A pantry closet can be a great asset in any kitchen. It allows for maximum storage space for nonperishable food items, as well as makes more room for items in the kitchen cabinets. However, for some, designing a pantry closet or deciding on how to organize it can be quite a confusing mess. It can also be expensive when this area of the home is disorganized – especially when cleaning it out you realize you have 10 boxes of a food that no one in your house actually eats.

To keep things neat and organized in your pantry closet, here are some tips:

1. Categorize Everything: Think of the pantry closet to be sort of like the grocery store. It helps to have like items together to help in finding them. For example, you would want to store all of the items for making spaghetti in one spot, a place for cake mixes and baking supplies in another. This works much better than just haphazardly placing things on the shelves wherever there may be room.

2. Keep Things Visible: You do not want to stack different types of food behind others, because you will inevitably forget that it is there. While it’s perfectly okay to stack like items together, such as multiple jars of spaghetti sauce, in general you will want to try and keep things in single rows only.

3. Take Advantage of Door Space: There are many pantry over the door racks that work excellently for storing many items and will further help in keeping things visible, since most of them are very shallow.

4. Use Clear Plastic Containers: Some items are perfect for storing in clear plastic containers, especially smaller items. Things such as gravy or taco mixes, or anything else small that you often get in large quantities can be easily stored and organized in clear plastic containers.

5. Keep Things You Use the Most at Eye Level: Chances are the things you use the most are the ones that you will be buying the most also. When they are at eye level, you’ll be less likely to buy more than you need, and you won’t be tempted to just jam everything into the place that is the most convenient.

6. Consolidate: Many items come in large bulky packages that take up more space than actually necessary. Consider storing items in plastic storage containers or taking them out of boxes completely if it is practical.

7. Sliding Drawers Might Help: If you’re prone to losing things in the back of deep shelves, sliding drawers might help in making it so you don’t lose or misplace items in the very back of the closet. They come in a large variety of sizes and depths to give you a variety to use exactly what you need. Never again will you need to empty the shelves while you look for that misplaced box!

8. Label It:  Once you’ve designated a space for the things you use the most and know exactly where you will be keeping items, you’ll want to label it accordingly to make sure that things continue to go back to their rightful place. You didn’t spend an afternoon organizing the pantry closet for nothing, so don’t skip this step in helping other household members know where to find things as well as where to place them when they’re finished using them.

9. Include a Dry Erase Board: Having a dry erase board easily accessible on the closet door or wall nearby can make grocery shopping a breeze. If someone in the household notices that items are running low or they used the last of an item, all they need to do is write it down on the list. This way, when the next person goes shopping, they’ll know exactly what they do and don’t need.

The more organized your pantry closet is, the more fun you will have in cooking and spending time in your kitchen. You will also likely be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is to go grocery shopping – and might even notice considerable savings once you have a clear inventory of the different foods in your pantry.

Post from: Closet Organization Tips

Organizing your bathroom closet is something that many people would rather put off. Afterall, there’s not much fun to be had in going through tubes of toothpaste, shaving cream, hair dryers, and other health and beauty personal care items. However, there are many reasons why you should consider organizing the bathroom, and the main reason will likely save you money. So many times we don’t realize how much stuff we actually have, or we’ll buy items such as soap and shampoo afraid that we will run out, only to realize we now have 10 bottles of the same kind that will take monthsand even possibly longer  to use.

Here are some ideas to help you with your bathroom closet organization project:

1. Create Space for Each Member of the Household: The more people living in a household together can create a chaotic mess for items that are shared or need to be stored. For example, one person may have an entire arsenal of skin cleaning products, while another person may have a ton of hair accessories that need stored. Creating individual baskets for each person that go on shelves as drawers might be the perfect solution for keeping things organized and to make sure that every person can always easily access the things they need. Using baskets with handles can make it easy for them to reach and use their basket of item each day and carry to the shower or sink and easily place it back inside the cupboard.

2. Take Inventory: This may seem like a boring task, but taking inventory is very important to see what items you already have and what items you don’t have. You may want to consider hanging a dry erase board or notebook on the door so that anytime you need something you can write a list for the person who does the shopping. This way, you don’t have to worry about guessing whether you have enough of a certain item or not.You’ll also want to make sure you get rid of anything that is older than its expiration date or doesn’t seem to be in good condition.

3. Categorize Everything Else: Chances are you will have some items that are shared, such as first aid supplies or others. For these items, place them in well marked clear storage containers so they stay in one place where the items are related, and also can be accessed easily.

4. Take Advantage of Door Space: A hanging closet door organizer for shoes can actually be a great item for having for bathroom storage. The small compartments can be perfect for storing soaps, shampoos, lotions, hair brushes, and other accessories.

5. Store Medications Somewhere Else: The bathroom is one of the worst places for storing medicines and other products sensitive to heat or dampness. Medications should be stored in a cool, dry place. Getting rid of medications in the bathroom will not only free up valuable storage space, but also ensure that your medications are properly stored and are safe for use.

6. Remember Safety: If you have young children in the home, you will want to make sure you take certain safety precautions in order to make sure they do not get into items that could potentially be hazardous or dangerous. Use a specially designed safety doorknob or latches to make sure that little ones cannot get into things they shouldn’t.

Your bathroom closet doesn’t have to be a cluttered mess. Following these simple bathroom closet organization tips will help you keep the area neat and make it easy for everyone living in the household to find exactly all of the items they need.

Post from: Closet Organization Tips

It may be time to organize your linen closet, especially if when you open the door everything from towels to sheets to even bathroom items and soap and shampoo bottles start falling out. Linen closets often tend to be small, which can present its own organization challenge – but with a few tips you can transform it into a useful and functional space.

Get Rid of the Bathroom Clutter: The hardest thing for most people when it comes to organizing a linen closet is that many items from the bathroom often get jammed and packed into it in addition to the usual sheets, blankets, and towels. Many bathrooms do not offer enough storage, which can cause the overflow of items to impede on other areas of the home. If too many personal care items or other bathroom accessories are impeding on your linen’s space, then you may want to look into additional storage avenues for your bathroom that may help take care of this problem. Over the toilet shelving, large vanities, wall cupboards, and shower caddies may all help you organize those items more efficiently.

Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need: The other biggest problem for many of us is that we simply hang on to items we rarely use or need. Do you really need more than one curling iron or hair dryer? Do you have several razors? Do you have towels that are mismatched or you rarely use? Do you have blankets and sheets that don’t even fit any size bed in your home? Get rid of thees things! Donate them to charity, sell them, or find a different use or home for them besides hogging up valuable closet space that can instead be used for items you do want to keep and use on a regular basis!

Start Organizing: Once you’ve cleaned out as much as you can and decided what things you can do without or what items might be stored better off elsewhere, you are ready to start organizing. Organizing is going to be different for each and every single person, simply because we do not all think or do things the exact same way. One person might do great with a system that includes drawers for storing certain items, another person may be better off in finding hanging solutions instead. Before you place anything back in the closet, take some time and sort it all out into categories that make sense for you. For example, towels in one pile, blankets in another.If you have items that don’t fit in with the rest, there’s a good chance you should probably store them somewhere else.

Don’t Stack Too High: It’s easy to stack items too high or want to make it so they fit completely between shelves. However, often times when items are stacked too high they will often lean over and fall apart. Worse, they’ll be so jammed packed into the closet that anytime you try to access an item to take it out you end up having to drag all of the items out and refolding them.

Consider Hanging Space: Some items, such as sheets, can actually be much better stored when hanging as opposed to being folded in a neat stack. This can also help you keep items that are coordinated as a set together. Pants hangers work well, but there are also many other options available that may achieve the same thing.

Use a Closet Freshener: Chances are you will not use the items in your linen closet every day. Having a freshener is a great way to keep items smelling clean and fresh without needing to wash them every single time before use.

Keep Things Visible: When you can’t easily reach inside and get the things you need, it is more difficult to keep things where they belong and neatly stored. Use clear container boxes for smaller items, and be sure that you don’t put anything behind anything else. If you have too much stuff or need more space, consider storing items you use the least often in another space or utilize using a trunk or under the bed storage.

Your linen closet doesn’t have to be a nightmare each and every time you open the doors. Following the above steps will help you in organizing your linen closet so things can be easily found and stay in one space.

Post from: Closet Organization Tips