How to organize your closet… Without losing your mind!
by Brandi Payne, Neat Home Solutions
Eliminating closet clutter makes getting ready fast & easy! The only clothing options you want in your closet are things that fit well, things that are flattering on you and things that make you feel good about yourself. Choosing an outfit from a selection like that takes no time at all. Here are five steps to help you organize your closet.
Step 1- Eliminate the excess
Dress the body you have TODAY
Take everything that does not work for you right now out of your closet. Don’t hang on to excess clothing in remembrance of the day you ‘used to fit into it’ or for some vague day in the future when you ‘might fit into it’ again. Donate those items to a local charity, sell them on eBay or take them to a local consignment shop.
Ask yourself the right questions
Do you have new clothing with tags hanging in your closet? Is there a dress that was trendy 3 seasons ago that you haven’t worn since? Are there shoes you routinely skip because they cause blisters? Try each item on one more time and ask the right questions! Does this fit me well? Is it comfortable? Is it in style? Is it a good color for me? Let go of any suspect items that can’t hold up through the interrogation process. HINT: Too dark to see in the recessed corners of your closet or up on the top shelves? Install battery operated lights so you can always find what you need.
Step 2 – Choose the right storage method
Know when to fold
A proven way to increase hanging space is to fold clothing whenever you can. If you have shelving space in your closet or drawer space in a dresser, items like jeans, t-shirts and sweaters are better off folded. To allow for more folded clothing and increase the yield of hanging space, try a hanging divider.
Drawers, baskets or bins
Small items can be easily gathered and contained in plastic drawer units, open top baskets, or small bins with lids. This works great for bras and undies, socks, scarves, etc.
Accommodate the accessories
Hang jewelry in a sorted divider over the closet bar or put it away in sectioned dividers inside dresser drawers. If your scarves and belts act like octopus tentacles and get tangled in everything, corral them on a hanger or roll them up and store in a divided drawer. Over-the-door racks can be great for purses if you don’t have shelving space. Closet rods also support a great selection of purse holders. HINT: Declutter BEFORE you buy specialized organizing supplies. Know the quantity of items you’re keeping, know your space measurements, and create a detailed list to take with you when you shop. Also, using the same style/color clothes hangers throughout your closet will make it visually cohesive and more appealing.
Step 3 – Divide and Conquer
Group like with like
You can choose to divide your clothing by category or by color. All you have to do is hang like items together. Hang all pants together, all tanks together, all short sleeve tops together, etc., or choose to sort by color and hang all the reds, blues, greens, or prints together. This makes it easy to find what you’re looking for and easy to know where to hang items back up. HINT: Take your empty hangers from the closet straight to your laundry room every day. When clothes come out of the dryer put them right onto a hanger. You’ll have fewer wrinkles and less ironing to do and your clothing is ready to put away immediately.
Step 4 – Clear off the closet floor
Rack up your shoes
One of the best visual impacts in a closet is a clear floor so gather up your shoes. There are a multitude of shoes racks to choose from: short racks will fit under your hanging clothes, boxed shoes can fit on upper shelving, and vertical organizers work great mounted on closet walls or hung over closet doors. HINT: To help keep shoes corralled at our house, we each have closet shoe racks, and we put a large wicker basket by our kitchen door. As soon as we come in, our ‘everyday’ shoes go into the basket. It keeps them from becoming a tripping hazard, keeps our two border collies from stealing them, and as a bonus, it keeps us from tracking in dirt!
Step 5 – Maintain the system
Now that you’ve establish a ‘home’ for everything in your closet, the biggest trick is keeping it organized. Fear not… making your new system work is SIMPLE! Just put things back where they belong when you’re finished using them. Not just now and then, but every time, every day. It only take a few minutes and you’ll quickly see that it’s totally worth taking the time to do it. HINT: When you bring home your dry cleaning, take off the plastic and swap out the metal hangers for your own hangers when you put the clothes away. It’ll keep your closet looking neat and your clothes won’t get lost in a sea of plastic!
Brandi Payne, Owner & Professional Organizer
Neat Home Solutions LLC PO Box 94, Ellerslie, GA 31807 | 706-536-3881
Visit our Website | Find us on Facebook
Photo Source: graphicleftovers.com
