Closets for children can be a nightmare if not properly organized. It’s a vital component to any child’s room. Between storing clothes, shoes, toys, and other hidden treasures, it can easily get out of control. A custom closet designed with your child in mind can help get things put back where they belong. Once you have your custom closets installed, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without them in the first place.
Adjustable Shelves To The Rescue
Folding clothes for storage on shelves instead of hanging them can present a problem for many little ones. The answer here is to have your custom closet designed to include some adjustable shelves. The shelves can be positioned to a height that can be adjusted as your child grows so everything on the shelf is always within reach. Get some colorful plastic containers to put on the shelf and label them for the items they are intended to hold, such as socks, underwear, and more. Your child can simply toss the items in the correct storage bin so their clothes are put away and they can be organized in no time flat.
Another suggestion is to have movable drawers designed into the closet. These too can be adjusted as your child grows. They can be labeled and serve the same purpose as the containers previously mentioned.
What To Do With Those Odd Shaped Items
Toys come in all shapes and sizes and can present a real challenge if you want to store them in some type of organized fashion. Baskets are a great way to keep similar items together. One basket for coloring books or art supplies, one for model cars, and another for puzzles, etc. If your child is unable to read yet, a little tip to alert him as to which basket contains what item is to tape a picture of the item on the outside of the basket. Then your child will know at a glance what’s inside without having to dump the entire contents of the basket out on the floor in search of one particular item.
Shoes and boots offer their own unique problems. Clear plastic bins are a great way to keep the sand and dirt that often come home with them away from other things in the closet. With the clear bins, your child can easily see which bin has his boots and which one has his sneakers. If you use a bin with a lid, be careful of locking in odors. To combat this problem, just drop in a couple of dryer sheets. They help to absorb any unwanted smells. You can also sprinkle talcum powder in the shoes before storing them.
Don’t Forget About Clothes
The main function of closets, whether they are a custom closet or not, is the storage of clothes. Children often find it difficult to fold clothes and it’s easier to hang them up. Get hangers that fit the size of the clothes. Most hangers designed for adult clothes will not work on children’s clothes and may just add to the frustration.
When you design your closets, use two or three tiers of hanging bars. Spring-loaded clothes rods are easy to install and are just as easy to move when necessary. The top rod can be used for clothes that seldom get used, such as dress clothes. The middle rod can be assigned shirts and more commonly used garments while the bottom rod may hold pants. If you stagger the height of the bars, you can hang longer items to the side without having to have them touch other clothes so they can hang at full length.
It’s important to get your child’s input when you design closets. It make them feel as if they’re part of the decision making process. They will more likely come to use the features they helped designed. In the long run, this will make organization easier on you.
It doesn’t matter if you have a little storage area or a large custom closet, Chicago families and others like them around the country can all take advantage of a custom closet design, especially when it was designed with your child in mind.
About the author of this article:
christine o’kelly is an author for closet works, a leading provider of closets. chicago closet works has been in business since 1987. for a well-designed custom closet, chicago and area customers can enjoy award-winning designs and service.
