Almost everyone has clothes, shoes, and bags in their closets that are cluttering up the closet. Sometimes the closet is so full that it’s hard to see from one end to the other. This makes it difficult to find the garment they want to wear. Figuring out how to de-clutter your closet and keep it that way is the secret sauce I am going to share with you.
Everyone has a different strategy for de-cluttering your closet restoring order. No matter which strategy you choose to follow, it will take time. This is not a quick fix.
Marie Kondo says to pull your clothes out of every closet and put them back one item at a time. The benefit to this strategy is that you will touch every single piece of clothing you own and will make decisions about each garment. The downside to this strategy is that it will take twice as long and what if you only want to de-clutter one closet?
For the purposes of this article, let’s decide you are going to de-clutter your bedroom closet.
Here are 5 tips to follow
1. Group your clothes by type and by color
When you group your clothes by type you can see how many pairs of black pants are hanging in your closet. Likewise, you will be able to find your long-sleeved white shirt if all your shirts are hanging in one place.
Continue to group by type and place your sleeveless shirts together, then short-sleeved, followed by long sleeved.
De-cluttering and organizing your closet this way will save you time when you are getting dressed in the morning.
2. Replace Your Wire Hangers
It’s so easy to leave your clothes on the wire hangers when they come back from the laundry. The problem is that wire hangers are left in place when you go to wear that garment.
When you take something off a wire hanger remove the wire hanger from the closet. Place it in a bag to take back to the Dry Cleaner or place it in a recycle bin. This way it will not take up valuable real estate in your closet.
3. Use Vertical Space
If your closet only has one rod intended for long hanging clothes, consider bringing in some drawers and folding some clothes. Here are a couple of examples that may fit inside your closet.
You can also hang a canvas organizer like this one and use it hold sweaters or athletic clothes.
Remember to use the vertical space above the hanging rod also. Put shoes you only wear on special occasions in clear boxes and stack them on the shelf above the hanging rod.
Store bulky items like sweatshirts on this shelf.
Put your collection of baseball caps in a basket and keep it on the shelf, too.
4. Remove Out of Season Clothes
Too often we keep seasonal clothes in the closet year-round. If you live somewhere there are defined seasons, consider switching your clothes out to better reflect the winter or summer season.
5. Organize your shoes
De-clutter the floor of your closet and pair up your shoes. Use a shoe rack to hold your shoes. Put the shoes you wear day in and day out on the top shelf of the shoe rack, so they are easy to spot.
You can also use a shoe organizer like this that hangs on your closet door. It has clear pockets so you can easily see the shoes you want to wear.
Try these tips to de-clutter your closet. You will save time getting dressed in the morning, because you’ll be able to find your favorite shoes and you’ll easily see the clothes you want to wear. Keeping your closet this way requires maintenance. Practice putting your clothes away neatly. Remember to remove wire hangers and put your shoes where they belong when you take them off. Doing these things will help you maintain a de-cluttered closet.
For more tips on de-cluttering consider joining our Clear Space for You virtual clutter support group.
Diane N. Quintana is a Certified Professional Organizer® owner of DNQ Solutions, LLC and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize in Atlanta, Georgia. Diane specializes in residential and home-office organizing and working with people affected by ADD, hoarding challenges, and chronic disorganization. Connect with Diane on Facebook.