It’s that time of year again; time to get out our winter gear and bravely head out into the bitter cold. Preparing for this winter season will be easier if we clean out that coat closet. That’s right; that closet packed with miscellaneous piles of gear that we whole-heartedly meant to organize last year but never got around to. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!
1. Weed out the old. Empty out the closet and sort through items. Donate items you no longer use to a charitable organization. If they’re too old and full of rips or holes, toss them out! Your family can help by deciding which items they can’t fit or don’t want or use anymore. Place warm weather items you won’t be using until spring in a plastic storage container. Label it and put it away for the winter.
2. Clean it up. Wipe down the shelves with a simple multi-purpose cleaner or, for solid wood shelves, a wood polishing spray. Next, take a broom or vacuum to that floor. Using a small cordless vac can be more efficient than a broom and dust pan and simpler than lugging in a full-sized vacuum.
3. Utilize empty space. If your closet has extra space at the top or to the side but no shelves, consider installing some to help neatly hold those extra winter accessories.* If you want, you can assign a purpose to each shelf, such as lining bags up on one shelf, while keeping hats, scarves, & gloves on the other.
4. Protect your floor. You may want to put down a small piece of carpet, a door mat, or cut a small plastic drop-cloth for the floor of the closet. This way your floor will stay clean and protected from damp winter boots.
5. Use the door. Over-the-door shoe holders are great for holding more than just shoes. They keep gloves, knit hats, scarves, and other accessories organized and easily accessible. You can purchase these in canvas or plastic. The canvas will hold up better but using a clear plastic holder is great for quickly seeing what’s inside. 
6. Contain. A large vase next to the closet can be great for holding umbrellas. A plastic box or crate placed on the floor inside the closet can also make a great umbrella holder. Canvas bins or small plastic storage containers are great for holding accessories such as winter hats, scarves, and gloves. Label the bins and keep them on your closet shelves. Again, clear plastic bins can be especially nice for this as you can quickly identify the items inside.
7. Keep mittens at hand. If you have young children then you know they can lose things easily. Help keep their hands warm by using mitten clips. The old string-through-the-sleeves trick has been replaced by this new method with no string to get tangled in and choked by. Just make sure you’re using good, strong clips so they don’t come detached. Using mitten clips is the safe way to keep mittens close-at-hand so they don’t get lost and disappear until next spring. 
8. Hook it up. You can also use metal hooks to hang umbrellas, scarves, bags, and other frequently used accessories. If you don’t like the idea of making holes in your closet walls or door, adhesive plastic hooks can be used instead. These plastic hooks usually have a limit to the amount of weight they will hold so check the package to be sure to get ones that will hold what you want to hang. Of course, most closets have a bar for hanging larger, heavier items like winter coats.
9. Let it dry. You may want to put a small coat rack or a few decorative hooks on the wall beside the closet to let snowy, damp items dry before putting them into the close quarters of the closet. This will help prevent items from becoming moldy and smelly. 
So there you have it. Set aside a small chunk of time and go for it. If you don’t have the nerve to tackle it yourself, enlist a family member or good friend to help out. Bring some munchies or turn on some music to make it fun. Most of all, focus on how convenient and stress-free it will be to have a clean, organized closet! Good Luck and Happy Winter!
*Items such as hooks, plastic storage bins, canvas bins, over-the-door shoe holders, and simple shelving mentioned in this blog post can all be purchased cheaply at your local department store or home-improvement store.
Blog & photos by K. Carter
QualityOne Commercial Cleaning, Inc.
Ames, IA 50010
(515) 232-7272