How to Organize Your Closet
Need some fresh ideas on how to best organize your closet? Check out these 3 tips from Domestic CEO.
Do me a favor: Walk into your closet right now. If you are in a car, at work, or listening to this episode on the go, walk into your closet as soon as you get home. What do you see when you look inside? Are your clothes lined up nicely so you can find exactly what you want, when you want to wear it? Or, does it look like your closet and threw up all the clothes? Are your shoes and accessories in their rightful places, or are they in a big pile on the floor?
Whether your closet needs just a little attention to get into tip-top shape, or a bulldozer to clean out the mess, today’s episode is for you. I have 3 easy tips on how to organize your closet that I have used countless times when working with my Moxie Girl clients on their . They have worked for them, and they will work for you, so let’s get started!
Tip #1: Learn to Let Go
Here’s a little professional organizer secret: The hardest part about learning how to organize your closet doesn’t actually have anything to do with how your clothes are hung or folded. It’s learning to let go of the things that don’t belong in the closet anymore. Many people have a very tough time with this, and I’ve often had clients fight me tooth and nail on getting rid of old stuff. Here’s the thing though, most people wear less than half of the items they own. The other stuff is just taking up valuable space.
Whether the clothes are out of style, damaged beyond repair, or can only fit if you lose (or gain) weight, those unworn items are making it harder for you to get dressed in the morning because . It isn’t easy, but to have an organized closet that you love to go into, you need to let go of the items that bring you down. If you need a little help, bring in a brutally honest friend. We all have that friend who will answer honestly when asked, “Does this make me look fat?” She may be a buzz-kill to go shopping with, but she will be great when you’re trying to get rid of clothes that are less than flattering.
One trick that we use with our clients is that we first take everything out of the closet when looking for items to get rid of. It’s a little mind trick that makes a big difference. It is easier to say that you don’t want to put something back in your closet than it is to make the decision to remove the same item from the closet. Remove the anxiety from this step by simply taking everything out of your closet. If you don’t love it enough to put it back in, it goes into the donate pile.
Tip #2: Sort, Sort, Sort
Once you have bagged up your most unwanted clothes, it’s time to sort everything so you can take inventory. You may find that after putting all your shirts together, you have 15 white button-down shirts. If you don’t have a need for 3 weeks’ worth of white dress shirts, you may consider adding a few of them to the donate bag. Do this with all the items from your closet. Anything that you find yourself having unneeded multiples of, pick your favorites to keep and donate the rest.
Once your items are all sorted into piles, you can then start to figure out how you are going to put them back into the closet. You may realize that you have an excess of hanging space, which means that you can hang more casual items that you were folding before. Or, you may find that you have more dress shirts than you have space for, so you are going to need to fold and stack your jeans. It’s much easier to start figuring this out before you put things back in, so do a little planning first and save yourself the stress of refolding and moving hangers 20 times.
Tip #3: Pick the Right Closet Organizers
If you find that the design of your closet just isn’t working with the clothes that you have, you may want to opt for a new closet organizer system. The closets that come standard in homes can work for some people, but an investment of a new closet system can make storing and finding your clothes much easier.
You may be able to improve the space with a few non-permanent options, like colorful canvas bins to store all your scarves or undergarments, or a new over-the-door shoe bag to store all your flip flops. These are the cheapest ways to improve the functionality of a closet. Sometimes, though, these easy solutions aren’t quite enough. If you see a lot of when you look around your closet (like walls that are bare, either up high or down low), you may want to consider a more permanent change to the structure of your closet.
But before you tear out the existing closet shelves, make sure you do a little research to pick the right closet organizer for your lifestyle. Are you a do-it-yourselfer who thinks a weekend project of hanging shelves and assembling closet components is heaven? Then Ikea, The Container Store, and Closetmaid have some great options for you. If the thought of using measuring tape and a drill makes you anxious, there are many closet companies that would be happy to come over and design the closet of your dreams…for a price.
Whichever option you decide to move forward with, make sure that you design the closet for the clothes that you have. Since you have everything already sorted out, I would advise drawing out a plan for a new closet and labeling each area with the items that will be stored there. That way, once the closet is built, you won’t suddenly realize that you don’t have anywhere to store your purses, or your shoes. Don’t trust that a closet company will do this for you. Their job is to sell you a closet, and while they may be able to make recommendations, it will ultimately be your responsibility to decide how much hanging space, shelves, and drawers you need to accommodate your wardrobe.
If you are looking for some inspiration for your closet, check out the board on my page. Or, if you have some suggestions of ideas that have worked in your own home, post them in the comments section below or on the Domestic CEO . You can also find me on Twitter, where I’m .
Until next time, I’m the , helping you love your home.
Woman Sorting Closet image from Shutterstock