Do you remember that episode of Friends “The One with the Secret Closet”? Chandler realizes he’s never seen what lies on the other side of a locked closet door.
Despite Monica begging him to let it go and Joey’s prediction that it may be holding back thousands of flesh-eating bugs ready to devour all humans, Chandler just can’t stop himself from unscrewing the door hinges to get a peek at what’s inside.
What he finds is a fantastic mountain of clutter squeezed into every crevice of the tiny closet. Monica is mortified and forced to admit there’s a chink in her always tidy and polished armor persona. The dreaded Hall Closet!
There are many ways to organize your hall closet. The best way for you will depend on the size of your closet, the amount of stuff you have, and your personal preferences.
Here are a few general tips:
Sort your items. The first step to organizing your closet is to sort your items into categories. This will help you to see what you have and where it all goes. Some common categories include:
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Linens
- Towels
- Bags
- Cleaning supplies
- Pet supplies
- Bins and baskets.
Bins and baskets can help to keep your items organized and easy to find. Use them to store items of the same category, or to store seasonal items.
Here are two bamboo storage bins perfect for keeping items in place, sorted and organized. Each bin can be stacked on top of each other to create a bonus storage system.
- Shelves and hangers. When possible, use shelves to store clothes, shoes, linens or towels. Hangers come in handy when you need to store coats, dresses, or other items of clothing.
- Take advantage of vertical space. If your closet has vertical space, you can use it install shelves, hooks, or even a ladder to store items. You might even decide to add some wall mounts like this one:
Wall Mount Organizer with Hooks
- Get creative. There are many fun and innovative ways to organize your closet. Use a pegboard to hold items or hang a curtain to keep objects out of sight.
The most important thing is to find a system that works for you and one that you can stick with. Once that system is in place, you should be able to find what you need quickly and easily. No secret locked door necessary.