Clear Your Closet Clutter

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Clear your closet clutter. Did you know the average American wears only 20 percent of their clothes 80 percent of the time? Our closets are full of items that we do not wear, do not fit, or in some cases don’t even know we have!

When you begin to organize your closet, you must first decide what function(s) it will serve. It sounds silly, but will it serve a purpose for anything other than storing clothing? Perhaps you have space in your closet to hide gifts for your children. If so, work that into you vision and plan. Remove anything from your closet that does not fit the new vision.

Once you are clear about the vision and purpose of your closet, you can work the STEPS. But be sure to only organize one closet at a time. If you go back and forth between closets, you will most likely not achieve your goal of having your priority project organized. You will likely still just have several unorganized closets.

S- Sort Into Categories

A good place to start is to sort clothing into categories such as pants, jeans, short-sleeved shirts, sweaters, etc. After you’ve completed a general sorting, you may consider doing a more detailed sorting by size. The sorting process always tends to be an eye-opening experience as people see how many clothes they don’t wear and how many don’t even fit.

T- Treasure What Counts

After everything is fully sorted, go through each pile and find your treasures! We all have those favorite items in our wardrobe that we cannot live without. Be very honest with yourself during this process. Clothing is hard to let go of, especially as we constantly tell ourselves that we are saving certain items for when we lost 10 pounds. Remember that someone needs it right now and could use it today. The general rule is: if you don’t love it, feel great wearing it, or fit into it – let it go!

E- Establish Homes for Items

Next you need to create a system for your closet and decide what your closet zones are going to be. There is no one-size-fits-all rule for creating a system for everyone’s closet. Each person’s closet is not only different in size and capabilities, but people are different in their preferences. Since everyone has a different vision, everyone will have a different system.

You can organize by color, sleeve length, type or style of clothing, seasons, or most worn items. Shelves can be used for additional storage, games or shoes. Select the method that makes the most sense to you.

If you are feeling overwhelmed because your closet is not big enough, consider using bins or garment hangers to change-out seasonal clothing. This will give you easy access to the clothes you need during a given season, and you’ll have more workable space. Don’t forget to go vertical, add additional shelving if there is room in the top of the closet for off season clothing, or rarely used items.

To create a more finished look, consider using only matching hangers.

P- Plan Your Container Strategy

Are there some containers that would help you better organize your closet, such as a shoe-rack or scarf hanger? Perhaps you would like a clothes hamper that allows you to pre-sort your clothes so they are ready for the washer? You can re-use or recycle items in your house as containers for you items.

S- Start New Habits

Ensure your closet stays clutter-free by keeping 10 percent of it free for growth. Also, use the “one in- one out” rule. If you purchase a new pair of jeans, then let go of an old pair you rarely wear.

Need more help getting organized? Don’t delay, call Major Mom today!

Major Mom Liberators make organizing fun and the get the job done faster than anyone.