A couple years ago, I was a bridesmaid in my best friend’s wedding and all the maids were asked to wear gold shoes. So I bought a pair.
Six months later I was cleaning out my closet and what did I find?
A pair of gold shoes. That I’d never even worn. That I liked way more than the heels I bought for the wedding.
It was a valuable lesson: Keep your closet organized, if for no other reason than to avoid spending money on things you already own.
Got a pretty spacious closet (like the ones at 777 Place in Pomona, California and The Village at Bluegrass in Mt. Pleasant, Missouri)?
So do I. But that doesn’t matter if it’s a mess.
Here are six closet organization tips that have helped me get my act together:
1. Take stock of your stuff
Haul everything out of your closet and put it into three piles: keep, store, donate. This is especially helpful for those of us living in areas where the seasons change. For instance, it’s probably better to store your sweaters during the summer and replace them with your sun dresses in the winter. And donating ensures that the items you don’t want anymore won’t go to waste.
2. Store like items next to each other
Trying to decide which shirt to wear to work? That’ll be easier to do if all your shirts are right in front of you. Then, group those items according to color. Blue shirts next to blue shirts and so on.
3. Keep your faves front and center
Make it easy to reach for the items you wear most. Put the lesser-worn stuff below and your least-worn stuff up high.
4. Hang hats, belts ties and scarves
All these accessories take up valuable space when they’re sitting on shelves. To hang a scarf, just tie it in a knot around a hanger bar. If your hangers don’t have bars, hang scarves on a tie rack.
5. Use clear plastic boxes
Clear boxes just make it easier to see your stuff. And if the items you’re storing are out of season, consider putting them in underbed boxes. If they’re under your bed, they’re out of your closet, giving you even more space.
6. Be proactive about clutter
Don’t hang onto things you don’t wear. To discover what you should get rid of:
- Make sure the hooks on all your hangers are facing you.
- When you wear something, turn its hanger so the hook is facing away from you.
- After a few months, have a look at the hangers facing away from you— those are the items you wear most.
- If you haven’t worn something in the last year, chances are you never will and you should donate it.
Have an organization tip? Share it in the comments!