Thursday, May 26, 2011

Kids Closet Organizers

Click Here for further information or to purchase the kids closet organizer shown in this post

 There are many different closet organization systems on the market today.  However, few are designed in a way that can make them suitable for using in a closet used by children.  Well, that situation has now been addressed thanks to the Neu Home Closet Doubler.  This system allows for the adjustment of the height of the bottom rod which allows you hang your child's shorter tops or bottoms on the top closet rod and if you desire, adult size clothing below.  If you are looking for kids closet organizers, read below what people are saying about this unique closet system.

I have to share a closet with not only my husband, but my daughter as well. We live in a small two bedroom and only one bedroom has a closet. For years we've been having trouble with other closet doubler rods, they were always hard to keep in place and only had one length on it which was hard to decide whose clothes went on top and bottom because it always dragged someone's clothes.  With this Adjustable Closet Doubler, it has saved our wardrobe. My daughters clothes go on top and I have the rod just below them, giving my clothes room to hang. Now, they don't slide around on the floor and get dusty or wrinkly. This product has just been a lifesaver! And it was so easy to put together, I thought that it was almost too easy!  I recommend it anyone who is wanting more space in their closet but with low cost!

The single most important thing you need to know about this doubler is that in order to use the top half for women's shirts/blouses, you will need to hang the rod on the bottom rung and even then, it might still be too short. I put this in my smaller single closet where it pretty much takes up the whole width. A couple things to note that I was uncertain about when I bought this:

1. Don't worry too much about the length of this, I measured my closet and it seemed several inches short of these measurements but the "hooks" that hang on your original closet rod can move about a bit.

2. This arrives in literally three pieces, the left "hook" and the right "hook," which are interchangeable, and the bottom rod. You hang the two hooks from your original closet rod and then slip the rod onto the rungs of the hooks. At first, it seems shaky but once my clothing was on it, I didn't notice it much and have no trouble taking things on and off the bars.

3. To give your bottom clothing just a bit more clearance, instead of putting your hangers inside the rectangular compartments on the bottom rod, simply hang your hangers right over the top of the bar. Hopefully you can see this in my picture that I've included vs. the stock pic.

4. Unless you are a small man, men's shirts will not fit on the original closet bar anymore even with the bottom bar hung on the last rung. To give you some idea of size, my size 0 dress shirts fit on the top bar with perhaps two inches clearance. Having said that, see #5.

5. There are eight rungs that you can adjust the bar on. Even if you can't fit your shirts on the top closet bar even with the bottom bar on the last rung, you can simply move the bottom bar higher so that you have more room on the bottom. The first several rungs are very high so you could hang the rod from one of those, giving you just a bit space on top that you could use to hang one of those wire baskets/shelves or hang other small things like hats of folded scarves etc.

6. The three pieces seem well made and durable, not too heavy or flimsy.

Overall, this was a super inexpensive way to double my closet and I highly recommend it but with the caveat that depending on your clothing length and how high your original closet bar, it might not be perfect for everyone. But with my standard apartment sized closet, it works quite well.

I'm so glad this is adjustable!!! Instead of making a second level of hanging clothes (the way most people will use it), we used this to make another rod approximately 8 inches lower than the regular high closet rod so that my very short 80 year old mother could reach the hangers! The package came with 3 pieces (the two sides and the cross bar) and it was very easy to lay the cross bar into the slots and just hang it up! I added tape around where the cross bar meets the sides, just to make sure it wouldn't pop out, although I wasn't really that worried about it popping out. You have several choices on where to lay the cross bar. I would be more specific with measurements but I didn't think to measure before I came back from putting it up for her (she lives in another state.) I was unnecessarily worried that she would have to put the clothes in the slotted areas shown on the cross bar but we just laid them across the top of the cross bar and they slide easily (that's probably the way it is meant to work, I don't know why I was thinking she might have to put them in the slots!!) Altogether -- it works GREAT and it was easy to put up!!

Rubbermaid Closet Organizers

Click here for additional information or to purchase the Rubbermaid Closet Organizer pictured in this post.

There is little more frustrating than going to your closet and attempting to locate an item you need right now only to have no luck due to the clutter that consumes many of our closets.  To help better organize our closets, there are few products available with any more flexibility than Rubbermaid closet organizers.  These closet organization systems feature kits that can easily be used in closets from three to eight feet in length, adjustable shelves and expandable single double and single hang rods, as well as, all needed mounting hardware.  Due to the quality materials used by Rubbermaid, most of their closet organization items receive ratings of four to five stars on Amazon.  Read below what people are saying about these products.

I bought a new house that had blank closets. I liked that I could order two of the same product and customize my daughter's and my closet differently according to our needs. Our closets were an inch or two shy of 8 feet. The hardest part was finding the studs since I have thick plaster walls. There are studs on both edges of the closet. I had to drill a few holes to find the other stud. Once I found the first one that was not at the edge of the closet, the remaining two were 16" apart. What I did find weird is that the uprights (which need to go into studs or anchored-plaster anchors are not included, only drywall ones are) are supposed to be 22" apart. This means that they won't be hitting the studs without some adjustments. Overall, I am extremely happy with the way my closets turned out. I have even rearranged my daughter's closet once with ease.

After looking at several different closet systems, I decided on Rubbermaid because of a) brand, b) price and c) ability to customize to fit my needs. It's great to open your box and find that all hardware and parts are there and undamaged. I also appreciate instructions that are easy to read and include pictures and diagrams. Being a 60+ female and power-tool-challenged, I still was able to do most of the work and only needed my husband to fasten the last wall anchor! Our closet was a tad smaller than 4', but we didn't have any trouble cutting things down to size. It feels VERY sturdy. The recommended height seems too high for the upper shelf; however, it has to be in order to hang a second bar at a lower level. As long as the wall anchors hold everything up in our plaster walls, I'm going to be very happy with this storage system.

I researched 2 other brands of closet systems before settling on this one. I was a little concerned because the price of this system was lower than some others we saw, but the quality is great. We purchased this item for our 7' closet in our master bedroom. It didn't have enough room for the 2 of us and now we do. I love this item, I was able to empty 3 closets in our house into this system. I wish it came with more shelf brackets, but no biggie. It was easy to hang up, after reading the instructions and marking the studs the whole project took about 1 hour to attach it to the wall.


About Rubbermaid
For more than 70 years, Rubbermaid has committed to creating durable, innovative products that help simplify life and make living and work spaces more comfortable and attractive. From its original line of simple housewares, Rubbermaid has expanded to become a major designer of a wide array of products ranging from home and garden to seasonal and commercial products. Recognized as a "Brand of the Century" by the Brand Marketing magazine, Rubbermaid prides itself on being a name synonymous with excellent quality housewares.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easy Track Closet Organizers

Click here for additional information or to purchase the Easy Track Closet Organizer pictured in this post.  

When it comes time to admit that your closets are out of control and it is no longer possible to put off their organization, there are few simpler systems to start with than Easy Track Closet Organizers.  These products are well built of long-lasting materials, easy to install, and have numerous accessories available allowing you to easily customize your closet to meet your on personal needs.  Easy Track also has an online 3D Design Tool that allows you to create the perfect space in your closet.  These products come highly recommended and received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from customers that purchased the pictured system on Amazon.

If you are in the market for a closet organization system that is simple to design and install, yet customizable and expandable, an Easy Track Closet System may be just what you are looking for.  Read below a sample of reviews by previous customers.

I have purchased and installed dozens of Easy Track and other brands' closet systems and accessories over the past 18 years. Easy Track is by far my favorite and what I have chosen to use in my own closets. Great quality, reasonable pricing and unmatched versatility. As a matter of fact, the reason I saw this item is because I am shopping for components to re-configure my existing closet design...try easily doing that with wire or any other systems!

Product quality and durability is unsurpassed. I imagine Easy Track doesn't appreciate it that I have many components from my original closet installation 18 years ago, in my current closet. They do not wear out!

With regards to the quality of the instructions, yes, the instructions used to be much more helpful and clear. The Easy Track system parent company has changed ownership over the years and whoever they have had edit the currently supplied directions apparently does not communicate well with others.

Remember these few points:
1.) Do not worry about having to do math like they say in the instructions. MOUNT THE TRACK 76" FROM THE FLOOR. This works well for users 4' 10" and up.
2.) Invest in a stud finder. Even the cheap electronic ones work well for this. Try to put two screws in every stud if possible. Rarely have I had to use toggles and even then, if you mark and drill the toggle holes centered behind a hole in the track, no problems!
3.) Put the vertical panels and shelves wherever you want! It's a personalized closet system! It can be changed if you don't like it.
4.) For additional stability when you have the system installed how you like it, pre-drill 1/8" holes in the bottom of the rod holders and rods with any hand held drill and install small set screws to hold the rods in place. This is NOT necessary if you measured right and the system is installed SNUGGLY between two walls but I recommend it.
5.) I always install one full length shelf which has to be purchased separately and is not available from Easy Track, along the top of the system. Put a few screws through the shelf into the tops of the vertical panels and this makes the installation even more stable.

Bottom line is anyone with ambition and minimal skills can install Easy Track closet systems like a pro! You will be surprised how great you will feel when your closet is organized exactly how you wanted it to be and you did all the work yourself!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Neu Home Closet Doubler

Click here for additional information or to purchase the closet doubler pictured in this post.

If you are like many other people and live in a small apartment, you know the premium that is placed on the space in your closets.  You could install an elaborate closet organization system and increase the space greatly but you may not intend to stay in your present apartment for the long term.  A better solution may be the closet doubler from Neu Home products.  This system hangs from the existing rod in your closet and in essence adds another rod below thus doubling your hanging space.

The Neu Home Closet Doubler received a nice rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars at Amazon.  A couple of examples of the reviews are below:

     I have to share a closet with not only my husband, but my daughter as well. We live in a small two bedroom and only one bedroom has a closet. For years we've been having trouble with other closet doubler rods, they were always hard to keep in place and only had one length on it which was hard to decide whose clothes went on top and bottom because it always dragged someone's clothes.
     With this Adjustable Closet Doubler, it has saved our wardrobe. My daughters clothes go on top and I have the rod just below them, giving my clothes room to hang. Now, they don't slide around on the floor and get dusty or wrinkly. This product has just been a lifesaver! And it was so easy to put together, I thought that it was almost too easy! : )
     I recommend it anyone who is wanting more space in their closet but with low cost!



    The single most important thing you need to know about this doubler is that in order to use the top half for women's shirts/blouses, you will need to hang the rod on the bottom rung and even then, it might still be too short. I put this in my smaller single closet where it pretty much takes up the whole width. A couple things to note that I was uncertain about when I bought this:

1. Don't worry too much about the length of this, I measured my closet and it seemed several inches short of these measurements but the "hooks" that hang on your original closet rod can move about a bit.


2. This arrives in literally three pieces, the left "hook" and the right "hook," which are interchangeable, and the bottom rod. You hang the two hooks from your original closet rod and then slip the rod onto the rungs of the hooks. At first, it seems shaky but once my clothing was on it, I didn't notice it much and have no trouble taking things on and off the bars.


3. To give your bottom clothing just a bit more clearance, instead of putting your hangers inside the rectangular compartments on the bottom rod, simply hang your hangers right over the top of the bar. Hopefully you can see this in my picture that I've included vs. the stock pic.


4. Unless you are a small man, men's shirts will not fit on the original closet bar anymore even with the bottom bar hung on the last rung. To give you some idea of size, my size 0 dress shirts fit on the top bar with perhaps two inches clearance. Having said that, see #5.


5. There are eight rungs that you can adjust the bar on. Even if you can't fit your shirts on the top closet bar even with the bottom bar on the last rung, you can simply move the bottom bar higher so that you have more room on the bottom. The first several rungs are very high so you could hang the rod from one of those, giving you just a bit space on top that you could use to hang one of those wire baskets/shelves or hang other small things like hats of folded scarves etc.


6. The three pieces seem well made and durable, not too heavy or flimsy.


Overall, this was a super inexpensive way to double my closet and I highly recommend it but with the caveat that depending on your clothing length and how high your original closet bar, it might not be perfect for everyone. But with my standard apartment sized closet, it works quite well. 


If you are looking to quickly increase the space in a small closet, the Neu Home Closet Doubler may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Discount Closet Organizers - Cheaper Is Not Necessarily Better

Click here for additional information or to purchase the closet organizer pictured in this post.

Nothing is more frustrating than attempting to find something in a closet that is cluttered and disorganized.  You know the item is there but no matter how hard you look, you cannot seem to locate it.  At least not until you give up and go purchase another one.  Once you get back home, the item you were looking for magically appears in the closet right where you thought it should be.  The way to prevent this debacle is to get that closet straight through the use of a closet organization system.

Closet organizers are made from a few different materials and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  While the price of those discount closet organizers make for a tempting purchase, you will soon find that they are truly not worth the money you will pay.  Their lack of quality will soon become apparent once the shelves and rods start to say under the weight of the many items that you attempt to store.  This is definitely the time to spend a little more and get a product made of sturdy materials.  There are closet organizer systems made of wood, laminated units and coated wire units.  There are an unlimited number of different configurations consisting of shelving, drawers, rods, baskets, bins and various other container types.  These units can be purchased at discount stores, home improvement stores, and select hardware stores.  Each of these stores will carry different brands and models, so if you are unable to locate what you want at one, just head to one of the others and you are likely to locate what you need.  Of course, if you are really handy, you can just purchase the materials and design and install your own custom closet organizer. 

No matter which system you choose, you are now on track to save yourself time and money by being better organized.  With just a little future effort, your new closet organizer will make you more inclined to keep the clutter to a minimum since you now have a place for everything.  And, once again, stay away from those discount closet organizers and you will save yourself many hours of frustration since you will not need to constantly find a way to prop up that shelf that seems to sag a little more as each day goes by.