Helping Children Get Organized

An important part of creating healthy habits in our children is starting them out at a young age. This is especially true when it comes to being organized. Young children are not yet developed enough to be able to organize their belongings on their own and need a parent to create that structure for them.


If you want your kids to do a proper cleanup you need to provide the right type of storage space for them. Since they are smaller everything will obviously need to be at a much lower height. This includes all shelving, storage bins, and closet modules. If they cannot reach storage space they will certainly not be able to use it. At first you will need to teach them what goes where and model behavior. As they begin to understand what is meant by cleanup you can pull away from participation. If they know where things go they are more likely to put items away on their own. Two games you can play are doing a cleanup song, or a cleanup scavenger hunt.


When it comes to clothes children will learn best starting out with colorful plastic hangers they can easily grab and manipulate. Have a separate drawer for each type of clothing or compartmentalize each drawer. Creating a fun themed environment also helps. There are many options for children’s hangers, such as glam hangers or plastic hangers in any color you can imagine.


Of course at time all kids refuse to listen to their parents. Have expectations clearly outlined and hold your children to them. They need this structure and discipline to develop self confidence and generate a sense of security. Think about how being organized will help him be more successful as an adult.


Once a child understands where their toys go and how to use a clothes hanger they will enjoy cleanup time as part of their play. It then becomes more of a game and keeps it from being an enormous chore at the end of the day when the floor is covered in toys. Your children will be able to play more freely with their belongings and perhaps even begin to dress themselves in the mornings. Knowing where things are they can save time looking for things and gain more value from playtime. They can then begin to develop the important life skills of organization that will last a lifetime.



About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of clothes hangers and plastic hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Upgrade Your Closet With Wooden Hangers

If you are tired of the old boring wire hangers or you have just renovated your closet then it might be time to upgrade to classier wooden hangers. These hangers fall into three categories: Regular Wood Hangers, Cedar Hangers, and Bamboo Hangers. These hangers can hold a shirt or pair of pants or a combo variety that holds both. Here are a few details about each type to help you make your selection.

Wooden hangers allow for a variance of stains from dark woods to lighter woods which you will be able to match your closet shelving and cabinetry. Of course they can be painted any color, and their elegant shape will add to your closet’s style. They are strong and will not break easily if dropped or manhandled, unlike plastic hangers. For childrens hangers consider painting them with a theme such as Walt Disney princesses, trucks and cars, or a space theme.

If you have a musty closet you might want to try a cedar hanger. Cedar hangers have a lovely scent and can protect your clothes from insect damage. Mothballs are pesticides and their vapors apart from being malodorous are unhealthy, especially to children. The properties of cedar will repel moths without having to expose your family to danger. Placing cedar planks in a dresser can accomplish the same preserving and scenting effects for those clothes you have folded. Since, they are a softer species of wood they may dent slightly easier than other hangers.

The bamboo tree is one of the fastest growing trees on the planet and some species grow up to 1 meter a day. It is used to make just about anything from building materials, flooring, furniture, and even clothing and clothes hangers. Bamboo hangers may be the right choice if you are environmentally conscious, since they come from a sustainable resource. The unique wood grain of bamboo has style unlike any other wood. This hard wood hanger is among the strongest and sturdiest available and will not dent.

Daintier garments, such as a nice evening gown or lingerie, may be prone to falling off wood hangers. This can be easily remedied using anti slip hanger covers. These strips of plastic or foam can be stick on or slip over any type of hanger and will keep clothes from falling off.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of plastic hangers and wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Maximize Your Garage Sale Profits – Sale Presentation

Part one of this series discussed the importance of effective advertising to attract customers to your garage sale. This article will give you great ideas on how to get organized for your sale and how to present your sale items in a way that will make customers want to buy.

Getting organized will help you to know what you have, what you need, and what to do with it. When going through your garage sale goods start sorting them into categories such as household items, sports and recreation, toys and games, etc. This will help you during the presentation part of the sale later. Once you have a good idea of what you have make a list of what you might need for the sale such as tables for display, stickers for pricing, coins and small bills for giving out change, clothes rack and hangers, chairs and a table to sit at, snacks and drinks for your sales people (you and your kids). Having everything you need ahead of time helps to eliminate some stress and the mad dash feeling when customers start showing up and your aren’t ready yet.

The layout of your sale can encourage or deter shoppers. Most will agree that they are more likely to peruse a sale if items are visible, easy to find, and the prices are clearly marked. The same goes for your garage sale customers. Lay similar items near each other on tables if available or in clusters on your lawn and driveway. Do not crowd too many things together. Make use of other sale items to prop things up and make it look nice. If you have clothes to sell, put them on hangers and hang them on a rack. No one likes to paw through a box of messy clothes to find something that might fit or look nice on them. This is a great way to get rid of wire hangers or the old plastic hangers. If you don’t have a clothes rack, you can improvise with a rope or broom tied or propped between two ladders. Arrange the clothes by color or type and size.

Pricing can be done with stickers or signs on tables clearly marking that these items are a certain price. Color-code your stickers so that a particular color sticker represents a particular price and make a sign to illustrate the color pricing. This method saves huge amounts of time, since you do not have to write a price on each individual item. Pricing items is entirely up to you and you will find many people like to barter, so do not worry about setting a price too high. You can always lower the price as the sale goes on throughout the day.

Customer service is part of presentation as well. Greet your customers as they arrive with a friendly smile and hello. Ask if there is something you can help them find and let them know you are available if they have any questions. Play a little upbeat music to set a fun and positive atmosphere. Shoppers in a good mood are more likely to buy.

When you advertise in multiple sources, organize your sale items in a way that is easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for, and present those items in so people can see things they did not know they wanted and you are guaranteed to get the most bang for your buck. Remember, garage sales are a great time to be outdoors with your family and neighbors, so have fun.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online distributor of hangers. Check out our new line of plastic hangers at http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Maximize Your Garage Sale Profits – Getting Customers

For a lot of people, summer time marks the start of garage sale season. Everybody likes to find a bargain. If you have a garage full of items like old sports equipment, clothes the kids have grown out of, hangers, dishes, or knick-knacks have a garage sale of your own. This article will discuss the importance of effective advertising to maximize your garage sale profits.

According to a recent survey, most garage sale shoppers locate the sales they are going to peruse in three different ways: newspaper ads, internet ads, and signs. If you do not advertise you will not have very many customers. If you decide to take out a newspaper ad ask a few of your neighbors if they might want to do a garage sale the same weekend that you are planning. A multi-family sale is much more likely to attract interest among those who peruse the classifieds.

Most newspapers offer package deals for garage sale ads that will allow you to run a 4 line ad for 1-3 days for about $20. The best days for garage sales are Saturdays and Sundays. You want the ad to be in the paper the morning of and the day before your sale, so be sure to submit your ad the Monday before your garage sale weekend since this is the deadline most papers have for ads to be included in the weekend paper. You can submit your ad in person, by phone, or online on your local paper’s website.

Advertising on the web in places like Craigslist.com is a great source for free advertising. Follow the easy to use instructions on their website to post your ad. You will want to post your ad on craigslist.com closer to your sale date to be towards the top of the list. Other internet sources for advertising your sale include facebook.com or myspace.com if you already have an account and network base with those sites.

Be sure to place clearly marked signs, so garage sale connoisseurs can easily navigate their way to your driveway. Cardboard works just fine for this, but if you want to get serious purchase a few pieces of brightly colored poster board, a large permanent black marker, and some duct tape. Plan out your signs and their slogans before you start writing them up. Determine how many you will need to make by mapping out where you will be placing them. The best locations are at the major intersections surrounding your sale location and at any right or left turns along the way. At each intersection you will need to have a sign facing both directions of traffic. The intersection signs should have the address, the time the sale begins and ends, as well as the words GARAGE SALE clearly and legibly written. Place a sign with the words “garage sale” and a directional arrow at any left or right turns on the way to your location from the intersections. Utilize smaller pieces of poster board with arrows drawn on them to post below your signs. Put your signs up either the night before or the morning of your sale.

Advertising in the paper, on the internet, and with bright, easy-to-read signs that lead to your sale will significantly increase your customer base. However, getting customers to come is only half the work towards a profitable garage sale. The sequel to this article will talk about how to maximize your garage sale profits through organization and presentation.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of plastic hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

You Can Remodel Your Closet In One Day, Part 2

Now that you have got a plan you are ready for action. Solicit some help from a few choice friends you can work well and have a good time. If you know anyone who is project oriented that can be a huge plus. These people know how to get things done. They are used to taking large projects and breaking them into smaller tasks that can be tackled efficiently.

Meet at the hardware or home store as soon as it opens. Usually this is a quieter time for stores. If you wait till mid morning, especially on a Saturday, it can be hectic and you won’t be back with your materials till after lunch and may run out of time in the day to finish your project. Take your categorized shopping list and delegate part of it to each person. Stick to your list and don’t get side tracked looking at other interesting things. You are there to pick up your closet materials, not to plan a future project. Designate a meeting time at the checkout. Double check the materials to for size and quantity. When organizing your materials at the worksite they should be out of the way, but each item should be easily accessible. Putting everything in one pile can be frustrating when trying to find a specific item. You should now be ready to for the first phase, demolition.

Demolition: Put on your gloves and safety glasses. Be judicious with your use of force. The idea is to deconstruct your closet so that the surrounding walls are left in the best condition possible. Swinging wildly with a sledgehammer is likely to put a hole in a door or send debris flying through the window. Have one person do the demolition and the others form a bucket brigade to pass the wreckage out of the house. Remove all nails and screws that might be sticking out of the wall and thoroughly clean the area before starting to build.

Layout: Referring to your plans detail the closet layout on the closet walls. Measure off the floor where each shelf will go and use your level to scribe a line across the wall. Do this for the entire plan before starting any rebuilding. Draw vertical lines at the edges of each cabinet. At this time you may be able to make limited adjustments with shelving heights if you are unhappy with the layout. Next use the stud finder to locate and mark the center of each stud wherever you have layout lines. Studs will typically be found every 16”.

Construct: Start by installing any cabinets you have decided on. Transfer the stud layout to the cabinets and drill one hole towards the top of the box for each stud. While someone holds the cabinet on the layout lines screw it to the wall. Fasten adjacent cabinets together first with clamps then with shorter 1 ¼” screws to avoid blowing through the other side. Shelving may be held up by angle brackets, wood cleats, or plastic hanger clips. Since there will be a lot of weight on shelves and closet poles make sure all fasteners are driven into studs. With brackets in place you can measure up and cut your shelving. Follow the carpenter’s mantra, “measure twice, and cut once.” Measure up the front and the back of shelves since walls may be out of square.

Spackle up any damaged walls or holes you may have created during construction and pickup some classy matching wooden hangers to finish the project off.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of clothes hangers and wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

You Can Remodel Your Closet In One Day, Part 1

Are you unhappy with your closet setup? Does it appear to be designed for tiny elves or seven foot giants with shelves too low to the ground and others you can’t reach? Perhaps your closet just does not jive with your wardrobe or personal preferences and you are in need of a place to store your collection of thigh high boots or sports jerseys. If you think your closet was built by Satan then do not put up with it another day. You don’t have to be a professional builder to remodel your closet. With just a few tools, and techniques and the help of your partner and one or two friends you can fully renovate your closet to suit your exact needs in one day or less.

How can that be possible? The trick is in the planning. You must have a well thought out plan before you even start the construction. Here’s what you will need to do.

Take Measurements: Remove all clothes from closet and carefully measure all walls and ceiling height. Check that the measurements are consistent at the floor and ceiling, since walls may not be plumb or square. If there is a small discrepancy of ¼” it won’t make much difference. If things are out by ½” or more make note on your plans.

Draw up your plans: Create a scale (relatively) drawing of the space. The better your drawings the easier the construction will be. Think about what you would like in the closet. Consider your wardrobe needs. Do you need a lot of space for dresses and suits, or more shelves and racks for shoes and things you would like to store? You may want to take a trip to a hardware or home to see what is available. Closet shelving is typically 16” or 20” wide and comes in variable lengths which you can cut to whatever size necessary. Write down and measure all items you would like to include in your closet and all the sizes they come in. Once you have an idea of what you want draw it up. You should have a top down “plan” view of the closet, as well as side “elevation” view of each wall. The elevations view is helpful when determining shelving heights. Your drawings don’t have to be beautiful, but should give you a clear concept of what you will be building.

Create a Materials List: This is a critical step. Looking at your plans add up all the components you will need. Work through systematically page by page and determine how each piece will be fastened together and to the wall taking notes as you go. Now rewrite a categorized list of all items you came up with. Allow one category for cabinets, one for shelving, one for hangers, hooks, fasteners and hardware, as well as one for any tools and supplies you expect to purchase or rent. Include a description or model name of each item if you have a preference.

Gather Tools and Supplies: Take inventory of any tools and supplies you’ve acquired from past project. You will need at least a power drill, skill saw, drill bits, and a 4’ or 6’ level. Of course you will need a hammer, measuring tape, square, and pencil as well. Include a hacksaw or angle grinder if you plan on using metal wire shelves. Don’t forget a bit of spackle paste to repair any holes in the wall. A stud finder can speed up the job tenfold and they can be purchased for around 10 dollars.

Spend as much time as necessary on planning. 1 minute of planning can save 5 minutes of work. The next part will explain how to mobilize your team to get the project done in record time.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of hangers and plastic hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Travel Accesories to Keep Your Clothes Wrinkle Free

Whether you travel for business or pleasure there are probably a few items in your wardrobe that might need to stay wrinkle free and looking its best. While this may sound simple to accomplish it often becomes a challenging task.

If you drive to work in a suit you know the frustration of having to take off your suit jacket and fold it over the back of the passenger seat or lay it across the backseat. Regardless of what you do, you still end up with a somewhat wrinkled look by the time you make it to the office. A great solution to this problem is a collapsible travel hanger. When collapsed, this hanger can fit in a glove compartment where it will be ready use. Once unfolded you can hang your suit jacket on the hanger and store it on the garment hook that any car comes equipped with.

Air travellers face the problem of folding garments into a suitcase. Honeymooners or tourists may have a few outfits they need to keep looking sharp for that night on the town. Business air travellers often bring only a compact carry on when travelling. Either way these tight quarters for your clothes tend to leave them smooshed and wrinkled. Clothes may pick up odd scents during travel as luggage sits in musty warehouses or cargo bays. Most hotels offer laundering and pressing services, but if you’re on a budget or have time constraints consider purchasing a travel steamer. They are small and fit easily into any suitcase. Cedar mothballs or a cedar sachet with a little lavender in it can help keep clothes smelling fresh during travel. When you arrive at your destination and need that blouse or suit pants for your meeting in an hour, just pull out your travel steamer and give your clothes a once over. You’ll be amazed how fresh and wrinkle free they look and smell.

Even if you travel with your nice clothes in a hanging garment bag to ensure a wrinkle free outfit you still run the risk of clothes falling off the hangers during your travels. Now there is a hanger to help keep those clothes where you put them. This type of hanger is called a slim line clothing hanger. They have a velvety-soft surface to prevent your clothes from slipping. They are thinner and smaller than average clothes hangers and take up less space in your closet or garment bag than typical plastic hangers.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of plastic hangers and clothes hangers . For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.

Extend the Life of Your Clothes

Every closet holds some one’s favourite item of clothing. It may be that pair of jeans that fits just right or the shirt that goes with anything. They get worn more than any other item and therefore get laundered most often. After several cycles of washing and drying, they no longer look as bright or the decals start to crack and peel. Here are some ways to help extend the life of your clothes and keep that favourite shirt looking brand spanking new.

It is important to use a detergent that is right for your clothes. Most brands now carry a cold water detergent. Cold water detergent is made to dissolve fully in the colder temperature guaranteeing cleaner darks. Build up from detergents and fabric softeners can cause your colors to become dull and faded. To avoid this, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for amount of detergent to use in each load. During the rinse cycle, a chemical reaction between the added fabric softener, detergent, and detergent suds can create white deposits on clothes. If you insist on using fabric softener, it will help to dilute it with warm water in the fabric softener dispenser cup. Using dryer-added fabric sheets is a sure way to avoid this build up on clothes.

The dryer is the worst enemy to your clothes. In the dryer, high temperatures and constant motion wears out fabrics in a flash. For your favourite items, try hanging them out to dry. You can dry them outside, weather permitting, on a clothes line. An added bonus to line drying is the fresh outdoor scent, assuming you don’t live next to the dump or a neighbour that barbeques everything. For inclement weather, you can try a drying rack indoors. These are nice because when not in use they can be collapsed for easy storage. If you only have one or two items they can be put on plastic hangers and hung on your shower curtain rod to dry. Besides being gentler on your clothes, hanging your clothes to dry will reduce your utility bill. A drawback of indoor drip drying is that it takes longer, 24-48 hours depending on the type of material. A space heater positioned safely away from dangling clothes can reduce the time it takes by lower a room’s humidity.

If you need your favourite shirt for a job interview in the morning you will probably need to use your dryer. There are a few things you can do to protect your clothes in the dryer. Clothing with decals or lettering should be turned inside out to decrease their exposure to heat and friction. Always check your dryer settings. A recent study conducted by the American Chemical Society showed that cotton fabrics tear more easily when repeatedly machine dried at high temperatures. Newer dryers allow you to adjust the temperature at which your clothes are dried. Tumbling of fabrics while still wet causes more damage than tumbling them when partially dry. If possible, set your clothes to tumble dry during the cool down phase of the dryer cycle.

Your favourite shirt, pair of jeans, or irreplaceable marathon finisher t-shirt will last a little longer when you take the time to care for your clothes the way they care for you.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of Everything Hangers, a leading online provider of plastic hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.everythinghangers.com.