Closet Organizing – One Room at a Time

Have you had ideas (or dreams!) of cleaning and organizing your closet lately? You’re not alone. Closet organizing is one of those tasks that nags at you every time you open the door and wonder how it all got so chaotic. The mess, the piles, the utter confusion, it can only go on for so long before your eyes glaze over and your head starts spinning! But here’s the truth: the benefits of an organized closet are so worth the effort. You’ll make better use of your space, easily access your things, and – best of all – you’ll stop feeling irritable every time you walk past the closet door. Ahh… a fresh start.

Things to Remember Before You Start

If you’re ready to declutter your closet, keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t panic at the mess. If you’re afraid of what’s lurking behind that closet door, take a deep breath and dive in. You might feel like you’re about to be buried alive, but it’s just stuff, and it’s manageable.
• Avoid the blame game. If you share a closet with a spouse, roommate, or sibling, don’t point fingers. It took two to tango into that clutter, now work together to dance it clean.
• Break it down. Don’t feel like you have to spend the entire weekend buried in piles of clothes. Tackle one shelf, one drawer, or one closet at a time. Small wins add up.

Work Your Way Through the House

Your goal is simple: move through each closet in your home, decluttering, cleaning, and organizing as you go. The real win? Maintaining them so they stay organized long after the initial clean-up. I did a thorough closet cleaning not too long ago, and I swear, I felt a weight lift off me. (And this is something I do every year!) It’s amazing how quickly things accumulate. Then one day, you open your eyes and think, Where did all this stuff come from? Clothes, handbags, shoes… it all sneaks up on you.

A Closet Organizing Victory

Believe me, when I finished organizing my closets, I felt like a brand-new person. I stood back, admired my work, and gave myself a much-deserved pat on the back. Then I did what anyone would do, I went to the mall and bought myself a new purse to celebrate. Because hey, I had room for it now!

Assessing Available Closet Space

Assess the closet space you have available. Have a note pad and specify what the main objective is for a closet and how you can best use it. Also write down the materials you will need to make your closet space more organized.

Find Extra Space Around the House

If your closets are small, consider your entire home and determine if you have extra storage space, watching for just about any unused area where items can be easily stored, such as underneath the beds, under the sofa, a chest, an ottoman, desk drawers, etc. Even an empty wall can serve your storage purpose needs with a little weekend DIY shelving.

Get the Materials You Need

Now that you’ve gone through the closets and any other space around the house you can use as storage, it’s time for shopping. This is actually fun because you can get as innovative as you like. Some ideas for storage and organizational needs are:

Hangers and Hooks

There are hangers for pants, shirts, ties, and hooks can be used for a bathrobe, pajamas, purses, belts, scarfs, etc.

Containers

I love the variety of containers on the market today. There are metal containers, plastic, 1 foot by 1 foot square crates, baskets, under the bed storage containers, and more. These work great for kid’s toys, shoes, games, t-shirts, purses, and much, much, more. Some of the containers will be stacked so don’t forget the lids.

Shelving or Closet Organizers

If you have the space, think about adding some shelving or closet organizers to your closet space. A nice touch for shelving is to add shelving paper, it’s easy to clean and adds a layer of protection to clothing items.

Behind the Door Storage

These can be used for shoes, toys, photos, makeup, jewelry, etc. If all bedroom closets are the same size (with exception to the master bedroom) the plan you choose for one can be standard for them all, regardless of what’s inside.

Focus On One Closet at a Time

Starting with a single closet is easier and less stressful, this way you don’t get so overwhelmed and want to quit the task before you’ve even started. It’s also a good way to set the pace for the other closets you’ll be organizing. After the first one, you’ll have a good idea of how long it will take and the supplies you’ll need to make it better organized.

Set a Date and Time

Have a particular day set aside ahead of time to work on each closet. If you commit beforehand there’s no excuse to not do it. Put it on the calendar and have someone hold you accountable.

Go Through Closets Using the 5 Stack Method

This is simply 5 stacks or piles you need to make while cleaning out the closet. Start at the top of the closet and work your way down, cleaning the shelves and walls when you’re done and vacuum the floor. Begin by taking everything from the closet and arrange it in the following piles:

1. Garbage: damaged and useless items will end up in the trash. Simply no questions.
2. 2 year rule: if you have not used it in 2 years, get rid of it. You can easily give away items to friends or donate things that are in good repair. Damaged items can go in the garbage pile.
3. Needs cleaning: clothes, blankets, whatever you would utilize if it was clean.
4. Things that should or could be someplace else: If you’re sorting through the linen closet and find a shoe, put it in a pile that you’ll put away; in the proper place, later. Are you storing Christmas and other Holiday decorations in various closets? Why not store them on a shelf in the garage since they aren’t accessed often.
5. Things that are supposed to be in the closet: This pile ought to be considerably less when you’re done.

If you have decided to use shelving or purchase closet organizers, now is the time to add this to you clean closet space.

Putting Items Back in a Closet

After you have sorted and made your piles, discard the trash, bag up items for donation, and, if necessary, get a load of clothes going in the wash. Now you can put everything back in whatever new fashion you have planned for the closet you are working on – organize it in a much better way.

Putting Things Back in Your Clothes Closets

One idea when hanging clothes you’re keeping back in the closet is to sort according to type. By that I mean put all shirts, work pants and jackets, dresses and skirts, jeans, and t-shirts together. You can even take it a step further and arrange within these groupings by color.

Organizing Kitchen Closets

If you cook a lot and have many spices currently sitting on a shelf, think about hanging a spice rack behind the door of the pantry closet. You can arrange these in a very manageable manner and you’ve also freed up a shelf! When you have finished organizing the closet, don’t forget to put those miscellaneous items that belong somewhere else away.

Organizing the Linen Closet

The linen closet can end up being a catch all for so many things around the house just because there’s usually a little extra space. Does yours hold not just linens but extra towels, pillows, blankets, toilet paper, personal care products, crafts, etc.? Could some of those items go in the bathroom closet, on a bathroom shelf, under the bathroom sink? Do you have a closet in the office where you can utilize a shelf for craft supplies? Ultimately, do all of the items in the linen closet belong there, and if not, can you put some of these things where it makes more sense that they be located. One of the things I have in each of the bedrooms in my home is that each room has a storage chest. They come in a variety of colors, styles and sizes. They are great for storing room specific items such as linens, extra pillow and blankets, etc. Closet organizing won’t just save you time in the long run, it will save you from getting stressed out and frustrated as well.

Storage Options