How to Organize your closet

Here is an informative essay that I wrote while completing my Interior Design Associates Degree.

How to Organize your closet

You walk into your favorite store because you want to buy some new clothes.  You try on outfits and you notice  you look fabulous in them.  Then, you realize you don't have any place to put these new clothes.  Visions of your closet stuffed full with clothes and who knows what else.  You can't even close the door properly.  In that moment, you realize that you need to organize and declutter.  Don't panic. It's easy to organize your closet if you follow these guidelines.

What you first need to do is to collect  what you need, like cardboard boxes (16x16x15), packing tape, a marker, post its, and one galleon heavy duty plastic bags.  You should wait to purchase any permanent storage boxes; I'll explain later in the essay.  The cardboard boxes are obviously the most important. You don't what cardboard boxes too big because they would be to heavy after their full or too small because you'd use to many.  I find that the perfect size is 16 x 16 x 15 and I would recommend nine boxes.  You can purchase these boxes at your local office supplies store, Walmart, or your local moving store.

Once you have everything you need, time blocked off, and your favorite music playing, you can start your first sort.  Tape up 3 boxes and tape one post it on each box after labeling each keep, donate, trash. If your closet is an ordinary closet, start on the floor, then do the shelf above the hanging bar, and finally do the clothes hanging on the bar.  For a walk-in closet, first start on the floor and do everything in boxes first because you may be able to reuse these boxes.  Second, do the loose stuff on the floor.  Third, do everything on shelves and in drawers.  Finally, do the clothes hanging on the bar.

To help you in your sorting, if something is broken or ripped toss it because your not going to use it. If you haven't used an item or worn an outfit  in a long while, donate it.  If you are having trouble getting rid of the stuff you don't need or maybe you'll use it in the future, put it in the keep pile for now and keep sorting because you cannot organize your stuff if you don't know what you have.  Also, if you stop your first sort, you may not get around to finishing it.  Finish your sort!

After you finish your first sort, get rid of trash and donations.  Sort your trash into recycle and trash, place what you recycle or toss into one galleon heavy duty plastic bags.  Put your donations into your car right away and next time you go out somewhere bring the donations to your local donations center.

Now that you have the trash and donations out of your closet, it's time for the second sort – yes, the keep boxes.  This is where you start organizing – the fun part.  As you sort the keep boxes, you want to keep like with like and putting your stuff into categories like socks, undies, games, extra office supplies.  After your second sort, you can clearly see your stuff and know how many permanent storage you need and how big the boxes should be.  You can get permanent storage options at a container store, a department store, or online storage stores.  Buy what you need, put your stuff in permanent storage containers, and label the storage containers.  Labeling your containers are important because when you use something, put it back in its container.  What you need to label is really dependent on what you like.  Do you want colored labels? Themed labels? Index Cards, white or colored? Or do you just want to use post its? If you use post its, make you tape the post its on the containers; the packing tape you have is fine for this.

You closet is now done.  Wasn't it easy? Do you want to tackle other areas in your home? Organizing can be addicting (a healthy addiction).  Maybe you just want to go shopping; who doesn't like to shop.  Just be careful what you bring into your new organized space, bring into your space only what you like and what your willing to care for.  But, that is a subject for another essay.  Be well and love your space.