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PrintOut With The Old. In With The New.
Closet Organization and Other Tips
Kathy Friend
Out with the old, and in with the new.
Or, in with the new and move the old stuff over to make room for more new stuff!
Or, no room for the new; the old has taken over the house!
Which of these statements describes the current state of your closet? Tackling the job of cleaning out your closet can feel overwhelming, but if you break it down into easy steps, that part of the spring cleaning to-do list can be quickly checked off!
The Pile Method
As you go through the steps to closet organization, really look at each piece of clothing. Does it show signs of wear? If so, put it in a pile. Dies it fit? If not, it goes in a pile. The only things that should be in your closet are those you wear every day (in other words, items that fit, that are current in style and season, and relevant to your lifestyle).
The clothes that you haven’t worn or don’t fit should not be taking up space in your closet – or your home for that matter! These are great items to donate…and goodness knows thrift shops like Goodwill would love to take them off your hands (and offer you a nice tax deduction as a thank you).
Step 1 – Separate tops from bottoms and make some piles
Keep all of your skirts and pants together in your closet. Separate these pieces from your tops, sweaters and jackets. As you are going through your clothing, look at each piece and consider if it is something you’ve worn in the past year. If not, then set it aside. Look at it and determine if it needs to be cleaned. Is it stained? Does it need repair? If so, set it aside.
Step 2 – Separate colors
Next, go through each section created in Step 1, and separate each item by color. For example, your closet should have all the white tops together, and then cream, pink, red, blue on to black.
For patterned or striped items, fit those in with the dominant color in the piece. For example, a white striped blouse would go with the white section. A red tartan plaid shirt would go with the red section and so on.
Step 3 – Separate lengths
First, shirts. Put all the tank tops together, then short sleeves, ¾ sleeves, long sleeves and then blouses, sweaters and jackets.
With pants and skirts, start with skirts, again by length. Then move to cropped pants, casual pants and dress slacks.
TIP: Hang pants on pant hangers (not folded over a shirt hanger). Folding your pants will leave a crease, and the part of the pant that is folded over the hanger will collect dust.
Other Tips
Shoes
There are several schools of thought as to how you organize your shoes, and it all depends on how many shoes you have. Some organize shoes by brand in the original box. Some people can’t remember (or don’t care) what brand of shoes they have, or don’t keep the original boxes. In this case, purchase clear plastic shoe boxes.
It is important to keep your shoes covered or in boxes. Closets are dusty places, and those shoes you are not currently wearing (out of season) will get very dirty if left sitting on a shelf.
Belts / Accessories
Belts should be hung on hooks or on a belt hanger.
Storage
Plastic or woven storage tubs are great for things like handbags, shawls, wraps, scarves, and seasonal items, like holiday sweaters and bathing suits.
Hangers
One fast way to make your closet instantly look better is to have nice hangers (all the same kind of hanger). The ones I like are Ultra Slim Flocked hangers from Bed Bath and Beyond – use one of those 20% off coupons you get in the mail!
