1) First determine what you need to clean. There are usually “hot spots” around small homes that collect junk. Tackle one area at a time. Use the counters, beds, dressers, or coffee table to start organizing. Take everything from the pile and divide it into categories.

2) Create a pile for each category so that you can get an idea of what types of organizational products you might need. You don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get organized. For storage, you can use old shoe boxes, plastic zipper bags, things of that nature. Avoid making a miscellaneous pile. This is what generally gets us into clutter mode to begin with. Make sure that similar items are kept together so that you can find what you need when you need it.

3) You may want to install some shelves in a closet or in the corner of the room. Shelves give you a space to put boxes, bins and other containers that are storing your belongings. Label boxes so that you can easily locate things when you need them. As a general rule, store things that you don’t need very often up higher or down lower than everything else. Place things that you use more often at about eye level so that you can have quick and easy access to them.

4) Get creative with storage space. There are lots of furniture pieces on the market that are designed to save space in small apartments or homes. Couches have armrests that open up to reveal cup holders, storage for remote controls, magazines, and more. Coffee tables have tops that open up to reveal storage. Even ottomans can open up and provide storage for blankets or anything else that you need them to. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, check thrift stores and used furniture places for trunks and other things that can serve as storage or tables.

5) You can make more space in your closets than you realize by utilizing space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These hangers are all the rage because they allow you to double or even triple the space in your closet. The slim design helps clothes to fit closely together. The finger clips and cascading hooks allow you to coordinate outfits. The possibilities are endless. You just have to use your imagination.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Clear out as much of your old stuff as possible. If something doesn’t fit quite right, get rid of it. If you have shoes that hurt, are scuffed, or simply don’t match anything that you have, give them away. Making charitable donations is a great way to help your community and get some extra deductions on your taxes. If possible, have a yard sale or list your better items on an auction site. Use the extra money to upgrade your closet so that it can stay more organized in the future.

2) Come up with a wardrobe rotation system. If you have a closet that is on the smaller side, you may not be able to store your summer and winter clothing in there. Try to find space under the bed, in an armoire, or in the garage for clothing that you don’t use year-round. Be sure to use cedar accessories in your storage bins to avoid musty odors and to repel pests. If you prefer to keep your clothing hanging, invest a little in a rolling garment rack with a zip-up cover to keep your hanging clothes nice and neat while they’re in storage.

3) Space is at a premium, so use it wisely. If t-shirts take up more space hanging than they do stacked on a shelf, use the shelf. If pants stay better organized on pants hangers than stuffed in a drawer, designate one area just for pants. Designate areas, bins, containers, drawers or shelves for pajamas, socks, swimwear, and other small items that you may not want to hang. A simple cubby system down one side of your closet may be enough. Or, consider putting one on each side of the closet, leaving the hanging space in the center free for hanging clothes.

4) Find storage space wherever you can. Is the area on the back of the closet door being used? What about above the closet door? Near the ceiling? There is often space in the closet that we haven’t considered using before that is perfect for storing things that we don’t use every day. Consider placing some small shelves and racks around those spaces for things like hats and luggage that don’t get used very often.

5) Choosing the right clothes hangers can make a huge difference in the space that you use and how organized you are able to keep the closet. Space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, prevent clothes from slipping, puckering at the shoulders, or becoming tangled up on the bar. They are slim enough to fit closely together. You can also get cascading hangers that allow you to hang multiple pairs of pants on one hanger or coordinate outfits to save time and space.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Make sure that your furniture is functional as storage areas. Furniture in the bedroom can make it look nice and finished out. However, if it doesn’t work for you, it can end up being a place to stack things. You can raise your bed with risers to create more storage underneath. Use a dust ruffle to cover what you have stored under there. Drawers on casters, flat plastic containers, and even shoe organizers are great things to put underneath the bed.

Your dressers may have plenty of drawers to store some of your extra items. However, if you keep all of your clothes in them, then they may not be serving you as well as they could. Arranging your closet so that it can accommodate your clothes will allow you to clear out most of your dresser drawers for storage. Now, you may be wondering why you should swap out using your dressers for clothes and your closet for storage, so I’ll tell you why.

Dresser drawers can be useful for storing clothes, but generally only for a couple of layers. You can’t see what you have when you get to those deeper drawers, so you end up unfolding the stack or not finding what you’re looking for. Drawers, especially deeper ones, can be great places to store items that you don’t have to get to very often.

If you use your closet for clothes, then you can more easily see what you have. You can use clear bins for smaller things and hang your everyday clothes. Using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, will allow you to fit your clothing closely together without wrinkling them or having them slip off onto the floor.

Using closet and hanger accessories that are made to save space in your closet can help you to maximize the space, even if you don’t think you have enough room. Cascading hooks, specialty hangers, and hanging shelves are all very inexpensive ways of doubling or tripling the space in your closet. Using velvet hangers will help you ensure that your closet will look stylish and your clothes will be protected from damage.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Your attitude matters more than you think. If you’re totally stressed and sad that you have to live in a place so small, then you won’t get much done for a while. A negative attitude can cloud your judgment and keep you from using your creativity to make the space work. You need to adopt a minimalist attitude. You don’t need a million possessions to be happy. Possessions don’t make you who you are. Society dictates that we consume more and more each day. However, you have the power to rise above and live your life more efficiently.

2) Now that you’ve adopted your “can do” attitude, it’s time to get to work. You are probably surrounded by boxes and furniture. Go through and categorize everything. Rate your belongings on a scale of 1-10. If you really need it to live and eat, rate it as number one. These things will be the highest priority. Scale everything down to ten. Now, decide how much room you have by putting away everything rated as number one, then two, three, and so forth. When you run out of room, everything else should go.

3) Be picky about what you keep. You don’t want piles of junk all around you or you’ll always feel cramped and stressed. Try to get a few functional pieces of furniture that have storage inside. Install shelving above your doors, in the corners, and under the windows. Invest a little in closet organizers and a pantry organizer. Put large drawers under your bed and couch. Create storage wherever you can if you need to store more than your small living space will allow.

4) Bulky furniture is often unnecessary. You can make room for a large capacity armoire by getting rid of a dresser. Dressers are very inefficient. Clothes are stacked inside where you can’t see them or get them out without unfolding half of the stack. We end up hiding miscellaneous items in the drawers and soon they become crowded with junk. Using an armoire for blankets and other bulky household items saves you closet space. With some space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, some baskets, shelves, and storage bins, you can put every piece of clothing you own inside of the closet. When you store something, ask yourself if this is the most efficient way to store before you decide that the item is in its permanent spot.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) If money is an issue, consider selling some of your extra clothing, purses and shoes. Recycling gently used items saves space and helps out someone in need. You can have a garage sale, visit a consignment shop, or donate items to charity for the tax deduction. Another option is to try auction sites or local sales sites to make a few dollars. You don’t have to spend hours listing each item. Simply list “bag of women’s clothing size 12” or whatever you think will get some attention on the site that you choose. Include pictures in your listing and you’re sure to bring in a few bucks for your stash.

2) There may seem like there isn’t much room to incorporate your personal style into your closet, but that’s not necessarily true. You can coordinate colors with containers, canvas hanging shelves, your laundry basket, shoe rack, hat rack, and clothes hangers. You can personalize these items with a little bit of paint. You may like turquoise paint with white dots, black and white stripes, or just about anything that makes the closet space unique and inviting.

3) Use the closet door for hanging things like hats, ties and belts. You can mount baskets for smaller items like socks, mittens and containers for jewelry. If you’re in a small dorm or efficiency apartment, you may also want to use the inside of the door for school books, phone chargers, camera equipment, movies, or video game storage. You can find a lot of space on the door that you didn’t know you had. Consider a pantry door organizer with adjustable shelves and baskets to make the best use of this space.

4) You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a small closet organized. Use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to maximize the space on your hanging bar. These hangers fit flat together and save more space than you would think. They’re not flimsy like wire hangers and the velvet surface keeps clothes from slipping. You can get removable clips for hanging skirts, pants and shorts. Use cascading hooks to coordinate outfits and double the space. These hangers also come in a wide variety of colors and prints to accentuate the style and personality of your closet.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Furniture, like couches, that wrap around corners can take up less space than separate chairs and couches. The “L-shaped” couch is a really popular way to save space without reducing seating. These types of couches can also help you divide efficiency rooms into separate areas. For example, if your living room, dining room, and kitchen are actually one big space, then an L-shaped couch can divide the areas so that they don’t seem to run into each other.

2) Furniture that has storage is very useful in saving space. When you live in a small area, you don’t necessarily have the storage space that you need. Couches and chairs now come with arms that open up to provide storage for magazines, remote controls, cup holders, and more. A hide-away bed built into the couch is also a great way to accommodate guests when you don’t have a guest room. Some ottomans open up to reveal storage areas for bulkier items, such as throw pillows and blankets. You can get couches and chairs that have hidden drawers underneath for storing everything from toys, to shoes, to valuables. Many coffee tables now have a top that opens up to double as a laptop desk or eating area.

3) Use the space underneath your furniture to hide useful items such as folding end tables or extra folding chairs. If your couch or chair has a skirt or slip cover, you may be able to put it on risers and make even more space underneath without anyone ever noticing that you adjusted it.

4) Choose furniture that can perform double duties. You may find that a table whose top folds down makes for a great entryway table. It can also be pulled out and opened up when you have dinner guests over. Stackable stools can be used as shelving, extra seats, end tables, and more. The more items that you can find like this, the more versatile your space will be.

5) You can give yourself extra storage by adjusting your clothes closet as well. Use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, can double or triple the space in your closet. You can install shelving in the extra space to hide away more things that need to be stored in your small living space.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Hanging shelves are great for closets and other areas where you might be able to make some storage happen. It’s usually not that you don’t have space available; it’s that you haven’t thought of how to most effectively use the space that you do have. Vertical space is often ignored and shelves are often too shallow to store everything that you need to.

2) Find spaces that you didn’t know you had. Sometimes a unique or creative arrangement of shelves inside of your cabinets can give you more space than you imagined. Look around the house and determine the spaces that are not being used efficiently. If shelves are too far apart, there will be empty space above your bins, books, boxes, or whatever you have there. Try adding shelves or hanging an undershelf basket from the higher shelves. These are great for storing smaller items, computer paper, baseball caps, socks, magazines, or toys.

3) Look up! You can install shelves above doorways and around the ceiling. This is a modern way of creating storage or display space without cluttering up the room with big shelves. A shelf above a door that displays your favorite things or stores your cookbooks is not only an easy clutter solution, but it can give your home a unique feel.

4) Corner that clutter. Have you ever considered adding corner shelves to the bottom corners of the room, the front corners of the closet, or up the kitchen corner? You can create spaces for canned foods, pictures, books, knick knacks, and more. A lot of times we use our shelf space for displaying things like art or mementos. If we can get these things away from our larger storage areas and onto smaller shelves, we can make a lot of space with very little effort.

5) Utilize products that make space happen. There are many closet accessories that can be used all over the home. Make storage space in your closet by using velvet hangers, which are thin, space saving hangers. You can piggy-back them, use clips, and cascade clothing from them tripling closet space in minutes. Using tricks like this can help you to discover just how much hidden space there really is in your home.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Remember that out of sight is not necessarily out of mind. Too often we get in a hurry and end up creating miscellaneous boxes of things that need to be stored. Almost everybody has a drawer, a box, or a shelf just full of things that don’t necessarily go together, but they had to go somewhere. Boxes, drawers and shelves like this are space stealers. We think that we’ll remember what is inside, but we just can’t keep up with it all. You’ll most likely end up never finding what you need or having to purchase a replacement because you simply can’t keep it all straight in your head. Don’t create an area of miscellaneous junk. That is rule number one.

2) Go through all of your clutter piles and get things going in the right direction. Do you have old planners, notebooks, souvenirs, and notes that you haven’t used in a while? Go ahead and get rid of them! Donate usable items and get that junk out of your house. If you haven’t used it in a year, you’re not going to. It can be liberating to free yourself of the space stealers in your home. You just might have more storage space than you thought.

3) Now you need to get creative with where you will store the things that you want to keep. Some seemingly useful storage items can actually waste more space than they save. You might think that you need an armoire or a wardrobe closet to store your sheets, blankets and winter sweaters. However, you can store the same items in roll-out drawers that slide underneath your bed. Use bed risers if you need even more space. You can even use comforter or drapery hangers and store these things on a garment rack or in a closet.

4) You can use furniture with built-in storage. Some ottomans open up to reveal storage for magazines and newspapers. Some couches and chairs have arms that open up to reveal storage for remotes and throw blankets. Some coffee tables open up and are deep enough to store throw pillows or toys.

5) Create storage in your closet without getting rid of a thing. By using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, you can double or even triple the space in your closet. Doing this can make enough room for a set of shelves, a laundry bin, or even a small dresser in your closet. Being creative and utilizing products that offer extra storage will have your house looking great in no time.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

The different types and accessories will have you ready for whatever your closet can throw at you. Don’t let a season change or buying new clothes turn your closet into a cramped and cluttered avalanche waiting to happen. Clothes that are crammed together get wrinkled and damaged. Flimsy hangers can break, tearing and snagging your clothing.

Space saving hangers keep your clothes from getting wrinkled, stretched, or ending up on the floor. The velvet coating keeps your clothing from slipping while the slim, yet sturdy, design takes up two to three times less space than a traditional hanger. Here we will discuss the different types of velvet hangers that are available so that you can choose the ones that will help you to get your closet organized with space to spare.

You can start with some standard pant hangers and shirt hangers. Pant hangers have a bar at the bottom for hanging pants. Shirt hangers have curved shoulders to keep from stretching and misshaping delicate or tailored fabrics. These are good basics to have because you can add accessories to them when you need to.

Accessories generally include clips for hanging skirts or shorts, and hooks for coordinating outfits. Doubling up items with hooks that hang around the neck of the hanger uses less space on the bar and helps you to keep clothing that goes together mated, saving space and time. You can also get rounded expanders that latch onto the shoulders of the hanger. These are great for shirts or suits that need a little extra support around the shoulders.

Cascading hangers are also really useful when you’re trying to keep your closet organized. They can be used to hang several pants or skirts at once. By combining like items into small spaces, you can save lots of space. The key is to choose closet accessories that help save you space without creasing or bunching up your clothing.

These new velvet hangers are a lot gentler and sturdier than the old wire hangers that we used to use to save space. Plus, these don’t get tangled or snag our clothing. The velvet comes in a wide array of colors and prints that will help you to not only keep organized, but will also add style and personality to your closet.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Clear everything off of the counters and pull everything out of any cabinets that you might have. You may be surprised at what you find buried in the back of the junk. Throw away any expired make-up, medicines, or things that you just don’t use anymore. Consolidate things that you can, like half empty body washes and shampoos, into one container. Clean out dust and spills while you have the cabinets empty.

2) Evaluate the space. Do you have a deep cabinet that just holds what you need, but it’s so low and far back that it’s impossible to simply reach in and get what you want? No one wants to get down on the floor and dig through a disorganized mound of bottles and containers to find one little thing. Consider taking better advantage of your cabinet space by installing sliding drawers. You can get wire ones that are designed to go into cabinets at home improvement stores. You may even want to put a straight board on casters on one side of the cabinet. You can install hooks on it to hang things like cleaning products, your hair dryer, curling irons, and more.

3) Use the drawers for all of your little things, like make-up and medicines. You can lay an organizer tray in the drawer for things that you need to access all the time. Use containers that close, like a recipe card box, for things that you don’t use very often. Label the box with what’s inside. Put things like nail polish, nail clippers, polish remover, and cuticle cutters into one container and label it. When you need it, you can pull the whole container out and then put it back when you’re done. Keep your medications together in the same manner. You may need one for hair accessories, face creams, tools like eyeliner sharpeners and eyelash curlers, or stock items like razor blades and new toothbrushes.

4) You will need on drawer or shelf for things that are needed for maintaining your bathroom. Toilet paper and cleaning supplies can go in this section. You can put towels and wash cloths under the cabinet, or you may want to use some shelves outside of the cabinet, near the shower, for this purpose.

5) You can install a hanging bar, like one you would see at a restaurant concierge, to hang your robe or clothing on. Hang your work clothes in the bathroom as you’re showering to release any wrinkles that they may have and keep them looking fresh. You can use a very small bar stocked with space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to use the least amount of space possible in your bathroom.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.