ClosetMaid – Storage Tips

ClosetMaid – Storage Tips

General Closet Storage/Organization Tips

Closet Organizing Tips:

• As you begin to sort through the contents of your closet, remember the 80/20 rule: Most of us wear only 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time. The rest just takes up valuable, reachable space. 
• Empty your closet seasonally and donate or dispose what you no longer wear.
• Devote a day to “the big sort” and work without distractions.
• Make four piles: store, sell, donate and discard
• Keep similar items together.  Clothes (organized by colors and seasons) and even hangers should all be the same to keep your closet neat.
• An effective closet organizing system should also have shallow drawers for accessories and deeper drawers for folded items. A jewelry tray perfectly corrals his cuff links, sunglasses and wallets and creates a safe home for her jewelry.
• Dirty clothes don’t discriminate. To avoid tripping over each other’s laundry and to save floor space, incorporate a hanging or pull-out laundry hamper into your closet design.

Installation Tips/Understanding closet basics (Walk-in vs. reach-in closet, right layout & measurements and what to consider)

• An 8’ closet with one hanging rod provides a mere 8’ of hanging space and 8’ of top shelf storage space.  Adding additional hanging rods, a center tower for folded items and other accessories in that same 8’ closet can create 17’ of storage space, 9’ of hanging space (3’ long hang and 6’ double hang), 5 drawers and a shoe shelf.  
• Hang closet rods at 84” and 42” for double hang; 70” for long hang
• Before you head to the home center, measure your storage area (twice) and check out ClosetMaid.com for online design tools. 
• Choose a closet organizer kit with everything you need in one box or create a custom design from open stock shelving.
• Double hang space. A single rod in your closet really limits your storage space. By adding a double hang rod, you can fit so much more in your closet and utilize all of that space smartly.
• Extra shelves/towers. Not all of our clothes need to be hung up, and that’s where shelving comes in. Items like sweaters, t-shirts and denim can be folded and displayed on a shelf in your closet. Shelves are also perfect for adding some personality to your closet, such as pictures, accessories and anything else you need to store.
• Drawers. Many times, we leave the drawers to dressers outside of the closet. However, having drawers in your closet is beneficial and the ideal place to store scarves, hats, clutches and sweaters.
• Shoe Shelves. To avoid shoe clutter and disorganization, add some shoe shelves into your closet. This way, you’ll be able to see all of your shoes easily and they’ll be up and off of the floor.
• Tie and belt rack. A tie and belt rack is perfect for accessories! Necklaces, belts, scarves, clutches—you name it – can hang on this rack.
• If you don’t want to tackle designing and installing a closet organizer system, consider professionally installed product lines.  ClosetMaid’s MasterSuite line is available through a network of Authorized Dealers who provide in-home consultations and custom designs.  Visit www.customclosetmaid.com to find a dealer in your area.

Closet Zones

Whether you have a reach-in or walk-in closet, you can utilize these basic principles:

• As you begin to sort through the contents of your closet, remember the 80/20 rule: You wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time. The rest just takes up valuable, reachable space.
• Arrange your collection by category, grouping shirts, pants, suits, dresses and so on. Depending on the nature of your wardrobe, you can also separate casual clothes from those you wear to work or on special occasions.
• Add a center tower of shelving on each wall for frequently used items. It creates a place for folded things such as T-shirts, sweaters and denim.
• Pants, shirts and dresses can be kept on hang rods, making them easier to access.
• Upper storage shelving (above the highest hanging rod) can be for seasonal clothes you use less often as well as pieces you rarely use at all.
• Personal and activity items such as your everyday watch, wedding ring, wallet, keys and phone can stay within arm’s reach on a waist-level shelf or drawer.
• Shoes worn most often should be the easiest to reach. Keep special party shoes or rarely used running shoes on the floor or way up high.
• When space in other areas of the home is tight, keep luggage and other items tucked away in your walk-in.
• Don’t underestimate the power of closet accessories. Closet systems, like ClosetMaid’s wire and laminate options, can be outfitted with drawers, doors, cubbies, jewelry trays and pullout rods, putting every last inch of space to work.

ClosetMaid® – Closet Organization Tips

1. A typical 8-foot closet with a shelf and pole will hold 8 feet of folded things and 8 feet of hanging things.  But don’t be fooled – when you choose a design and closet system that truly maximizes your space, that same 8-foot closet will hold 17 feet of folded and stacked things and 9 feet of hanging space plus drawers, belt and tie racks and shoe shelves.  
2. Wire closets don’t have to be boring.  You can still outfit your wire system with optional accessories like canvas hampers, pull-out drawers, baskets, valet rod and tie and belt racks.  Also, wire isn’t just white anymore. Consider other finishes such as nickel or satin chrome for a more contemporary look, or mix wire with laminate components.
3. Closet organizer systems don’t have to be permanent – they can be flexible.  For example, some systems (like ClosetMaid® ShelfTrack™) have adjustable components so that you can reconfigure your closet design as your needs change.  These systems are great for children’s rooms too since the shelving can be adjusted as they (and their clothes) grow.
4. Everyone knows you need to sort through the items in your closet…but consider taking this step to a whole new level by having a close friend honestly evaluate and edit your wardrobe.   The result will be a clothing collection that looks good on you and reflects your personal style. Only a best friend will tell you that those jeans are too tight or that shirt went out of style in the 70’s.   
5. Load your friend-approved clothes back into your closet with the hangers turned backwards.  Then, as you wear items, hang them back properly. This will help you see which clothes you wear most often and which clothes don’t get worn at all, making the next time you purge your closet a much easier task.
6. Not all hangers are created equal.  Contoured hangers will help protect the original shape of your garments, while flat hangers can help save space in smaller closets.  Use half-inch thick wood or plastic hangers for most clothes and 1-inch thick hangers for heavier pieces (like robes or jackets). For suits, consider a hanger with a locking or fixed pant bar. 
7. Now that you’ve “cleansed” your closet, develop an organizing system that works for you.  You don’t just have to organize by color anymore.  You can also organize your closet by grouping clothes seasonally, by mood, by function or activity (work/casual), by item (skirts, pants, shirts), by fat vs. non-fat days, or even by frequency of use. 
8. The best closet systems make your “stuff” the hero and let you access it when you need it.  Who wants to spend time looking for tennis shoes when you could be out playing tennis?
9. Those Christian Louboutin heels or Michael Kors handbags might make great art! Take them out of the closet and use wall space to arrange your wearable art.
10. Besides having a good closet organizing system, you also need to clearly see the contents of your closet.  To avoid the mistake of mismatched outfits or socks, get rid of dim light fixtures and install lighting that illuminates the space.  If closet doors hinder your ability to easily see or grab items, consider swapping them out with doors that enlarge your closet access and view.  Or, opt for no doors at all and go with hip curtains. 
11. Just because that closet system was there when you moved in, doesn’t mean that you are stuck with it.  Think about what items or features you really need or don’t currently have – more shoe shelving, sturdier shelving, more room for folded items, etc. – and design and choose a system that can be customized to suit your wardrobe.  For those starting from scratch or on a limited budget, consider a closet organizer kit, which contains everything you need (except for the tools) to get started.  
12. Just because you broke up with your boyfriend, are recently divorced or just moved your man’s clothes into his own closet, doesn’t, mean you have to give back his belt and tie rack.  You can use these to hang scarves or jewelry that you want to keep untangled at an arm’s reach.
13. Now that your closets organized, you know where to hide those items you just bought (and that your significant other doesn’t want to know you bought!).

Did You Know?

• The average woman spends 14 minutes choosing what to wear each morning and may try on two outfits.  (Woman’s Day)
• About 80 percent of the clutter in your home is a result of disorganization – not lack of space. (National Association of Professional Organizers)
• Many people waste 1-3 hours a day searching for things because of disorganization and clutter. (National Association of Professional Organizers)
• The items creating the biggest clutter in a master bedroom closet:  1) clothes, 2) shoes, 3) bedding/pillows. (Study on behalf of ClosetMaid)

Garage Storage/Organization Tips

Set up at least five distinct zones within the garage to maximize your storage space:

• Sporting equipment: Situate an area for anything related to the outdoors. Balls, bikes, surfboards, etc. should be placed in this region of the garage.
• Workshop or tools: Got a handy person in the family? Give them the space they need without taking over the entire garage. Create a workbench with plenty of storage for all the tools.
• Car accessories: Cars require maintenance and if you like to do it yourself make sure you have an area of the garage that is designated for those needs. Anything related to your car, whether it’s just soap for washing the car or a spare tire, should be placed in this zone.
• Additional storage space: Run out of storage space inside your home? Make space in your garage for those additional items. This area can also be used for larger items such as a ladder and big gardening tools.
• Laundry area: No laundry room? No worries, you can make room for the laundry in your garage. Establish zones within this zone to keep it organized. For example—a loading zone, drying zone and a cleaning supplies zone.
• Transition zone: This is quite possibly the most important zone. This one should be near the door, as many people actually use the garage door as their front door. Keep essentials here like the dog’s leash, a light jacket, shopping bags, etc.

These distinct zones will help to keep everything within your garage structured and neat without having to worry about consistently reorganizing the space.

General Storage/Organization Tips

Follow these tips to use every inch to its potential and be on your way to a perfectly beautiful home.

• Think tall. When thinking about extra spaces to store items, think of going vertically. Also consider using shelving with extra height, which will help you avoid the cramped feeling of clutter. With things off the floor, your home will automatically look fresher and cleaner.
• Strategic furniture. Look for items that can work double duty as furniture and storage. 
• Use adjustable storage. Have an odd shaped closet or spot that you don’t know how to utilize, but don’t want to waste? By using adjustable shelving, such as ShelfTrack, you can utilize the strangest and oddest of spaces to your advantage. 

Think outside the box. Think of using zones that you normally wouldn’t categorize as “storage.” One great place to maximize space is on the back of doors. You can store linens, accessories, spices, soaps, utilities and even sewing supplies with Wall and Door Rack. With the versatility of this product, you can add more organization to any room.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates