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Whether you have a small closet or a large walk-in, you want to organize it effectively to make choosing your clothes and getting dressed as easy as possible–especially in the mornings when you’re in a rush. In addition, hanging your clothes properly can increase their life span and prevent wrinkles. Here are some tips for hanging your clothes the right way.
1. Space them well. If your closet is small–or you have a lot of items–it can be tempting to cram everything in tightly to maximize your space. But doing so can cause your clothes to wrinkle and also make it difficult to find what you’re looking for. If you need more room, consider hanging another rod underneath your tall one to double the space.
2. Use the right hangers. Feel free to recycle those wire hangers you get at the dry cleaners right back to them. Wood and padded hangers are the best ways to go for maintaining the shape of a garment. You also need to choose the right hanger for particular garments. For example, a shirt hanger is not strong enough to support a heavy coat, while a pair of pants needs a hanger with clips.
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3. Face hangers in the same direction. Hang clothes in the same direction with the hangers all facing the same way. It keeps things looking neat and organized. You can also go one step further by turning the hanger in the opposite direction after you’ve worn an item. This way, you can see what you’ve actually worn during the season and what you can give away.
4. Color coordinate. Place all same colored items together so you can find your clothing as quickly as possible.
5. Place outfits together. If you tend to wear the same items as an outfit, it might be easier to hang them together. You can even put your ensembles together at the beginning of each week and hang them together to make getting dressed in the morning as easy as possible.
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6. Button every button. Be sure to button up shirts and sweaters completely or at least every other button to keep it from falling off the hanger.
7. Hang just what needs to be hanged. You can also save space by only hanging your items that truly need to be hanged. Jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, casual tank tops and the like can be folded and put in dresser drawers.
For more tips, check out how to prevent denim from staining suede and new uses for your lint roller.
Photo: Jake Rosenberg/The Coveteur
