How to Stop Closet Hunting
We’ve all been there at one time or another…the alarm doesn’t go off, you accidentally turn it off instead of snoozing, you sleep right through it, the dog sits on it and muffles the sound. Whatever the excuse, mornings can turn hectic in an instant. If you’re the sort that finds this to be the rule rather than the exception, I’ve got just the fix for you today.
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First things first, set aside a chunk of time one weekend to get your space in order (don’t worry, I’m going to tell you how) and you’ll be breezing through your morning routine before you know it.
The number one strategy for making your morning easier is to eliminate hunting. You want to be able to find everything you need quickly and easily. Here are 8 simple tips to keep your closet chaos-free so you can get dressed in a flash and not begin your day frustrated (or worse, mismatched!):
Tip #1: Match Like With Like
In the hanging section of your closet, arrange all your dress shirts in one section, all your casual shirts in another section, and so on. Once you have your categories together, sort them by color. Remember when you were in elementary school and you learned the colors of the rainbow as ROY G. BIV? Use this color pattern in each section, with white on the red end, then brown, grey, and black on the purple end. When you have all your clothes organized by style, and then color, there is absolutely no doubt where you should find your red sleeveless top. If it’s not in the red sleeveless top section, you can assume that it is in the dirty clothes, and move on to picking out something else to wear instead of feverishly searching for 15 minutes, only to realize it’s in the hamper.
Tip #2: Fold and Fit
Follow the “like with Like” pattern with your folded clothes, too. Depending on how many drawers or shelves you have, you may not have enough space to keep tank tops in a separate drawer from t-shirts, but you can keep them in separate piles. As much as you can, only put similar items together. Try and keep tops and bottoms as separate as possible, but if you do need to put them together, do it with specific categories of clothes, like workout clothes, or pajamas.
Tip #3: ‘Tis the Season
Keep in-season items and favorites most accessible and move other stuff to the back of the closet or store it away. If you have space above your closet shelves, invest in a few clear plastic bins or decorative baskets to store out of season items. If you have room under your bed, vacuum sealed bags are great for squishing bulky sweaters into flat bricks that easily slide underneath to free up your closet space.
Tip #4: Drawer Division
To separate your undergarments and intimates, use drawer dividers which can be anything from small fabric bins to plastic inserts. You can find these at most home goods stores. I suggest dividing up your intimates drawer by casual and fancy. It’s one thing to have your socks separate from your underwear, but let’s be honest, not every pair of undies goes with your white dress skirt. Make it nice and easy find the right accompaniments for your outfit (or your mood!), without having to dig.
Guys, I hear you rolling your eyes, but this can apply to you too. Think about which socks you wear to work out versus which ones you wear to work. And just like us ladies, I’m sure many of you have different undies that you wear to play basketball than you wear for a night out with a special someone.
Tip #5: Find Your “Clerty” Spot
Create a designated “tried on” spot where you can toss the items you may have decided against, to put away at a more convenient time. A friend of mine invented the term “clerty,” as in these clothes are neither clean nor dirty, therefore they are clerty. Just make sure you put away your clerty clothes at least a couple of times a week, otherwise they may end up needing to go in the dirty pile, which just creates more laundry work for you.
Tip #6: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Have a full-length mirror nearby the area where you dress so you don’t have to waste time and energy walking back and forth between your closet and the mirror, deciding if you look okay.
The next 2 tips are more specific to the ladies. Men, if you keep listening (or reading), I promise I won’t make fun of you when you implement these tips into your own closet.
Tip #7: Photo Op
Snap photos of yourself in your favorite outfits or make “cheat sheets” on index cards that list everything in the ensemble (including accessories and shoes). This is great for those mornings when you hate everything in your closet, or are super rushed. Instead of having to try on each and every piece of clothing in your closet, simply grab one of the cards, figure out what outfit best suits your mood, and find the pieces listed. Easy peasy!
Tip #8: Accessories
Hang your most often worn jewelry from small hooks on the closet wall or on the back side of the medicine cabinet door. You can install cute metal hooks permanently with screws, or there are options for removable adhesive hooks for a non-permanent option. Both can be found at stores like Target and Home Depot. For earrings, try using a corkboard hung in your closet. Posts can stick right in on their own, and hoops can be hung on pushpins. Cheap, easy, and green!
I can’t promise these tips will help you deal with rush hour traffic, but they will definitely help you get out the door faster.
Have a question about anything in this episode? Or a suggestion for a future podcast? Send me an email at DomesticCEO@quickanddirtytips.com or post it on the Domestic CEO Facebook wall.
Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.
Woman Searching in Closet and Man with Tie curtesy of Shutterstock