow the instructions and you will have a real organization system that will last for years to come.

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With a closet organization system installed in your closet, you can really help eliminate this problem. Now, just because you install one doesn’t mean that your closet will automatically be well organized and neat. You actually have to put in some effort to keeping your clothes organized. But, it does become easier than if you only have the single hanging rod and shelf system that is provided as standard equipment in most closets.

The typical closet organizer will have a modular shelving unit or two depending on the design and manufacturer. But most systems rely on the same basic concepts. A bank of shelves is either set up on one side or even just in the middle area of the closet. Then, a rod to hang your shirts on is placed somewhere toward the top of your closet of to one side or both sides of the shelving unit.

The big advantage of having a closet organizer kit is that the design of them uses up more of the available space in your closet. This allows you to fit more clothes into the space you already had but weren’t using.

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A closet organizer kit can actually help to eliminate the need for large dressers and cabinets that you would have in your bedroom or other parts of the house. This is especially important if you happen to have a smaller sized bedroom. So, if you feel the need to go out and buy a new dresser, you may be better off looking at options for your closet. Organizers can greatly expand the storage area in any size closet.

Common organizer kits come either as wall hung units, freestanding units, or a hybrid of both. For example, the main drawer unit rests on the floor while other shelving and rod systems are wall-mounted. Even though you don’t have to, for safety reasons, freestanding units should be anchored to wall so they won’t fall forward. This should be a must if you have little kids running around the house.

Other considerations for closet organizers are whether you want a kit produced from wood, wire, or even melamine. Melamine is particleboard that has a resin laminate applied to all its surfaces. It usually comes in white but there are other color options available. A lot of people like melamine because it’s easy to maintain and its very affordable.

The most inexpensive option is a wire system. They don’t always look the best but they are easy to install for the average handyman (or DIY enthusiast). Wire closet organization systems are also very versatile and they come with a lot of components that you can pick out individually to suit your needs.

The last option is to use solid wood. It may be more expensive than wire or melamine, but the results speak for themselves. This option is best for walk-in closet and brightly lit closets where it is more important how the closet looks.

Hopefully, if you’ve done your research, you will have enough knowledge to make some solid decisions. Choosing the best organizer for your needs is not as hard as it first appears.

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My first step was to figure out the amount of space my hanging shirts take, as well as my pants, then shoes, and so on. By knowing how much room all these items take up, you can get an idea of what closet organizer kit will work best.

I looked through all kinds of styles and materials used for closet organizers and finally decided on a nice mahogany wood system. Mahogany fit my style and matched my liking of dark furniture. And, I found one that was perfect for my budget (which was under $500.00)

One of the really nice benefits of closet organizer kits is that you can usually configure them in ways. Mine can with eight different configurations. Kits are also versatile (to a point). Make sure the one you buy will fit within the desired space.

On my ten-foot wall, I was able to add 22 feet of usable shelf space and over 15 feet of hanging space. It’s pretty easy to see the value in that.

For the installation, you will need a few basic tools. If you don’t have a level, I really recommend buying one. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it will make all the difference when you are finished and step back to see how it looks. If it’s off, even a little bit, you will notice it.

Look for units that attach to the wall and are up off of the floor. This will help you to keep items up in the unit where they belong. Although tempting, keep your shoes off the floor by using a specially made shelf (or shelves) to keep them organized on. Not only does this help keep things neat, it can also help on your back.

Take your time when organizing your closet and putting things back. Allow time each week to keep up with your closet organization and you will never lose a shirt or pants again.

This post provided by contributing writer Kelly Griffen.

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Now, take all your belongings and put them into groups of similar items, such as belts, shirts, shoes, etc. Weed through the ones you want to keep. You should have a good idea now how much room each of these groups will take up in your new organized closet.

Closet Organizer kits are one of the easiest options for any novice handyman (or woman). And, they can be install with just a few basic tools. Make sure you measure the space first before you make any final purchases. You’ll be amazed at how easy they are to install if you follow the instructions. It’s always best to recruit a helper when hanging any kind of shelving unit or cabinets.

Closet organizers also come in all kinds of styles to fit your personality and taste. You can find them made from wood, wire, plastic, and even metal. So you can see there are a lot of options available to you.

Don’t forget all the accessories you can add as well. It’s nice to have a full-body mirror right in the closet if there is room. There are also ironing boards that fold out from built-in units as well as tie and belt racks.

Another option you have is to buy individual units and build a custom closet organizer. Shelving units come in many different sizes, as well as rods and cabinets.

Once you have all closet organizer installed, take the time to neatly organize all your items. It doesn’t make any sense to just pile up everything into individual compartments. The goal is to be able to see each item at a quick glance so nothing will ever be lost again.

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I did plenty of online research to find just the right organizer kit for his closet. I took everything out to begin with. This is actually a great time to sort through a lot of clothes that he just doesn’t wear anymore. And, of course, these clothes can be handed down to younger siblings or relatives. Personally, I used this opportunity as a teaching moment. I let him pick through the clothes he didn’t want anymore and we both went down to the nearby donation center. Its always a good idea to teach kids to be charitable as early as possible.

Once everything was cleared out and sorted through, I now had a better idea of the space that was available and took some measurements (this is a really important step). Since this is a child’s closet, make sure you consider their height when installing a closet organizer. I dropped the kit down about eighteen inches when I installed it. Your height will depend on the height of your child.

You can also install an additional lower bar that makes it easy for your child to grab his/her own clothes. Your child will actually grow into the closet and eventually be able to reach clothes on the upper rod.

Don’t worry if the shelves are too high for them to reach. You can put clothes that are out of season on them in plastic containers. For safety reasons, don’t put anything too heavy up high as this could fall down on top of them if they do try and get something down by themselves. I place most items on the shelf in plastic containers that are labeled.

Since you probably have the extra room up high, don’t be afraid to add a few additional shelves. In my opinion, you can never have enough shelving in a closet.

Now, all you have left to do is to teach your child how to keep the closet neat, clean and organized. Show them the proper way to fold and hang their own clothes. They need to know how to utilize their new closet organizer so its best to teach them sooner than later.

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Start by utilizing all the space that is normally wasted. Small spaces are key when it comes to creatively organizing your closet. Most basic closets that don’t have a closet organizer in them simply have a shelf and rod system. Actually, its not a system as much as it is a necessary minimum requirement for the home builder that built the house or apartment complex.

These two elements are actually the foundation of a closet organizer. You will have to remove the existing rod and shelf as they aren’t as efficient as could be. A closet organizer system includes multiple shelves and rods.

In fact, with closet organizers, you will easily be able to double the amount of storage space in any closet. An excellent illustration of this is to simply stack the rods on one side of the closet so you have an upper rod for your hanging shirts and a lower rod to hang your pants on.

No closet organizer system would be complete without a tower of shelves. Look for shelving that is adjustable. This type of system utilizes inset vertical tracks with slots that accept clips. Then each shelf is set on the clips at the height you determine to best fit your needs.

Closet organizer systems have optional drawers that can be placed in the shell that holds the shelving. It is possible to fill the whole unit with drawers but its better to have some shelves for stacking shirts and pants. This allows for you to glance through all your options when you are picking out the clothes you are going to wear. Drawers, however, are great for holding smaller items like socks and underwear.

Another common component is a specialized rack or shelf made to hold your shoes. This will keep them nice and orderly and also off the floor.

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