You open your closet door – and half your clothes fall out. Time for a clear out! But don’t panic just yet. We’re here to help you organize your closet for a more efficient, time-saving morning routine.
Sorting your clothes and bringing order to the chaos that is your closet can take a whole lot of time and effort. Here are some tips to keeping your closet well organized and high functioning.
Sorting your wardrobe out twice or three times a year is better than having to rummage through everything every time you get dressed. Use a house move or a change of seasons to give your wardrobe the refresh it needs.
To get started, take out all your clothes and make three piles:
- The first pile consists of favorite clothes that you wear often. These go straight back in the closet. If the pile is too big, reduce it.
- Pile #2 consists of clothes that are either too small or too large or that you haven't worn (or worn only rarely) in the past year. This pile can be given to a thrift store or sold at your local yard sale.
- The last pile consists of clothes to which you have an emotional attachment or that you'd forgotten about. These are the clothes that you're not sure whether to keep or throw away. Take a tip from clear-out queen Marie Kondo. Ask yourself, "Does this item bring me joy?" If the answer's no, throw it out.
Are you a pants and sweater type, or more of a dress and skirt fan? Do you keep your shoes inside or outside your closet? The point is that your closet should have the right fittings and fixtures. Do you need more hanging space? Or more boxes and shelves? Figure those logisitics out and shop accordingly.
Pieces that you wear often should be near the front and at eye-level. Conversely, those you wear less often should be stored at the top or bottom of your closet or in back. Need a change of style? Move favorite pieces to the back, then bring forward neglected items and long-lost classics.
Winter means thick woolly sweaters; summer means shorts and flip-flops. So, arrange your wardrobe according to the seasons. To save space, remove anything that you're not going to wear for the next six months and put it into storage in the attic or under the bed.
Putting together an outfit in the dark is always a hit and miss, especially first thing in the morning. Try fitting some LED lights inside your closet, especially the ones with motion sensors. This way, the light only comes on when you open the closet door.
Try not to keep your clothes in different wardrobes or chests of drawers. If you keep everything in one place, getting dressed will be quicker and more efficient. You'll also be able to get an overview of all your clothes.
Change of season or not, sometimes your wardrobe just needs a bit of TLC. Follow the Team Clean tips and you'll save time and effort every day (and probably be better dressed too).