Increasing Your Storage Options

If you’re lucky, your house is large enough to designate one room, usually a guest bedroom, for all those items that are not used on a daily basis, yet are useful enough (are they really?) to keep them hanging around. How many of us have at least one room or closet in our house designated for overflow? Often this room is in complete disarray due to the copious amount of clothes and other items that seem to find their way there, yet are never put away or organized; a very real, “I’ll get to it later” sort of room. Today is the day to organize that room. Organizing that mess will undoubtedly allow for less wasted time spent searching within its walls and help to liberate the room from being used as only a “junk room”, once everything has found a proper place.

Organization is key. Organization just makes good sense, but eludes the best of us due to the initial investment of time and energy it demands. True enough, four walls and a floor alone do not offer many storage options other than piling. Piling is exactly what got you into this mess, and it’s time to take the bull by the horns. A shelving unit can be very affordable and readily purchased from a big box store or online and assembled using very minimal tools. Having shelves to place objects that make their way into this room or should make their way into this room would be invaluable. Perhaps your storage room will have a double life, a new life as a sort of chore room, with shelving and a desk dedicated to sewing on buttons or repairing zippers. Perhaps a craft room or home office can spring forth as well, once the organizing ball starts rolling. Once everything is off the ground, all sorts of space can open up; could a treadmill fit in the corner? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. What to do with all those clothes? A rolling garment rack, perhaps even a collapsible one would do the trick. Hanging those clothes on a clothes rack will help keep them easily accessible, even providing a spot for extra drying and airing out after washing and drying them. A garment rack could help provide a more organized “holding area” for finished clothes, allowing family members to simply check the rack when looking for a particular item instead of constantly asking you or your spouse where it might be.

With only a few organizational tools like a clothes rack, shelving, and a desk, new storage and maybe more importantly, new usage of your storage room could possibly inspire new hobbies while organizing your home life a little better in the process!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garment racks, clothing racks, landscaping, and much more.

Minimizing Your Need to Iron

Of all laundry related chores, ironing is definitely the pits. But what’s the alternative? Pick a job where wrinkles are the norm such as ditch digging or day laborer? Send all your clothes out to be laundered for a steep price, but receive the piece of mind that they will be wrinkle-free and ready to wear when you need them? Okay, granted, the picking the career by the clothes you’ll need to wear is extreme, but you would be surprised how many people would rather pay top dollar to have their clothes laundered rather than invest some money and time to allow them to achieve the “laundered” look in their own home, for much less.

A step towards better looking clothes with less effort and less expense is by simply changing up your fabric softener. You don’t use fabric softener in your dryer loads, you say? Well there’s a problem right there. Not only does fabric softener leave your clothes smelling fresher, longer, it also helps the tumble action of your dryer literally tumble out the wrinkles from the wash. Many new brands claim to be wrinkle-free so take them up on that, give them a try! Removing your clothes quickly from the washer and transferring them to the dryer immediately also goes a long way towards wrinkle-free by continuing the laundry process; allowing your wet clothes to sit in the washer helps wrinkles form, become set-in, and therefore difficult to remove. Another trick that I learned from my mom many years ago is to remove clothes from the dryer before they are completely dry. Take each article and give it a good shake and a whack (like popping a teammate with a towel or less violent, unfurling a flag), shocking the wrinkles out with the movement. Then all that remains to do is to hang the clothes on a rod or hanger, touching no other clothes, and left to dry that last bit of the way. Slimmer, space-saving hangers are readily available that allow many clothes to be hung together. Throw out those old wire hangers and buy new slim plastic ones that do a much better job while taking up a lot less space. By folding your non-hanging items while a little damp (not soaking), you will be happy to find them to appear pressed when you remove them from your chest of drawers or closet for wearing. By simply following these easy steps, you will find yourself spending less time ironing your clothes and more time wearing them and impressing your friends and family with your new style!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including clothes hangers, slim hangers, landscaping, and much more.

Summer is Over, Time to Store Those Clothes

Closet space can become a valuable commodity in the homes of most Americans. Larger families are finding themselves squeezing into smaller houses as the economic situation in America worsens and finding space for all the stuff can be trying to say the least. As the season changes, many find it essential to store summer clothing until the time of year returns when it is comfortable to wear them, helping to free up valuable closet space for the winter and spring clothing that is currently being worn. While finding the storage space might still be a difficult task, owning the necessary tools for proper storage can make next season’s unpacking to wearing transition quicker and easier.

Before storage, it is essential that all of your clothes and accessories are clean, so this should be first on your “to do” list. Washing them thoroughly and drying with a pleasant smelling or fragrance free fabric softener will help them stay their freshest during the winter months. Taking care to fold your t-shirts, shirts, and other foldable tops into neat and small packages, place them within a large plastic bag or wrap them in plastic, inserting several dryer sheets within to keep the fresh smell permeating for the next several months. Storing these relatively small packs of foldable clothes are easy, just find dust-free cardboard boxes, and you’re good to go. Now for the difficult items, the hanging summer blouses and slacks. Purchasing a box designed for hanging clothes with a rod supplied are readily available at many moving stores and also at some “big box” stores such as Target. Since these boxes are designed to hold only a certain amount of hanging items, it is necessary to pack them as tightly as possible in order to maximize the storability. This is where slimmer hangers are extremely helpful. Innovations in plastic manufacturing have made it possible to fabricate plastic hangers in assorted sizes and colors that are much stronger than the cheaper wire hangers of yesterday. These slim hangers have the ability to take up less space, maintain their lightness, and yet perform better than large and bulky wooden hangers as well. Slim hangers are just what you need to store your clothing in tighter fashion, making pushing them in tightly together, possible, without worry of damage or excessive wrinkling.

With the appropriate storage tools like slim hangers and hanging boxes, all of your summer clothes will be ready to wear when the warmer months arrive, and easily stored until warmth returns!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including clothes hangers, slim hangers, landscaping, and much more.

Keeping Little Ones’ Rooms Picked Up and Looking Great

If you have a growing family or have ever visited friends that have small children, you undoubtedly have noticed the house is often a sea of children’s clothes, toys, and accessories. While keeping all of the children’s accoutrements in their respective rooms goes a long way towards clearing clutter out of common areas, how in the world can you keep their rooms organized and looking their best? With the right organizational tools, your house, and yes, your children’s rooms can be relatively clutter-free, allowing for space to play and enjoy those toys on a daily basis.

While bookshelves do wonders for organizing and keeping children’s bedtime books up and out of the way of little (and big) feet, they are usually packed to the gills and not the best for storing plastic and wooden toys and games. Cubes are great organizational tools, and making them can be a fun and easy project you and your children can attempt together, even on a relatively small budget. Of course, you could run down to your local IKEA or other sort of department store, spending a bundle on pre-made shelving and cubes, but why not make it more fun for everyone? All you need is plywood, nails (or Gorilla Glue or Liquid Nails), a skill saw, and a hammer, and you’re in business. Assuming you possess even the most basic of math skills, cutting and assembling cubes for toy storage is achievable without an engineering degree or journeyman carpenter status.

Now for those mountains of children’s clothes! Dressers and chests of drawers are fantastic for foldable, storable clothing items such as undergarments, sleepers, and t-shirts, but those items that demand hanging need appropriate organization as well. Closets are great for hanging clothes and shoes inside, keeping items out of the way and off the ground. Often however, children are delegated to rooms that might not have a closet, such as a library or home office, when a family expands outside the parameters of their home. In this case, a garment rack can be an excellent tool to place in the corner of a child’s room to alleviate the need of a missing clothes closet. Garment racks are often mobile as well, having wheels for easy placement and movement within your house, from laundry room to kid’s rooms, etc.

Organizing your house can be difficult, but is unfortunately a necessary evil with all of the things a growing family can accumulate over a given year. With the right tools, organization may not be exactly a snap, but definitely doable!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garment racks, clothing racks, landscaping, and much more.

Keeping That Perfect Blazer Looking its Best

Finding a blazer or sport coat that fits just right can be an arduous task. Throw in the desire for a particular color or style, and you could spend all weekend, searching the department store racks for just that perfect coat. Correct feel and fit through the shoulders and chest is essential for a jacket to make the leap from rack to shopping bag to home closet. What good is the perfect feel at the department store, if, day in and day out, that jacket feels less than its best due to improper storage? Caring for a jacket properly begins and ends with the way you store it inside your closet’s confines. Proper storage goes a long way toward keeping your jacket ship shape for wearing when you need it.

A proper hanger, designed especially for a sports coat or blazer is essential for every man’s closet. Hangers are available in all shapes and sizes, and the material they are made from is varied as well. In the past, it was necessary to purchase a bulky wooden hanger in order to adequately support the weight of a wool blazer. Large bulky hangers do little in the way of providing efficient space management in your wardrobe or closet. With today’s innovative plastics, a proper hanger for that blazer can be manufactured thinner and stronger, stacking up well when compared to the large wooden hangers of the past. Slim, plastic hangers now have the ability to pare down the bulk of your entire wardrobe while maintaining sufficient support for all of your outfits, large and small. Keeping the shape of your blazer intact is essential to ensure proper fit for years to come.

Dry cleaning is of course necessary to keep your jacket looking its best, but don’t overdo it. Dry cleaning is only necessary when your jacket is dirty, otherwise, simply have it pressed to keep its shape. Excessive dry cleaning exposes your jackets and suits to chemicals that can produce undue wear and tear and even worn spots on your fabric. A press can even be purchased for home use to allow you to press your own jackets and slacks when necessary between cleanings.

By storing your blazer or jacket in a proper fashion, you will be able to ensure it looks its best each and every time you take it out of your closet. Keeping your blazer hung on a proper hanger is a large and essential step towards keeping you looking your best!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including clothes hangers, slim hangers, landscaping, and much more.

Liven up Your Yard Sale By Displaying Items More Effectively

As the holidays approach and inclement weather begins, many Americans find their houses growing smaller as they acquire new items for gifts, unpack their winter gear, and purchase new wardrobe accessories for the coming colder weather. Changes of season are excellent occasions for a good closet and storage cleansing, but what to do with the items and clothes you’ve outgrown or have no need for anymore? You could always donate them to charity or give them away to friends, but in the dire state of the U.S. economy, why not try and capitalize on your unneeded items with a good old-fashioned garage or yard sale?

I know what you’re thinking. Yard sales are a lot of work, a big hassle, and no one ever comes, right? Well maybe, just maybe, you’ve been going about things in the wrong way. First off, yard sales are not about junk, but about hidden treasures, so give your junk away and only try and sell good quality items that just aren’t your cup of tea anymore. Advertising is something that is all too often overlooked. Once you have set a date for your big sale, you should post a bit about it in the local classifieds or craigslist to give lookie-loos and bargain shoppers a heads-up. Saturdays and Sundays are the best days to ply your wares as most people are off work and looking for an activity, and what could be better than finding good buys when cash is short? Displaying your items in an attractive fashion should never be underestimated. Whether selling in a retail environment or in your favorite cul-de-sac, organization and display can go a long way. If you have a large amount of hanging clothes you are trying to unload, a great way to organize and display them would be a garment rack. You might have one on hand already, but if not, one can be purchased for not too large an investment and could possibly mean the difference between selling three shirts and thirty-three shirts. Shoppers will have no trouble thumbing through your various hanging separates, shorts, shirts, and pants alike when they are grouped together on a rack rather than in a muddled clump on your lawn. After the big sale, you could either dismantle your clothing rack or better yet, utilize it in your laundry room or walk-in closet for year-round storage and organization.

With adequate organization and attractive display tactics, you will be exceedingly elated as your load of “stuff” grows lighter and lighter. Making extra cash from selling to your neighbors is also a great way to raise some funds for those upcoming holiday spending sprees, so good luck, and sell, sell, sell!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garment racks, clothing racks, landscaping, and much more.

Making Your Tiny Closet Perform Like a Walk-In

Small closets seem to abound in newly constructed homes and condominiums, but their constraining size and diminutive interiors need not be a constriction on the organization of the wardrobe within. By employing the correct organization tools and equipment, a small closet can hold a bounteous wardrobe, all the while keeping it easily accessed as well as wrinkle-free. A closet’s performance is only limited by the organization within, and with the right accessories, you will be surprised and impressed with just how much it can hold.

The first thing to do is really take a look in your closet; think about when you last wore each and every garment within. If there is anything within your closet that has not been worn in the last year, definitely give it to charity. In the last six months is debatable, as perhaps anything left hanging on a hanger for that long should most likely leave the premises as well! After this sort of cleansing, you will really get down to the wardrobe you actually wear, and I have no doubt that it will become an amount that is much easier to work with, store, and organize. Now, let’s take a look at the hangers you are using. They are no doubt big and bulky plastic or wood hangers you’ve been given or picked up along the way or perhaps even an assortment of wire cheapies from dry cleaner returns. It’s time to say goodbye to all of them. Seriously. Take all of your hanging clothes off of those hangers and chuck them (the hangers, not the clothes!). Thinner, better constructed hangers need to be purchased that are much better suited to store your precious clothes in a slimmer, more manageable fashion, allowing for better display and ease of accessibility. Local retailers or online specialty stores like onlyslimlinehangers.com, have a large assortment of slimmer hangers that allow for a profile that can better fit the confines of any closet, large and small. A special hanging shoe caddy can get those shoes that are always “underfoot” up, and off your closet floor, allowing for easy choosing on those early mornings where the coffee just hasn’t taken effect yet. A perfect hanger exists for each and every separate, every vest, every tie, and shirt, and must be utilized for the optimum to be reached by your closet.

With a small investment in slimmer, better-constructed and specialized hangers as well as other closet organizational tools, you will be using your closet to its fullest potential in no time, maximizing your storage, and keeping you looking your best.

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including clothes hangers, slim hangers, landscaping, and much more.

Straightening Up That Laundry Room Mess

When giving a tour of your home to visitors and friends, the room most probably avoided and excluded from showing is the laundry room. Let’s face it, though arguably one of the most important rooms in the house, the laundry room often gets undue attention. The laundry room is often used for storage of all sorts (if you’re lucky to have one large enough), cleaning products and laundry soap are scattered throughout, clothes in cue for folding are in disarray, and some laundry rooms are home to the cat litter box and many other undesirable necessities. How can a person or their family expect to look their best when the room where their clothes are given their beauty treatments is such a disorganized and unappealing mess?

Now the cat box and other unmentionables are your own business, but let’s get those clothes organized, shall we? First thing needed in your laundry room is a folding table. You are lucky enough to have laundry facilities in your home, don’t treat it less amiably than you would your local Laundromat. A table to fold and stack your clothes on is simply acquired and affordable, just check your local white elephant shop for one that fits your space best. Secondly, a garment rack is in order. You can’t very well stack your outfits that are meant for hanging and expect them to come out looking spic and span, now can you? A simple rod can be suspended fairly easy in the corner, or a nice rolling rack can be purchased at a local retailer or even online from a site such as onlygarmentracks.com. Being able to store your hanging clothes properly while they wait to be worn or simply await transport to your closet would add immeasurably to your ability to look your best. Third, a nice shelving unit would help with organizing your assorted detergents, bleaches, and fabric softener for easy use and storage. No more will your cleaning agents be spread throughout the room, all the time threatening to create a mess or sticky spill on your precious clothes or laundry room floor. A simple sweep and pickup will add the finishing touches. See how easy that was? With a few simple additions, your laundry room can be an organized area you can be prouder (if not exactly “proud”) of, and you’ll find the flow of the chores that find their home within will be easier and quicker than ever!

About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including garment racks, clothing racks, landscaping, and much more.