How to: Organize Your Closet

• Empty out the closet. Place all your clothes, shoes and accessories in plain sight (e.g. lay them on the bed), go through them and set aside anything that might be out of style or that you just don't where anymore to take to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

• When returning things to the closet, www.apartmenttherapy.com suggests storing your most used items in plain sight, storing lesser-used items on the floor or lower shelves and placing your least-used items higher up. Depending on the season, you'll want to switch out warm sweaters and long-sleeves for tank tops and shorts so they're easily within reach. • Apartment Therapy also suggests colour coding your wardrobe to make things easier to find. Other suggestions as well as colour coding include organizing clothes in categories. For example, keeping all your work clothes together in one section, going-out clothes in another and in-house clothes in another.

• Home improvement stores or home specialty stores like IKEA, have many different organization options including co-ordinated hangers, closet organizers and storage boxes. There are a variety of hangers available including traditional, pants, accessory and tie and belt.

• Shelf dividers can be considered as dividing a shelf is easier for organizing folded pants, jeans and sweaters while creating a more organized look in the space itself. Be sure to measure the space before installing shelves to ensure everything will fit.

• Depending on the size of your closet it can be a fairly dark place. Adding small lights, such as the wall-stick lights, can really brighten the space and help you find the article of clothing or accessory you're searching for faster.

• If the closet has a door, you can increase space by utilizing a hanging shoe holder or multi-use hanger holder or add shoe shelves to the floor of the closet and organize shoes by colour or use.

• If spending a couple hours to an afternoon of organizing isn't at all appealing to you or you just don't have the time, consider calling a professional organizer such as the Professional Organizers Canada, Calgary division or California Closets who specializes in organized and efficient closets.

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