So you just got home from a day of shopping, or maybe you just finished doing the laundry, and find yourself staring into your closet wondering how in the world you are going to find a place to put all the clothes away. This seems to be an all too common occurrence, but don’t worry, there are ways to avoid this stress. The following techniques are easy ways to keep your closet under control:

1. Turn Hangers – While this technique may take a little time initially to set up, it will certainly help to clear any extra items out at the end of each year. Take a moment and reverse every hanger in your closet. As you wear an item, hang it back up with the hanger turned back the correct way. Do this for an entire season or year (depending on how often you want to clear out room) and sell, give away, or donate whatever has not been worn.

2. One In, One Out – It’s easy to buy a couple shirts here, a pair of pants there, and before you know it, your closet is overflowing with clothing. A great rule of thumb to practice is the “One In, One Out” technique. For each item that you buy and bring home, choose an item that is already in your closet to get rid of. This will help to keep the number of items you have under control, and is a great way to keep your wardrobe fresh and exciting. (And as a side note, this practice is also a great one to use with items throughout your home.)

3. Donations – Keep a small bag or bin off to the side in your closet to put items that you no longer want or need. Use this along with the One In, One Out rule so that you always know right where to look when you’re ready to sell or donate your clothing.

4. Seasonal – Rather than having all of your clothes stuffed into your closet at once, rotate your items with the seasons. There is no need to have your coats and sweaters out in the middle of summer, or your shorts and tank tops out for winter. This will allow extra room to display the clothing items you need for the moment. Each time you switch out your clothes, take the time to get rid of items that you no longer like or need, or that have gone out of style.

5. Extras – Any items that are only used for special occasions (such as ski gear, sports jerseys/uniforms, etc.) should be put away in a bin, high up. This will help to utilize the closet space and allow room for your everyday use items in the easy to reach spaces.