When was the last time you cleaned and organized your closet? If you can't remember, chances are it's time to reorganize the space. After all, a cluttered closet will only slow you down when you get ready in the morning. Here's how to clean out and de-clutter your closet in a few simple steps:
1. Go through your clothes
Take all of the clothes out of your closet and go through each item one by one. Separate your clothes into three piles: keep, donate and throw away. If a particular garment is torn, ripped or stained, you'll want to toss it in the throw away pile. It can be hard to determine what clothes to keep and what to donate, but here's a simple trick: Ask yourself if you would buy that particular piece of clothing if you were out at the store right now. If not, donate it!
2. Organize by season
We're in the midst of summer, so all of your winter clothes should be neatly packed away. After all, why fill up your closet with sweaters, coats and turtlenecks that you're not going to touch all season? Use wall mount storage to organize winter garments and keep them neatly tucked away. Once you have all of your seasonal clothes stored, you can organize your spring and summer garments by color to make them easy to recognize.
3. Invest in good hangers
Old, misshapen hangers don't make it simple to hang up and organize your clothes. Instead, throw those hangers out and invest in sturdy wooden ones that will hang everything from dresses to suits.
4. Group like with like
Arrange like-garments together for convenient access. For instance, fold all of your jeans and stack them neatly on a shelf. Do the same for sweaters, tank tops, T-shirts and more. Keep in mind that you should never stack items higher than about 1 foot. If you do, those piles quickly become disorganized.
5. Find a place for accessories
Belts, scarves and bags all have their place in your closet, and it's not on the floor. Use labeled wall bins to separate your accessories into different areas. This way, you won't have to go searching for your favorite scarf in the morning - you'll know right where to find it. You can make use of door space by hanging bags or purses on hooks.
6. Arrange your shoes
Letting your shoes pile up on the floor of your closet isn't exactly an organizational solution. Instead, consider storing them on a shoe rack. A creative option would be to put them in boxes and label the containers with with printed out pictures of the pair inside. You can also repurpose items that you have around the house for shoe storage. For instance, a stylish vintage ladder can lean against your closet wall - use the rungs of the ladder to neatly organize your shoe collection and make each pair easy to pick up and put back.
7. Consider lighting
Harsh lighting won't be helpful in picking out your clothes. If space allows, you can use small lamps to bring in extra lighting, or swap out your current overhead lighting for an option that emits a dimmer, softer light.
