Although most people would rather do just about anything else than organize their messy closets it’s a job that still needs to be done. Because usually closets have been neglected for too long it’s hard to know where to start. Closets become cluttered because they’re too small to hold everything that’s thrown inside of them. That’s why the first step in organizing a closet is to determine what stays and what goes.
Sorting Tips
Label three boxes: one for discards, one for donations and one for keepers. Then removing each item from a closet, decide which box it needs to be placed into. On the other hand, some of those items may be keepers, but should not be housed in closets. In other words decide which items are intended for a closet and which ones need to be placed somewhere else. For example items such as photo albums and abandoned art projects need storing in rooms such as basements or attics rather than closets.
Storage Tips
First wash or dry-clean clothes that are out of season before placing them in storage so insects won’t be attracted to any cologne antiperspirant or makeup residues. Then ensure all items are dry before storing them because dampness can cause musty smells and mildew. Don’t store clothing in plastic bags such as those from dry cleaners, because clothes need fresh air. Instead store them in cotton zip-up bags.
Hanger Tips
The right hanger needs to be on the proper piece of clothing so space can be used to its best advantage. This may mean coordinating a closet with more advanced closet organizers. Hang or store the clothes you consistently wear at eye level. Next move those items you only use occasionally to a higher level.
Categorizing Seasonal Clothing
A closet that fails to open as easily as it should is a hint that some of the clothes are out of season and should be stored somewhere else. Clothes are better organized when they’re arranged by season. For example, with each new season take out the old season’s clothing and store it away until those clothes are needed again. Then dust out shelves and vacuum carpeting before organizing the new seasonal items.
Color Coding and Style Grouping
It’s also helpful to group clothing according to color and style. Grouping clothing into colors helps to see which colors are overused and which colors are lacking in a wardrobe. For example group all your blues together and then all your reds, greens, oranges and yellows. Have all your darker and neutral colors in one area such as whites, blacks, browns and grays.
Next, it’s good to separate color-sorted clothing into types such as tops (shirts and blouses) and bottoms (skirts and pants). Also, group clothes according to style such as placing formal clothing together, while placing sporting clothes in a separate area of the closet.
Finally, determine to keep all your closets organized. Any easy way to do this is to immediately place items in their proper place and not store any item in a closet that doesn’t belong there. Regardless of how well a closet is organized, it doesn’t do any good if it reverts to being cluttered, again, in only a few weeks.
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