Straighten Up

Now that the winter weather has finally arrived, it’s time to stuff your closets with down jackets, scarves, hats, sweaters and even those retro fleece turtlenecks and headbands. Unless you have a walk-in closet devoted to coats, chances are that by mid-February, any sort of organization has given way to utter in-closet chaos. However, by outfitting your closet to accommodate winter gear before you stuff it all in there, you can avoid the chaos and open your closet knowing where everything is as soon as the door opens.

If you need a lot of hanging space, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target and K-Mart all sell extra-rod hangers. These rods hang, either by metal wires or rope, from your existing rod and create double the amount of hanging space. And since they are only two to three feet wide, you can have double the jacket space on one side and leave ample space on the original rod for long coats.

Now for everything else. Although most closets have one shelf up top, this is not really practical for those of use under six feet tall. Also, organizing with only one shelf can be quite difficult. Many stores sell stackable shallow shelving units for less than twenty dollars. Simply stack two of these units on the bottom of your closet and you will have enough room for all of your winter accoutrements. For an even better system, purchase plastic or fabric bins (the file-size ones work best) and label each one, dedicating it to gloves, hats, scarves, or perhaps give one bin to each family member. If you purchase some plastic boot trays to slide underneath the shelves, you will be able to save your closet floor from the salt, mud and water caked on the soles of winter boots.

For purses, tote bags and other hanging items, extra long hooks, either the over-the-door kind or the kind that screw into the wood, will allow you to store them all without storing your bags in a tangled mess. If you have lots of little things to store, perhaps try adding a hanging storage unit or two to your closet. Some of these are plastic and hold up well to wet, grungy winter accessories. Prettier versions in canvas or other durable fabrics are also available.

Because of the wide range of styles each of these organizational tools comes in, your closet can be as utilitarian or frilly as you want or need it to be, all while using the same foolproof organizational methods. Just remember that no organizational scheme will work if it takes more than a second or two to find something or put something away. If you make things too complicated, everything is bound to end up in a heap on the floor. So make it simple, and get ready to pile on all of those snuggly, warm winter clothes.

– Sabrina C. Mashburn