1) Just go ahead and empty everything out of the closet. There may be more junk in there than you realize. Separate everything into piles as it comes out. You will definitely need to begin by making some tough decisions about what you want to keep. If it’s questionable, go ahead and put it into a box. Store it in the garage, basement or attic for a while. If you don’t miss what’s in it after a year, donate it to charity. Sometimes a trial run of living without something will help you realize that you don’t need it. In the meantime, you can enjoy the increase in closet space.

2) Make special places for everything. If you have old year books, photos, computer equipment, luggage, and other items in your closet, then you need to either make a place for it, or get it out of there. Sometimes a trunk at the foot of the bed, an armoire, or a wardrobe can house these items and help you clear out space for your clothes in the closet.

3) Donate what you can to charity and then prepare for future donations. This will help you to keep your closet organized over time. You may decide to hang a bag on one side of your closet labeled “charity” so that you can toss things in it throughout the year. If you wear something and then decide that it just didn’t fit right, throw it in. If you swap out your winter wardrobe for your summer wardrobe, donate what you never wore that season. Keeping it in sight will keep organization on your mind all year long.

4) Once you’ve really thinned out the heard, you may still find that your closet is crowded with the things that you want to keep. Utilize specialty hangers to make up to three times more space on your hanging bar. Cascading hangers, skirt hangers, pants hangers, and other specialty hangers can allow you to hang up to six garments on one hanger. Cascading hangers can help you to get your outfits ready to wear by pairing up tops and bottoms. Use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, for everything else. These non-slip hangers are great space savers, but are sturdy enough and attractive enough to provide you with years of closet bliss.

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.

2. Hang almost everything. The less bins, shelves and folding you have to do, the better. If you can take your clothes out of the dryer, lay all of your shirts and pants flat, mate your socks and toss your underwear into a bin, then doing laundry will be a snap. Slide space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, into the clothes and throw them on the bar. It’s so fast and easy that it barely takes more time than pulling the clothes out of the dryer. It’s much easier to keep things organized if you have an easy system to follow.

3. Design an efficient space. If everything has a place, then you’ll never have clutter again. If you need to, designate an area, bag, box or bin for things that don’t have a place yet. If you get dressed in front of your closet, then you should have your laundry basket right there. Don’t let clothes get piled up or it will feel less organized every day. You have to commit just a little bit to keeping your closet neat.

4. Utilize unused space. There may be space where you haven’t noticed it before. Can you move back your closet rod and free up some space in the front corners for shelves? What about moving the bar and shelf up so that you have room for a second bar down low for pants? Get creative. If you see some square footage not being utilized, figure out how you can use it.

5. Get seasonal storage out of there. How many of you keep your ski clothing and hiking boots in your closet even though you only use them a few times a year? Do you have a dress coat that you only wear on special occasions? What about sentimental clothing, Christmas decorations, or sports equipment? All of these things can easily clutter up your closet space and make it unusable. Consider putting risers on your bed so that you can store these things underneath in airtight containers. Or, seal them up and store them in a garage. Keep only what you need in your everyday closet and ban the rest.

6. Use stackable bins. Baskets and bins are wonderful, especially if you have some shelves to dedicate to holding them. If your closet is truly tiny, you may be better off going for some inexpensive stackable bins. They take up less space, don’t require shelves, and they’re usually clear so that you can easily see what is inside.

7. Choose hangers wisely. There is no reason to have a closet full of mismatched hangers, flimsy plastic or wire hangers. There are so many high-quality space saving hangers on the market today, that there is no excuse for keeping your closet in the dark ages of crossed up necks, damaged clothes, and clothing lost to the floor mountain. Use slim velvet hangers to keep clothes neatly close together, wrinkle free, and securely on the hanger. Cascading velvet hangers are wonderful space saving hangers that allow you to really maximize space. Velvet hanger accessories also let you piggy-back pants and shirts, getting your wardrobe ready to wear in a tiny amount of 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.