What do you think when you take a peek in your closet? Is it pristine with everything in its place? Or do the organization fairies need to pay a visit? I know for myself when I am trying to get ready in the morning, it is much less stressful with everything in its logical place. Not knowing where a certain piece of clothing might be located or scrounging around on the floor looking for that missing shoe would not be the way I enjoy starting my day. Make the start of a new year the beginning of a renewed organization in your home. The closet is a good place to start because it often becomes quite the dumping ground for many things we can no longer use or wear. I have narrowed the organization of a closet purge into 5 easy steps that will take you an afternoon to complete.
1) Before taking anything out of the closet, take a close look at how you might want to go about re-organizing. Will you need a new method of storing shoes? How much shelf space do you think you might have after purging? Are winter and summer clothes stuffed into the same space? Take a few moments to consider how things are arranged now and what changes you might want to make.
2) Start removing everything from the clothing rods. Make three piles- definitely keep, definitely get rid of, need to check fit/style. Once you have finished, go through the need to check pile while you are motivated and just really look those items over. Are they out of style? Are they no longer the right size with little chance of being the right size anytime soon? If you haven't worn it for a year, the chances that you will start to wear it are slim. Put it in the definitely get rid of pile.
Now you should have the "keep" clothes and "get rid of" clothes. Here is where things can get dicey. Don't put the "get rid of" clothes back in the closet thinking you will take care of them later. This rarely happens. Somehow, they just start cluttering up the closet once again. Box them up and either put them in the car for a trip to Goodwill, donate them to a clothing bank or remove them into the garage/attic for the next garage sale.
3) Now tackle the floor and upper shelving. Take all of the shoes and items off the floor. Repeat the clothing purge with the shoes. Have a box, empty laundry basket or trash can on hand to remove miscellaneous items that have made their way onto your closet floor. Pack up those items that really don't belong in your closet for distribution to their rightful homes throughout your house. Or, take the easy way and throw things away. If it is broken or missing pieces that have little chance of being found, pitch it!
4) Everything should be out of the closet and divided into piles based on what you plan to do with it. Take this opportunity to thoroughly sweep out the area, wipe down the clothing rods, get new hangars, bins or shoe racks and change the lightbulbs in your closet area. Improving the lighting can make a huge difference!
5) Start organizing the shelving and floors with shoes, scarves, belts etc. Make a concerted effort to make these items as manageable as possible. Decide how you would like your clothes organized- by season, function (work, casual, sports), or color. Try to stick with the organizational method you have decided upon as you put the clothes back. It will really make putting outfits together so much easier.
Your closet should look much improved at this point! Having an organized closet area truly does help to reduce an area of stress for many people. Plus, getting rid of things that you will no longer use can be a huge blessing to others when you donate these items.
