Closet!

This past weekend I found myself realizing that I haven't done my seasonal closet cleanup yet!  So this weekend was quite productive – I got our closet organized!

Below I’ve put together a few of my best tips for getting your closet in order:

Tip 1: Clear it out

  Distinguish clothing and shoes that you wear and items that you need to get rid of. You can do this by the golden rule of closet organizing: If you haven't worn it in a year, toss it.

Tip 2: If the shoe fits

If you are keeping your shoe boxes, label what is inside. We like the Post-it Durable Tabs because they offer a writable surface and are quick and easy to apply. Alternatively, invest in clear shoe boxes with drawer-front pulls; they allow you to see what's inside so you can easily access your shoes.

Tip 3: Measure up

Once you have whittled down your wardrobe, you need to assess the layout of your closet. Measure the space you have, making sure to utilize backs of doors, floor space, and all interior walls. When you go to shop for boxes, bins, and other necessary space-savers, make sure you have your closet measurements in hand.

Use every square inch of your closet. Hang shoe racks on the back of your closet door. Classic belt hangers with multiple hooks are also a good solution for hanging camisoles, bras, or scarves.

Tip 4: Get hung up

Invest in the right kind of hanger for the type of clothing you are hanging. Use padded hangers for items made from delicate fabrics, plastic hangers for button-down shirts, and sturdy wood hangers for suit jackets as they help retain the shape of the items.

Remove plastic dry-cleaner bags (they don't allow fabrics to breathe, keeping the chemicals used in dry cleaning in your clothes).

Save time in the morning by coordinating your wardrobe. Sort by color, and hang like-types of clothing together (i.e. skirts, pants, blouses, etc.).

Tip 5: No sweat

Sort sweaters, T-shirts, and other folded clothing by color as well. Always remove sweaters from hangers and fold them. Hangers will ruin the shape of sweaters over time.

Store sweaters on shelves in manageable-sized stacks using sweater dividers to keep them from turning into leaning towers of Pisa. Even better, store them in sweater boxes with well marked labels.

Tip 6: Eyes have it

Keep items you use frequently at eye level or below and items you rarely use higher up. Labeled boxes are good for storing things like bathing suits or turtlenecks because you can rotate them higher or lower in your closet depending on the season.

Tip 7: Seasonal change

It's possible that no matter how much you try to edit and organize, you just have too much stuff to fit in your closet. If that's the case, then you need to resort to a seasonal system by rotating your fall/winter clothes with your spring/summer clothes. Covered clothing racks can be filled with out-of-season clothes and kept in your attic or basement or under your bed. Flat storage boxes can serve a similar purpose.

Tip 8 : Maintain

You’ve got everything in order, so try your best to keep it that way (it takes the stress out of getting dressed each day). Only put things back in your wardrobe if they are clean, in good condition, and make you feel great. If you’re short on space, store clean, out-of-season clothes in airtight tubs or suitcases until you need them again.