Martha Stewart has created a series of brief videos about various topics (organizing, cooking, crafting, decorating, etc).  I can access them through Comcast On Demand.  They change seasonally, so right now, we have Halloween and fall videos available.  Since they are about 10 minutes each, I'll often watch them when I'm waiting for a television show to start.

Last week, I watched her video about organizing a closet. Now, the sample closet she was using is bigger than my bathroom and I really don't need to hear her wax poetic on her favrite clothes, but she did present some good ideas that real people can use.

• When possible, wooden hangers are best for clothes.  (Particularly delicate clothes may benefit from padded or cloth-covered hangers.)  You can often find them for very reasonable prices at big-box or outlet stores.  For $20, you can get hangers that will last you a lifetime.
• If you are going to accessories like shoes or purses in plastic boxes, you have to label them.  Otherwise, you'll drive yourself nuts, though clear boxes can minimize the damage!
• It's smart to store together those items that you use together.  For example, keep shoe polishing supplies in the same closet as your shoes. Keep mending supplies with your clothes so you can repair a button or a hem.  Keep lint rollers, pillers, etc. right in the closet. If you have to play hide and go seek for what you need, you are less likely to actually complete the task.
• One of Martha's best ideas was to keep a small metal box in her closet to store all the extra buttons that come with sweaters, suits, etc.  She just tosses in the whole packet, after writing on the outside what garment the button belongs to. (She also keeps a needle and thread in this box so it's all handy.) This is such an obvious hint that I can't believe it never occurred to me.  When I do my fall cleaning, I plan to gather all my extra buttons from hither and yon and put them in a single box.

Do you have organizing hints you'd like to share?