Posted by on 12/21/2019 to
Let's Talk: Relax, Soak and Unwind after Work
Reducing Stress the Old Fashion Way - Part III: Tips on How to Organize your Closet
Another way to stay and feel more organized is by going through your closet from time to time. Now I find that there are a few different purposes for this. Number one is to feel more organized and to reduce unneeded anxiety because now you are able to actually find and locate your clothes. Secondly, is trying to make the space feel bigger. Have you ever went through a space of yours with a fine tooth comb, so well that when done you were left thinking to yourself, "how the heck did I fit so much in such a limited space?" I know I have, so we will attempt to also discuss ways to make your closet feel bigger as well, in the tips that follow.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions:
So first it's decision time. What are my goals here? Is my focus to just clean and go through old clothes? Am I attempting to reorganize? Do I want to change the closet space? Do I want to do a complete re-design, maybe a custom closet? All of the above? Sometimes you just need a good old fashion cleaning, going through old clothes, trying stuff on to see if it still fit's, wiping things down, etc. For the most part, that's usually what I would do. However, there may be a bigger picture/plan in mind as well. You may want to redesign your closet, maybe move a few things around, do some sort of custom build that includes; drawers, bins, multiple hanging racks and so on. These are things you should know before trying to de-clutter your closet. You need direction, so take a moment to think!
Understand the Process:
The art or technique of organizing your closet or your clothes in general in ONGOING. Why? Well simply put, because most people are continuing to update there wardrobe, right?
First Things First:
Okay, so you have an idea in mind of the direction you want to go. Obviously, the next step of the process is to clear out your closet. The easiest and most thorough way of organizing your closet is to first, empty it. Evaluate your space. Decide where your hard to reach spots are. Decide where you want your most worn clothes to be displayed and stored. Do you have a space for off-season clothes? Are you going to use plastic bins, or other storage devices? Can you slide a dresser into the closet to get it off your bedroom floor and tucked away in your closet instead? You should be literally looking at your closet and there should be nothing in it, and then from here you can piece it together like a puzzle. The first thing you try may not work, or may need to be tweaked and that's okay. Take your time and organize it in a way that makes sense to you and your routine.
Idea: Make sure to donate clothes when you can. There are plenty of places out there that will take clothing and accessories.
Keep em' Closed:
Whenever possible, in my opinion, it seems to give the perception of space and order when clothes are behind closed doors. So if you have an island, or a dresser of some sort, I would recommend keeping your clothes tucked away. That doesn't mean you can't have some things on display, but just keep this tactic in mind.
Categories:
One of the most notable and most effective ways to start organizing clothes is by using categories. This technique has been around forever and is a great place to start when thinking about how to organize your closet. This process starts with separating your clothes into categories, such as; sweaters, pants, under garments, t-shirts, long sleeves, dress clothes, accessories, etc. This will never work if you just toss a pile of mismatched clothes on top of one another. Now every time you go into the closet you know exactly where you need to start. Simple process, but effective.
Advanced Tactic, Color Code It:
So an advanced tip, if you really want to take things to another level when de-cluttering your clothes closet, would be to utilize a color code system. Now personally, I don't have enough clothes to do this. I'm a rather simple and plain person, so vibrant colors have never been my cup of tea anyhow, but if you have a lot of clothes and you have a wide variety of colors, this makes things even easier in those cases, specially if you're someone who likes to wear certain colors dependent on the season.
Fold n' Stack, Vs. Hang It, Vs. Roll it Up:
So in my experience, there are just certain clothes and accessories that need to be folded vs. hung. Things such as suits, dresses, delicate items should be hung. Some materials wrinkle easy; satin, silk and lace should be hung rather then folded. Clothing such as sweaters, (because they are heavy and can get those terrible indents from hangers), fold a lot easier and indeed is the better option in my opinion.
I also like to fold any stretchy type material, like work out gear because of just that, they can become deformed or even more stretched out on a hanger. (Tip: Use a similar looking hanger for all your clothes, they may differ in shape dependent on what you are hanging, but they should be consistent in color and design). When it comes to athletic gear, or spandex type material, you can also use the "roll it up" method. If you store any towels or wash clothes in your closet, this is also a technique to use. With these types of materials, they will role up easy, save you tons of space, and you don't have to worry about them becoming wrinkled.
Rolling Leggins for Storage
Idea: Once you have decided which clothes can be rolled, try purchasing some drawer dividers, so you can further organize and customize the look and feel of your closet space.
Maximize your Space:
So the general rule of thumb when I think about how to get the biggest bang for my buck when organizing my closet and other areas of my house, is to use every space possible. However, I do think that you have to be careful not to just go cramming articles of clothing, hats, accessories into one space. Utilize and maximize the space, but be cognizant of the fact that one of the reasons why we are doing this is to de-clutter you closet, not make it appear more congested and confusing. On that note, a great way to organize accessories is by using empty wall space to hang things, such as jewelry or hats. This tactic can save you from having a big jewelry box getting in the way. Here is a quick look at a handmade jewelry wall organizer.
Go Vertical:
This is my favorite way to store and organize shoes. It is a huge space saver to be able to go vertical. Some of these shoe racks have 3 and 4 levels for shoes and you can fit a nice amount of shoes in a small area. You can also organize your shoes based on type because of the different levels of the shoe rack. This is also another cool project to DIY if you have the time and want to customize the look, if not you can find all sorts of shoe racks on Amazon and Wayfair. You can also use vertical shelf hanging organizers to really maximize your space. These can be used for practically anything.
Utilize Shelving:
If your closet has space for them, shelving can be another great way to organize and de-clutter your closet because they can serve so many purposes and they are relatively easy and cheap to hang. See our post on ways to organize your bedroom to learn more about hanging and floating wall shelves.
This is a "Must See":
Simply put, it makes things a lot easier on you to create a system that works for you. For example, placing frequently worn clothes and accessories in easy to reach areas preferably at eye level. If you have a favorite jacket, pair of jeans or winter sweater you wear often, store those in an easy to see and reach area. This can also be ideal when switching out summer, winter, spring and fall clothing lines. Have a place for what articles of clothing you see yourselves wearing most frequent, and place those items at eye level or easy to reach spots is always good practice.
Maintenance Check:
Like with any sort of organization, de-cluttering and keeping your closet organized, is going to be a process. New clothes in, and old clothes out. However, hopefully after your have read this post and went through the process or an initial new setup, things will run more smoothly. At that time, it's more about maintenance and monthly tidying up.
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