Cleaning Out Your Closet

We know we need to clean out our closet, but we put it off as long as possible.  It’s a chore!  The flip side though is that once you remove all the items you don’t wear, it will be so much easier to get dressed every day.  So put on your favorite music and let’s get to it!

First, grab some baskets or bins.  Laundry baskets work well and most of us have a few lying around.  You can also use boxes.  You just need storage to sort your items in.  If you take everything out of the closet and dump it on the floor, you will get overwhelmed and lose interest.  Label the boxes Donate, Pants, Shirts, Workout, Dresses, etc.

Next, take items off the hangers that you don’t wear.  If you want to keep them, try to find a different closet where you can store them.  It is frustrating to look at clothes every morning that you don’t wear.  If you can part with these items, put them in the donation basket. 

Another idea if you want to save these items is to purchase a vacuum storage bag.  These are great to store out-of-season clothes, or clothes that don’t fit you now.  You simply fill the bag up to the allotted line and then use your vacuum attachment to remove all the air from the bag. 

Clothes take up a fraction of the room once they are in the vacuum bag.  Once the bag is flat, you can easily store it under your bed or at the bottom of your closet.  Be sure to label it with the contents and the date.

Then remove a section of clothes at a time and put the like things together.  Pants basket, shirt basket, dress basket or pile.  Once you have decided what to keep, you can start hanging things back up according to type.  This will enable you to find things easily each morning. 

When you are deciding what to keep, you will have some “maybes”.  Those items that you like but find that you don’t wear.  Hang these items with the hanger backwards.  In a few months, you can easily identify the items that you still haven’t worn.  If the hanger is still backwards, you’ll know it is time to donate the item. 

If you find that you do not have enough hanging space for all your items, consider using shelf space.  You can use laundry baskets or boxes on a shelf to store workout clothes or t-shirts.  This works well for kids and husbands who prefer not to take the time to hang their clothes.  Just label the bin or basket so the items stay organized. 

For your shoes you can line them up on the floor or put some in baskets or bins according to type.  Sneakers, heels, sandals, etc.  You can purchase a pool noodle your boots.  Cut the pool noodle the height of the boot shaft and insert it so that your boots stand up straight.  This way they will keep their shape and take up less space.

Hang belts from a hanger to keep them all together.  On a busy morning you don’t want to waste time searching for the pants hanger that you left your belt on. 

For scarves you can store these in a bin.  Or you can purchase a hanger with holes to hang them on. 

Keep going!  Monday morning you’ll be so much more organized and be able to get ready so much faster!