Take steps to organize your closet





“It’s easy to hide a mess behind closed doors,” said author and personal organization expert Meryl Starr, owner of the New Yorkbased Let’s Get Organized. That’s why Starr recommends removing closet doors. In her recently released book, “The Personal Organizing Workbook,” Starr takes home decluttering even deeper by helping readers organize their personal lives.

“There are solutions out there for a simpler, easier life,” Starr said. “Organization is a positive habit anyone can have, and it helps reclaim your busy life one room, one task, one problem at a time. With an affordable, efficient organization system, your closet can become a beautiful and functional part of the bedroom. And when it’s all together and out in the open, you’re more likely to keep it organized.”

For those who don’t have enough closet space, or can’t find what they need every morning, Starr gives these tips to tackle closet chaos and save time:

+Sort and discard. Empty closets seasonally, and donate or dispose items that are no longer worn. Then arrange the collection by category, grouping shirts, pants, suits and dresses. Depending on the nature of the wardrobe, separate casual clothes from those worn to work or to work out.

+Add shelving. A center tower of laminate or wire shelves creates a place for accessories and folded items like scarves, sweaters and denim. Upper storage shelving above the highest hanging rod is ideal for out-of-season clothes used less often.

+Hang efficiently. A closet rod for long items like coats and dresses can be placed 70 to 84 inches from the closet floor. Then create a separate space with two levels of hanging for shorter items. With a double hang, the top rod should hang 84 inches from the floor, while the bottom rod hangs at 42 inches.

+Click your heels. The shoes worn most frequently should be accessible by storing them on a shoe shelf or in a hanging caddy. Shoes worn less often are best kept in boxes on a shelf.

+Go to the wall. Install a valet rod for hanging incoming dry cleaning or tomorrow’s outfit. Special racks keep ties and belts neat, pressed and out of the way until needed.

As a mother of both a high school son and college daughter, Starr knows about helping children get organized, too. “Kids, especially teenagers, need a hamper that’s built into their closet system,” Starr said. “It’s essential in keeping clothes off the floor and parents happy.”

It’s important to keep like items together in a child’s closet. Store school shirts separately from weekend gear such as athletic jerseys. This saves busy teenagers time as they move throughout their academic and athletic schedules.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.


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