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Unless you have an incredibly large closet, you'll want to maximize the space in it by storing out of season clothes and shoes either on upper shelves, under a bed or in another location. When the time comes to trade your summer clothes for your winter clothes (and vice versa), here's how to make the switch as easy and space-effective as possible.
Removing out-of-season clothing and shoes will free up a ton of space in your closet. Before you get started, make sure you have plenty of room on your bed to sort through your clothes or use a garment rack. You'll also want to have a hamper handy for things to wash or dry clean, and a box for things to donate.
Take all the out-of-season clothes and shoes out of your closet and sort them into three piles. One for things to keep. One for things to mend or alter. One for things to donate. Wash or dry-clean the keepers before storing them away for a year. This is the first step in protecting your clothing from fabric-damaging pests.
Use a tape measure to measure the width, depth and height of your shelf, or clearance under your bed. This will help you determine which containers are right for your space.
If you like, line your shelf with a patterned or scented shelf liner. Not only does it add a finished look to your space, but it will keep clothes smelling fresh and make it easier to clean the shelf.
Choose bins and containers that can be stacked and labeled to make use of your vertical space. If you are storing items on a shelf, consider Drop-Front Bins and Stacking Drawers that give you easy access to what is stored inside.
Whether you're using garment bags, stacking bins or under bed containers, protect your clothing from fabric-damaging pests by adding cedar blocks, cedar sprays or other natural herbal products in with your clothes.
The space under your bed is a perfect place to store seasonal clothes and shoes. This normally unused space can provide good protection for large amounts of clothing. If you are storing items under your bed, consider options with wheels to make moving them in and out as easy as possible. Need more space? Use bed risers to elevate your bed and give yourself more storage room.
Don't have room to spare in another closet for suits, dresses and coats that need to remain hanging? Garment bags and covered free-standing closets give you options when you need to store clothing in an attic, garage or spare room. Garment racks can also quickly fold up and break down for times that you might not need them. They even come in rolling varieties for easy moving.
Finally, don't forget to use boot and handbag shapers to prevent creases from damaging these items during storage. And be sure to use the right type of hanger to protect and maintain the shape of hanging clothing like suits, coats and dresses.
Now for the fun part. Stack labeled bins, drawers and containers on your closet's upper shelves. Slide containers under your bed. And cover free-standing closets and rolling garment racks.
