Follow these helpful tips to a much cleaner closet
What’s behind your closet door? Orderly rows of shoes, stacks of folded T-shirts and hanging clothes arranged by color and season? Or do you have a situation that could be declared a national disaster?
Here are simple steps to find calm in all that chaos and get organized. By the way, the same principles for organizing a clothes closet apply to linen or utility closets, too.
No. 1: Everything out. That’s right. Remove everything from the closet — all of it. Every last hanger, belt and shoe. This lets you see the space you have to work with.
No. 2: Deep clean. Now that you can see the light of day, give that closet a good cleaning from top to bottom. If, after thorough cleaning, the space still looks a little grungy, follow with a fresh coat of paint.
No. 3: Separate. Most people hate this step because it means getting rid of everything you do not use or wear. But what choice do you have now that you’ve hauled it out? There’s no way you could get all of this back into the closet, so buck up, and let’s get this job done.
Three containers
Get three big boxes, plastic bins, garbage bags or other containers that will allow you to separate everything you took out of the closet.
Keep: The only items you put into this bin should be ones you have worn or used at least twice in the past year. Be brutally harsh. If it doesn’t fit today, it’s not likely to fit any time soon. Get rid of it.
Sell or donate: Clothes and other items that are not right for you but still have a useful life for someone else should go into this bin. What you consider ugly may be perfect for someone else. What no longer fits you will fit someone else. Take those items to a consignment store, or schedule a yard sale. Consider donating your good used items to a thrift store. Put all of these items in the garage or the back of the car, or get them out of the house in some other way.
Throw away: Clothes and shoes that are worn out, hopelessly stained, broken or in some other state of calamity go into this bin. Work quickly to ease the pain. Empty this bin often to keep the process moving.
No. 4: Organize. Divide the “Keep” bin by season, type and use. If possible, store out of season items in another place in your home. Next, separate your work or professional clothes from your casual attire. Now divide each pile into common wear and infrequent wear, arranging them so the items you wear most often are the handiest.
No. 5: Equipment. At the minimum, you need a sturdy shoe rack, good hangers and shelves, in addition to your standard hanging rod.
You have lots of choices, but it all depends on the space you have to store shoes. If your closet just can’t handle shoes and clothes, you might want to consider storing your shoes in another area.
When you have matching hangers throughout your closet, you’ll be more prone to hanging up clothes and keeping things organized. Again, you have choices.
A good shelving system that optimizes the space in your closet will make all the difference when it comes to keeping your closet organized. Investing in a few good organizational pieces will make organizing your closet and keeping it organized a snap.