This Is the Best Way to Organize Your Utility Closet

It is easy to let your utility closet become a catch-all for anything and everything you want out of sight in your home. Don't let your utility closet become a dumping ground—use our tips and tricks to ensure that it stays orderly. A great place to start is by emptying everything out and installing an infrastructure that helps keep the space organized and systematic. This way, every item in the closet has a home of its own.

By maximizing the vertical wall space, you can preserve precious square footage on the floor for heavier items that cannot be hung. Keep lighter brooms, mops, and dustpans elevated using a wall-mounted organizer. This way, your bulkier buckets and weighty vacuums can fit below.

Canvas shoe bags are a great size and create individual slots for all types of cleaning materials—from spray bottles to wipes and abrasives. A sweater organizer can hold extra household materials that you normally run out of (think extra paper towel rolls, extension cords, and light bulbs). And if you are always digging around scrounging for extra batteries, a mounted rack can keep them controlled. Need extra space to tuck things away? One deep drawer can hold random items that do not need an entire designated shelf or cubby.

Stick on a dry-erase decal to jot down notes to other family members or make reminders for yourself. This way, the person who finishes up the toilet paper can write a note to mom or dad to pick up some extra on their next trip to the store.