Is this you when you need to organize your closet?
- Empty everything out of your closet and place it on your bed
- Start to Cry
- Think about how overwhelmed you are
- Walk away and eat Ice Cream instead.
Although this might make you laugh, closet organization doesn't need to be this hard. I remember the first time I watched a well known organizer with her own show urge her clients to empty everything out of her closet then take each item and decide if it made her happy (think "sparked joy") before they put it back. Although that might work for some people, no judgement here, I remember telling my husband, "You know what DOESN'T Spark Joy in my life? Hanging up those clothes again...". There is a much much easier and less overwhelming way to accomplish this.
1. For the next step in closet organization, do a quick pass through, top to bottom, left to right (people read left to right, this is the most logical way to start). Pull out items that are definitely a no-go, either because they are out of style, stained or damaged. Toss them if they are damaged, start a donate pile if they are not.
2. Closet Organization step 3: Next go through and take another pass--pull out any items that you are not sure about getting rid of. I call this the "maybe" pass. Place those items in a pile on your bed. We will visit them later. When you are all done with this step, take a break and walk away. Come back 10 minutes later--it will give you a new perspective. Now edit these items again and donate what you aren't in love with any more.
3. Take a look at what's left and group like items together: long sleeved together vs. short sleeved, pants vs. shorts, dresses vs. skirts if you wear them. Don't worry about sorting at this point. Just categorize. Closet Organization is mostly categorizing after you have purged.
4. Now sort by color and then length..I like long on the left, getting gradually shorter and shortest on the right. This step in Closet Organization is critical: it makes it so much easier to see what you have to work with.
5. Shoes can be sorted by type, then color. Shoes that need repair, are worn out, or unlikely to be worn again can be donated or tossed. Shoes can be difficult to let go--be brave!! When you store them, the bottom of your closet is not the most efficient, so many of my clients have found shoes they didn't know they had any longer because they were buried. Store them where they are easily reached and seen. Shelves or a shoe rack are the easiest way to see what you have. If you plan on storing them in boxes, invest in clear boxes that can be easily seen through, and try to get them to be all the same size, for easier storage. There are many options out there; I love these I have purchased on Amazon.
These closet organizing tips and hacks make the job so much less daunting and overwhelming. As always, we're here to help if you need us.
