5 simple ways to an organized closet

Keeping closets in good order takes some discipline, but you can make it easier on yourself by following a few sensible steps.

Regular vacuuming and tidying will help reduce clutter building up on the floors and shelves.

• Set a schedule for cleaning and rotate a different closet into the routine each week.
• Vacuum the floor and put away any unstored items, such as dirty laundry or shoes.
• Give children an incentive, such as a sticker or a special privilege, for tidying up their own closets.

• Once or twice a year, look through your frequently used closets for clothes that you no longer need or are seldom-used and transfer them to long-term storage elsewhere in the house.
• Get rid of shoes, bags and clothing you don't wear (donate them to a homeless shelter or other charitable organization).
• If seasonal clothing takes up too much room, set up a separate storage area in another closet or in a dry basement.

Every once in a while, check to see if your closet organization really works. Are your shoes hard to get to? Are your sweaters getting wrinkled from the way they are stacked? If so, you may have to reorganize a bit.

You may find that some extras can help you fine-tune your closet system.

• Use wire dividers to split up open shelves.
• Use covered containers to protect from dust and light.

Once your system is working smoothly then try incorporating other tools to improve your organization.

• Add better lighting to improve your ability to find what your need.
• A step stool will let you stack things higher and make more use of those upper level shelves.

Getting organized only works if you can stay organized and, hopefully, these helpful ideas will keep you on the path of tidiness.