You never know what you have until you clean your closet.
I love a clean closet but I have to admit, I hate cleaning it! Closets are like bedroom dresser drawers in the sense that if you don’t properly put your items away neatly, it quickly turns into an unorganized mess.
Not only do I use my beautiful walk-in bedroom closet for my clothes, but I also use it for storing papers, books, kids school calendars and everything I need in life at the moment. Sometimes I use it for storage, for hiding things like the vacuum, holiday presents, and even my laptop. My closet has always been my number one personal storage space that I can count on to call home for any of my personal items.
I have tried all different ways and techniques to keep my closets neat and I can honestly say that if I don’t go through my clothes, shoes, books, papers, handbags and jackets AT LEAST twice a year, everything quickly builds up.
Here are some clever ways to keep your closet clean that actually work:
When tackling your closet, put each item into one of three piles, the “yes” pile, the “no” pile, or the “not sure” pile. Try and keep the “not sure” pile to a minimum. Ask yourself, “does this item look good on me, do I love this item, is this the image I want to show.” If the answer is “no” to any of those questions, place the item in the “no” pile. Learn to let go of the past and feel good about donating your clothing to those in need.
After the “not sure” pile is completed, pull out all the clothes you are keeping because of sentimental reasons. If you don’t currently wear them but really cannot let go of these items yet, you may want to store them in another area of your home. Try not to keep them in your closet.
Organize all of your items in the closet into sections by color.
For shoes, face one shoe forward and one backwards. Storing your shoes like this gives you more room. You can also see the differences in the height of your heels too!
Use the same type of hangers throughout your closet. Everything looks so much neater. I do this in every closet in my home. It makes your clothes look so elegant, and the closet more aligned. Don’t want to make the investment in new hangers all at once? Replace them in smaller groups, either by clothing type (pants first, then shirts, skirts, dresses, etc) or buy a new package of hangers each month until you have enough. The dry cleaners will be happy to have the wire hangers back, and a donation center will appreciate the hodgepodge of plastic and clip hangers you’ve collected over time.
When stacking piles of pants, hoodies, or even sweaters on the top shelf, try using a plastic clothing organizer called Slide N Stax®. It keeps your clothing stacked nicely, even when you are grabbing from the pile! If putting your clothing together by colors doesn’t suit you, try grouping your items a different way. For example, put all blouses together, then all dresses together, and so on. Or, you can group your items according to sleeve or pant length, or season to season. Choose whatever you think will work best for your personality and your lifestyle.
Buying and hanging belt racks around the closet is a huge help! I use belt racks to hang belts, bags, scarves, and ties.
To avoid wearing the same things each day, after the item is cleaned, hang it on the rod in front of all the other items. My husband does this with his suit shirts so he doesn’t wear the same shirts twice in the same work week.
When hanging up your new clothes of the season, place the hangers backwards in the closet. Every time you wear a piece of clothing, hang the item up with the hanger facing front. This way, when the season comes to an end, you will have a better idea of which items you haven’t worn that you may want to donate.
Space Bags are a great way to store items because they take up very little space and they can be easily stored under beds, in closets, or on shelves. For storing winter jackets and snow suits or even bulky bedding, these bags may come in handy! Some people even use these in their suitcases when traveling!
When storing clothes in an area of the basement, add some chalk pieces in cloth bags and pack them with your clothes in the storage bin. Chalk absorbs moisture and will help protect your clothing by keeping it dry.
Before putting all your clothing and other items back in the closet, be sure to clean your closet well. Vacuum with a HEPA filtered vacuum, paying close attention to corners and tops of shelves. Wipe everything down with your favorite homemade green cleaner and a microfiber cloth.
Finally, stand back and admire your beautifully organized closet!
