There comes a time in all our lives that we just can’t take it anymore! When your messy closet gets so out of control that you have to open the door with caution because everything just might fall all over you. That’s when you know it’s time to organize your closet! This may seem like an overwhelming task, but if you take it one step at a time, it will be a breeze. Here are some great tips on how to take the mess in your closet and transform it into a welcoming home for your clothes!
The Clean Out:
This is the most important step in the process. You need to go through every piece of clothing that you have and determine if it’s something that is “keep worthy.” The rule of thumb is, if you haven’t worn it in three months, donate it! (If you live where the climate changes you might have to stretch this to six months.) It’s easy to accumulate pieces over time, and as we all know, we defiantly don’t wear all of it. Also, if you are short on space and you live in a region that has drastic changes in temperature for each season, separate your warm and cold clothes as well. Only keep what you currently need for the season out and handy.
Hint from my book Control Your Clutter!: if you can’t decide which clothes to get rid of just hang them all up backwards in the closet. When you wear something put it back the right way. At the end of three or six months any clothes still turned backwards should be donated or sold.
Grouping:
Just like when you organize other areas in your life, grouping “like” items together makes it easy to access, and gives you a clear visual of what you have to wear. Once this is done, you can easily keep up with it, making the appearance of the closest well organized. First pair your t-shirts, long sleeve and dress shirts together. All dresses should hung on one side of the closet since they hang down lower. Put all slacks, jeans, capri’s together. You can take it one step further and organize by color. It may seem silly, but the end results will be well worth it. When you are trying to decide what to wear you only have to focus on one small area of the closet to find that perfect pair of jeans.
Use it all:
Most of us have that shelf way at the top of our closets that never get used to their full potential. Well now is the perfect time to put it to work. As mentioned before, if you live in an area that has seasons, this is the perfect place to store those clothes that aren’t needed. To keep your closet more decorative, invest in some stylish baskets or bins (making sure to measure to ensure they fit) and store your seasonal clothes there. There are even some sweater boxes that stack nicely and hold quite a bit.
Matching Hangers:
This step may not sound very important but trust me, it is. You want to ensure that you can optimize the most space to fit as many items as you can without bunching everything together. In addition, it will give the closet a polished look.
Shoe Boxes:
Yes it’s true, boxes take up more space, however when you leave your shoes in their boxes not only do they stay protected, they also stack much easier without any additional money going into shoe organizers. Depending on the size of your closet, shoe boxes can easily be stored under the bed giving your closet more space. If you don’t have the boxes anymore consider investing in plastic shoe boxes.They have the advantage of being all one size so they stack easier.
Wall Space:
Whether it be scarfs, belts, ties or any other accessories take advantage of any free wall or over the door space. There are so many options for hooks to utilize free space on your walls to hang and organize your accessories outside of the closet. Just to be sure to install with care, making sure your hooks are all evenly spaced, making it looks like it belongs there. The key to everything is to find a place for every single item that you are keeping.
Closet Floor:
Don’t forget all of that space under the clothes at the bottom of the closet. There are many possibilities to organize everything that is left in this area. You can put containers here and store bedding or whatever item you don’t have room to store elsewhere. I use the container on the floor of my closet for my night clothes. You can put shoe racks under the clothes or even some drawers, the ways you can organize are endless.
Hints from my book Control Your Clutter!: If you don’t have room for your sheets either in your linen closet or on a shelf in the bedroom consider hanging them in the closet in the bedroom they will be used. I have done this for years.
Although, I have listed many items that might help you organize your closet I suggest you start out by seeing what you might have on hand that would do the job. Many times with a little bit of creativity you can come up with some great ideas. Any time you can save money and organize your house at the same time it is practically a miracle.
I would love to hear your ideas, be sure to leave me a comment below telling me what works for you or what areas you need help tackling.
If you are interested in getting organized you might be interested in this book. You can get it free on Kindle Unlimited now or for $2.99. Paperback available soon!:
RT says
I need a closet makeover so bad! I do some of these, but I do need to take it a step further. I need to just pencil in a day and just do it!
Edna Williams says
This is a task I really need to tackle. I hate even thinking about it, but I do appreciate and will use these tips! Thanks for sharing!
ANN*H says
i dont have closets in my house but I do have 2 wardrobes full.I usually have stuff I dont I dont wear often or winter coats and blankets. I do go thru them once or twice a year and donate some things