The pre-fall cleanse: Organizing that summer-cluttered closet

It's relatively easy to clean out a bedroom closet, given that it's mostly filled with clothes, shoes and travel bags. However, closets in the stairwell or living room – which are often the targets of hasty stowaway items that are just as easily forgotten – are a trickier venture. You need to approach them differently, considering the fact that many of the items in the closet should actually be stored elsewhere in the home. Simply put, when you tackle the post-summer clean of your main storage closet, you're in for a fun time.

According to Reader's Digest, you should take on this project much like you would if it was a spring cleaning. This means putting in hours of serious work without stopping, staying organized and finishing the job completely. This last point is crucial, says Mary Pankiewics, a professional home cleaning expert who spoke with the source in an interview.

"I've worked hands-on with so many clients and they all tell me the same thing – they tend to pull everything out of their closets and then they run out of time and they push it all back in, which makes it worse than it was to begin with. So my suggestion to them is to divide and conquer," Pankiwics advised.

If you're afraid that you won't be able to handle the job completely, it's best not to make a mess of things and be stuck with a giant pile of junk that you can't quickly remove. In these cases, reach out to the custom home organization experts at Bazaar Home Decorating. We can even offer you some pointers on how to improve your residential organization system for the better!