A Clean Closet in 7 Simple Steps
1. Pull Out What You Don’t Want Or Need – This doesn’t have to be a glum process-think of it as going shopping in your closet! Try on the clothes you haven’t worn in a while. Would you buy them again? If so, they’re keepers. (They should fit, be in style, and not need major repairs.) As for the rest, donate or consign it. If your weight tends to fluctuate, get the clothes that don’t currently fit out of your closet and into storage elsewhere-maybe in plastic tubs in your basement. Remember: Your closet should be prime real estate, solely devoted to clothes you currently wear.
2. Categorize
* Hanging – shirts, button-ups, pants, dresses, and other long items
* Folded – sweaters, sweatshirts, jeans, tee-shirts, shorts, sweats
3. Color-coordinate each category- Organize clothes left to right, light to dark, white to black.
4. Get matching hangers – When all your hangers are uniform you save space and have a great-looking closet. (I’m partial to those thin velvety ones; they’re compact, clothes stay on them, and they prevent unsightly shoulder bumps.)
5. Hang belts, ties, and scarves – A pull-out rack is ideal for hanging these items. It’ll save space and time and keep everything neat and tidy. Hooks work well too.
6. Use drawers – for things such as undergarments, socks, hosiery, jewelry, and pashminos. Dividers are ideal for making sure socks and undergarments stay organized in your drawers.
7. Use shelves – whenever possible. They’re better than drawers because items that are folded and stacked neatly on shelves or in cubbyholes are easy to access–you don’t have to go digging for your stuff. Shelves work particularly well for purses, jeans, tee-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, shorts, and sweats.
Off-season clothes and shoes should be put on high shelves that are out of sight so you won’t be tempted to grab them!
‘A well appointed closet may not take pounds off your body but it will shed the emotional weight that having a disorganized environment brings.’ –Better Homes & Gardens, Summer 2006
Heidi DeCoux is publisher of Life Made Simple e-Magazine, a professional organizer and creator of the Fast-Filing Method home office filing system. Heidi energizes her readers’ by simplifying their homes & schedules. For more info, free tips, and to receive her FREE Report: The Fast & Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever, visit ClearSimpleLiving.com
