7 Ways to Organize Your Closet

So You Want to Organize Your Clothes Do Ya?

That's great! The first step to organizing your clothes is recognizing that the clothes need to be organized and I am here to help!

In my blog/vlog/podcast this week, I wanted to share how we go about organizing and decluttering clothes. What is the best way to do it? How do I do it with my clients, and what are some of the tips and tricks I use while working with my clients to get their homes organized.

For the sake of the space and respect to the other areas of the home, I am focusing this just information just on your clothes alone. I will do a separate blog/vlog for partners and kids at another time.

1) Laundry laundry laundry. Before I begin a full-on decluttering session, I ask my clients to make sure that every article of clothing that belongs to them has been cleaned and is in the space we are going to work. This means that hamper of laundry you have been putting off needs to be washed and dried before you get started. Why? Simply because you want to have the ability to see ALL the clothes you own when doing a purge session.

You might say "but if it's in the laundry basket, I've worn it and therefore I must like it and want to keep it." to that I say "valid" however, if we are being honest, there are a few things to consider with that. When was that laundry put INTO the basket? Just because it is in the basket, doesn't mean it was worn recently. Second, even though you might have worn something in the basket, there may be something of higher value to you that was tucked away or lost in the closet that you will uncover and like even more! This leads me to my next step!

2) Get it all together. I mean go around to each and every area of your home where your clothes are, coat closet, storage area for seasonal clothes, and pull them all into one room. If you have a lot of clothes, this could be overwhelming. Not to sound too cold, but good, if it is too much, it should be overwhelming. Once you are able to visually see ALL the things you have, you can better decide what to keep and let go of.

3) Sort into Categories. At this point, some of the clothes might have gotten shifted around and any sense of organization could have been lost. I did warn you it would get worse before better! Now is the time to start using the "touch once" method. If you come across an item you know isn't going to stay. Put it aside into categories immediately. There is nothing worse than touching items over and over again unnecessarily.

• Pro Tip! This is the step I recommend my clients to sit down or invite a friend over to help, and they don't touch anything. We as humans have a sneaky reaction that when we touch things, we get an emotional connection to things. This means that if you touch an article of clothing, you are more likely to keep it even when you don't like it.
• What to do with the rest of the clothes? Now that you have sorted the clothing into the ones you know you are 100% keeping (hopefully a lot less than you started with) look at the items that you are not keeping. Put any clothes that are stained, torn, and undergarments into a clear trash bag. A white trash bag you use for items that can be sold and a black bag for items to be donated. 

To Sell Clothes or Not to Sell?

When considering selling clothing keep this in mind, it is most likely not going to be worth your time to sell them online piece by piece. The cost of the clothes that you originally purchased them at is not the same cost that you can sell them at. If you are in a time crunch, I really caution against trying to sell. Instead, if you are sure they can be sold for a high value, take them to a local consignment shop.

What to do with Hangers 

You already know which hangers you prefer to use and which ones you can't stand using. The ones that cause you the most headache, throw them away. Dry cleaner hangers, throw away. Plastic department store hangers, throw away. This might bring up some resistance for you but remember that what is empty, you will most likely fill. You just finished hours if not days decluttering your clothes, make sure you are setting yourself up to never have that much again.

Seasonal Clothing

Very rarely do I recommend a client to have the option to have seasonal items stored away in a basement or storage room. Why? Because it is WAY too time consuming and labor intensive to be changing out your clothes twice a year! No fun. This is especially true for my senior clients. And this also cuts back on how often you forget you have things. When you have all your clothes in one closet (more on that in the next section) you are able to see that really, you don't need that "end of the season" sale item!

Hang Everything

When you have the ability to hang things, do! This is another visual hack that keeps you on top of your organization game. You can see all the clothes, no more losing things in the back of a dresser drawer. With a few obvious exceptions, all your clothes can and should be hung so you can see them quickly and easily.

If you must fold clothes, put them in a file fold so you can see every item in the drawer and not just what is on top.

My final thought, take photos along the way! Before and after pictures are a great way to look back and reflect on all the hard work you've accomplished. It is also a great reminder of what you don't want to go back to.

I'd love to hear about other tips, tricks, and methods that have worked for you to get your closet organized. As always, DM or tag me in your before/after photos!

If you want to schedule a call and start the journey to living a more organized life (and a less stressful one!) you can book your call with me HERE.