
Is there anything more satisfying than opening a closet door and coming face to face with a perfectly organized space? I realize I’m a home organizer, so I feel these things more acutely but I’d bet many of you still know what I’m talking about. And yet, we often find ourselves bracing for impact instead. The closet clean out is intimidating, but also so satisfying that when finished, you will want to do more. I for one am not immune to the back to school sales or new season wardrobe refreshes and have been guilty of buying clothes and not cleaning out at the same time. As a result closets can become a place for storage that sometimes errs on the side of black hole. Well, hopefully, after this, your closet will look amazing and you will save so much time because your whole wardrobe will be at your fingertips.
Step 1: EMPTY OUT THE ENTIRE CLOSET I know this is a tough one, and you have to totally commit. If you need emotional support or someone to be ruthless in the clean out pile, give me a call. When you’re ready, make sure you allow a couple hours, at least. Get bags ready for garbage, donate and recycle. Make piles as you empty everything out - shoes, blouses, pants, sweaters, you get the idea.
Step 2: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF Go through each pile and really look at everything. When was the last time you wore it? My rule of thumb is 2 years. If you have not worn it in 2 years, it is usually because 1) it doesn’t fit well 2) style is outdated 3) never really liked it in the first place. These are all valid reasons not to keep it. Put it in the donation bag and don’t look back. Another reason to get rid of clothes is that it is worn out or slightly stained, these items go in the recycle bag. There are donation places that will accept clothing for the fabric to be recycled and I love keeping items out of the landfills. Shoes are different. Sometimes I buy a pair of shoes and they look great in the store. I walk around a little to make sure it fits, but when I get them home and walk around, they are not comfortable. I will then try to “break them in”. Now, they are used and can’t be returned and I still find them uncomfortable. In this instance, the shoes can be donated because they have not been worn a lot and still look new. I know everyone has a few pairs like this. Shoes that have been worn a lot should not be donated. For these, I suggest garbage. I am sure that everyone has a few pairs that fall into all of these categories. Don’t overlook the handbags, these can easily be paired down to create more space. Again, use the 2 year rule. Perhaps you bought the bag to go with a specific outfit and maybe you don’t have that item any more - time to put the handbag in the donation bag. Be sure to go through each handbag you are donating to make sure they are empty.
Step 3: INVEST IN ORGANIZATION CONTAINERS/BASKETS/HANGERS Once your closet is completely empty, vacuum and clean it out. See if shelves can be added, or if you have them, can they be moved. Make this area work for you. Put back all your hanging clothes on skinny hangers.** This will save room and it looks nicer. Wire hangers can be brought back to the dry cleaners and plastic hangers can go in the donation bag. Hang your clothes in the same direction and by item - blouses together, pants together, dresses together. Then organize the clothes by color and then by season within the color group. Also, group your shoes by style. All the heels together, the sneakers together, flats together. Hopefully, you have shelves for this, but if not, there are plenty of shoe holder solutions available. Perhaps on the floor underneath, hanging compartments, or on the back of the door ***. Use baskets or containers for all the extra items and perhaps a hook for belts.
I guarantee that after this exercise, you will be thrilled with the results and you will be inspired to do more. If you need assistance with a closet project or any future organizing plans, contact Living Simple at livingsimple.info . We help make organizing easy for stress free living.
* To donate and recycle: 914Cares https://www.914cares.org/
** Skinny Hangers from Costco
*** Shoe Organizers from The Container Store
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