Organizing your not-so organized closet

Written by Nicole Harrison

Closet organization is not many people’s strong suit. Closets are the one place in a home where things get shoved when guests come over, and it’s safe to say items accumulate easily in these hidden corners of the home. If you’re anything like me, you rarely spend time cleaning and organizing your closet because let’s face it, who has time for that? Having a clean closet is beneficial for so many reasons – the number one being our sanity. A well-organized closet helps you come up with the perfect outfit especially on those mornings you’re running short on time.

Here are five foolproof tips to give yourself a clean, stress-free closet.

Color code your clothing. This one is self-explanatory. When you are looking for that one grey shirt you got from your aunt Betty for Christmas and can’t seem to find it anywhere, a color-coded closet is the perfect solution. Not only does color coding make finding clothes easier, but it looks refreshing and put together.

Categorize your clothes. Sort your clothes in different categories. Put blouses, sweaters, cardigans, t-shirts, dress pants, dresses, skirts, button downs and whatever else you have hanging in your closet in their own sections. You will find it extremely helpful to keep your dress and casual clothes in separate locations. Categorizing clothes makes putting outfits together a breeze.

Invest in organizers. Trust me on this one. If you don’t have built-in shelves in your closet, we recommend you invest in some kind of organizer. These are perfect for your shoes, sweaters, pants, and other items you don’t have places for. One of our favorite and most handy organization tips is to take your old moving boxes and cover them with scrapbook paper or fabric and use them as bins for small, miscellaneous items. If space is an issue consider investing in a wardrobe box where you can fit three feet of hanger clothes from your closet in addition to out of season shoes and store in a basement or utility room until the seasons change.

Flip your hangers. Do you have too many clothes? Is it hard for you to get rid of the clothes you don’t wear? After you have organized, color coded, or categorized your closet, you can start the downsizing process. This trick will help solve your crowded closet problems. Flip all of your hangers backwards for a certain time period (usually three or four months does the trick). After you wear something hang it back up facing the normal direction. At the end of the three or four months, get rid of the clothes whose hangers are still backwards. If you’re still unsure about tossing certain clothes, ask yourself if you would buy it again today.

Clean your closet. Once your closet is sorted and organized, take time to deep clean it. Just because it looks nice doesn’t mean it’s clean. Vacuum or mop the bottom of your closet and take a rag and wipe down the walls. Most likely you will find dust bunnies on the bottom of your closet. Spending time deep cleaning your closet will add that extra sparkle as a finishing touch.

These simple steps should be a helpful guide to get your closet in tip-top shape in no time. If anything, hopefully this post inspired and motivated you to go through your closets and get organized. This winter has consisted of brutal temperatures and icy roads, organizing your closets could be the perfect cure to your cabin fever!

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