Preparing Your Closets for Winter
Once the days start to get shorter and the leaves begin to fall, it’s time to prepare your closets for the winter season to come. Cold-weather items, such as coats, boots, wool blankets and sports equipment can take up more space than warm-weather items. This means that you’ll need to make a little extra room in your closets for your winter essentials.
By maximizing the space you have and using these easy storage tricks, you can stay organized from the first snowfall until the ice melts in the spring. Here’s how to make the transition from summer to fall and winter as smooth as possible in your home’s main closets and high-traffic areas.
Clothes closet:
- Remove summer items like sundresses, shorts, bathing suits, and sandals and store them in a dark, dry place in your home. If you don’t have somewhere else to store these items, move them to the back of your closet so that they’re out of the way.
- Hang shirts on the bottom bar in your closet and pants on the top bar. Since shirts are bulkier than pants when hung, organizing your clothes this way gives the illusion of more space and makes each item easier to find.
- Fold your sweatersFold your sweaters. When you hang sweaters, they can stretch and lose their shape. Instead, store them folded in short stacks on shelves. This will also keep your hanging space from getting too cramped.
In your Linen closet::
- To prepare for the holidays, iron your table linens (tablecloths, runners, placemats and napkins) in advance. Then, hang them on pants hangers and store them on a hanging rod. This will help you avoid having to dig through piles of rumpled linens when it’s time to host the family.
- Move lightweight sheets to a higher shelf and store flannel sheets and warm blankets on lower shelves for easy access.
Garage:
- Store summer games and sports equipment in plastic bins, racks and baskets to keep them out of the way when they’re not in use.
- Install wall hooks for large tools like rakes, leaf blowers and shovels.
- Designate a special shelf for winter boots to save closet space and keep your indoor floors free of salt and snow. Shelves are also a great place to store hockey bags and helmets to keep them off the damp floor.
- Use wall mounts for large winter sports items like hockey sticks, skates, skis and snowboards. This helps encourage your family, particularly children, to put these things in their designated places after use.
Mudroom or front hallway:
- Store rain and winter boots on mats or trays to protect your floors from salt, sand and moisture. Get shoes off the ground and free up the bottom of your closet by using shelves or wire baskets for storage.
- Add hooks for wet raincoats, jackets, and umbrellas so they won’t ruin other garments by hanging against them.
- Pair gloves and mittens then store them in bins or cubbies by family member instead of throwing everyone’s winter accessories into one big drawer. This will help kids and adults find the items they’re looking for more easily.