If you’ve been procrastinating about cleaning out your closet (or closets), maybe it’s time to think about the benefits of having a more organized space. For one thing, getting dressed is a lot easier and faster when you can find clothing quickly instead of rifling through a jumble of items. In addition, your wardrobe will not get as wrinkled and disheveled when things are hung up and stored in an orderly fashion. If you’re ready to tackle the task of cleaning your closet, here are some tips:
- Will your schedule allow you to attack the project all at once, or is time an issue? If you don’t have a big chunk of time to devote to completing the task, you can always set a timer and do as much as you can until the buzzer goes off. Pick up where you left off the next chance you get.
- An extra pair of hands can help the job move faster, so ask a friend to help you and return the favor by helping with their closet. If you’re wondering whether to keep some things, a trusted friend can weigh in with their honest opinions. Remember, if you haven’t worn an item in months or years, chances are good that you won’t wear it in the future, either.
- Designate three piles or bags for items to keep, donate, or discard. Every item from your closet should be placed in one of those categories.
- After you’ve sorted your closet contents into those three piles, remove the donate and discard piles from the room. The remaining items are those which will go back into your closet. Take an inventory of hangar and shelf space to gauge whether you need to pare down further. You can also identify things that you can store in drawers or other parts of the house if space is an issue.
- Before putting things back, vacuum the floors and corners of the closet and wipe down any shelves. It’s also a good opportunity to give the walls a fresh coat of paint.
- Group similar items in sections. For example, hang pants all together, shirts all together, etc. Make sure to hang items facing the same way so it’s easier to find things when you’re flipping through.
- Next, go through each section and sort items by color. This will also make clothes easier to find and match when you’re getting dressed.
- Organize shoes by type, placing your most often worn styles toward the front of the shelf or floor.
- Place accessories and smaller items, like scarves, on hooks or in color-coded bins or clear boxes.
To help you get motivated to tackle this chore, build in a reward for yourself when you’ve finished the task. And, to keep your closet organized so that you don’t have to do a big purge and cleaning so often, make it your policy to discard or donate one item for every new item you acquire.