This is a gust post by Kathryn Katz.
photo credit: evelynishere
Does your closet feel like the Bermuda Triangle or a Black Hole? Are you taking your life into your own hands when you try to step into your closet? Are closet items drifting out into your bedroom? If any of these scenarios is the case, then you need to consider clearing the clutter from your closet.
Assess the Mess
Take a deep, hard look at everything in your closet, and figure out what exactly is hiding beneath the mess. Clear yourself a path into the closet and take an inventory. Figure out problem areas of your closet: too many hanging clothes, shoes littering the floor of the closet or boxes stacked to the ceiling. Start to formulate a plan to get rid of the clutter.
Divide and Conquer
Divide your items into three piles: Keep, Maybe and Toss. Put the Toss pile aside, and go through your Keep and Maybe piles and put them into categories:
- Everyday items are things that you wear week to week, your essentials.
- Special Occasion items are clothing and accessories that you only wear for special events.
- Seasonal items are geared for specific seasons: Christmas sweaters, gloves, bathing suits, flip-flops, etc.
- Out of Date items are clothing and accessories that no longer meet your needs. They might be the wrong size or out of style.
Hint: if you haven’t worn it in the last year or two, then it’s probably Out of Date.
Pull It Together
Anything that’s in the Toss or Out of Date pile should be donated to the local thrift store, Salvation Army or Goodwill. I know it’s hard to toss away some of these items, but if you’re not wearing it, then you don’t need it. If it’s not the right season, then it needs to be put in storage. Special Occasion items should be limited to a small part of your closet. Less is more in this department so add excess party clothes to your thrift store pile. Everyday clothes and accessories should take the priority in your closet. These items should be towards the front of your closet for easy access.
Tools of the Trade
You’ll find a lot of cool gadgets for organizing your closet on TV and the Internet. However, before your go out and start buying all these products make sure that there’s an actual need. My favorite organizing tools are:
- The Original FlipFold – This shirt and laundry folder is a real time saver when you have a lot of shirts, pants and towels to fold. Retail Price $18.99
- Original Space Bag Storage Products– Space Bag 12 Storage Combo Packs
These bags are great for storing seasonal clothing. These bags are airtight, waterproof and reusable. Retail Price for 12 Bag Starter Set $37.22 at Amazon.com - Stacking Extendable Shoe Rack – Don’t leave your shoes milling about the floor, organize them with a shoe rack. Retail Price $6.99
Closet Organization 2.0
Maybe the current setup of your closet just doesn’t work, and you’re considering installing a closet organizer system. Before you spend thousands of dollars on a new closet and put yourself deeper in credit card debt, try installing a closet organizer yourself. Home Depot offers a great Building a Closet Organizer guide that is easy to do and installation takes less than a day. So put on your handyman gloves and build the closet of your dreams.
Clearing the clutter from your closet doesn’t have to be an overwhelming nightmare. Just keep it simple, compromise, and be consistent in your organization. If the project is a little over your head, you can also consider hiring a professional organizer. It might cost a little extra, but sometimes two heads are better than one in clearing away that closet mess.
Kelly responds: Thanks Kathryn for a great post on how to tackle closet clutter. This goes along with our 5/day challenge nicely. Why not organize your closet while you clean it out? Just don’t be like the guy I saw in Target last week who spent $100 on storage bins for stuff he probably doesn’t need.
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