5 Steps to a Clutter-Free Closet
10.09.2023
By: Ray SaVonne
It's fall time!! I always have to tell myself to “fall in line, girl!”, which means it's time to clean, really clean, like deep clean! You know how there's “spring cleaning” in the spring? Well, “fall in line” is fall cleaning. When people visit me and see my closet they usually ask “can you help me clean and organize my closet, too?” The funny thing is, it’s actually one of my favorite things to do.
The benefits of an organized closet go further than just what the eye can see! An organized space can reduce stress, increase efficiency and provide instant gratification once completed - who wouldn't want that?!
When cleaning out and organizing your closet, use these five steps to ensure a swift and efficient cleaning process:
Turn on Music/Podcast/Audiobook
Assess The Items in Your Closet
Categorize By Color & Item
Optimize Space
Upkeep/Repeat
Step 1: Turn on Music/Podcast/Audiobook
The first thing you should do when cleaning out your closet is turn on music, a podcast, or an audiobook to get you going. It’ll make the closet cleaning process feel less stressful and maybe even a little fun! No TV though, this can divert your attention and become a distraction.
Step 2: Asses the Items in Your Closet
You’ll want to start at one end of your closet and work your way down and then across. You’ll need to touch every single article in your closet - clothes, shoes, purses, socks, etc.
For each item you touch, you’ll want to ask yourself, “have I worn (or used) this in the past two years?” It’s important to ask yourself this because if you’ve gone a whole two years, through multiple seasons, and still didn't wear/use it, it’s most likely just taking up space.
If the answer is yes, start a “keep pile” for these items.
If the answer to the above question is no, it's an automatic NO KEEP ITEM. Start a separate pile for these items and use the options below as a NO KEEP pile guide:
Pile 1: Give away as a hand-me-down (for those with siblings or friends who are around your size).
Pile 2: Donate to a donation center (it’s in good shape and can help someone in need).
Pile 3: THROW IT AWAY (it should never be worn, used, or even seen in anyone’s closet anywhere, ever).
After you’ve touched every item and put them into piles, bag up everything you’re not keeping and take those bags out of the vicinity. This helps you focus solely on the items that you are keeping.
Step 3: Categorize by Color and Item
Now, focus on the “keep pile” items. You’ll start by separating the items by color/color palettes. After separating everything by color/color palettes, decide which colors will go where in your closet. I personally always start with the lightest colors first (white), then work my way to the darkest color (black), for every category of clothing (pants, dresses, shirts, shorts, etc.) to give my closet a simple yet sleek and clean flow, but you can place your clothes in whatever order that makes the most sense to YOU.
When organizing your shoes, consistency is key. I know a lot of people keep their shoes, especially their tennis shoes, in boxes. If this is you, be sure to organize your shoe boxes in a way that makes sense to you either by style, brand, color or even year of shoe. If you’re like me, I like to see every single pair of my shoes outside of the box and organized by color. This gives my closet a consistent and polished look.
For purses and bags, I always suggest either hanging them up by hooks or setting them on hanging shelves. Each purse or bag should have their own definitive spot. You can coordinate by color, or place them in order of often used, to rarely used, again, whatever makes the most sense to you. Remember, the key is to be consistent and functional within the placement of everything. The more consistent and functional things are, the more everything will be easier to access!
Step 4: Optimize Space
Utilizing storage solutions like stackable storage bins, hooks, hanging organizers and/or dividers all help in making your closet look and feel more spacious. It also helps with the functionality of your closet and allows items to fit in spaces they otherwise wouldn’t.
Step 5: Upkeep/Repeat
Life seems like it is moving faster than ever, so it’s not uncommon that our closets get cluttered and unorganized throughout the year. But don't fret! Anytime your closet starts to get in disarray, just take a deep breath and repeat the steps above.
You can also utilize methods such as the hanger flipping method. The hanger flipping method is when you start out placing all your hanging items on hangers facing the correct way (front-to-back with the opening of the hanger hook facing the wall) but after you’ve worn an item, you’ll place the item back on the hanger but now the hanger will face the opposite way (back-to-front with the opening of the hanger hook facing towards you). This allows you to easily identify which items have and have not been worn. So, the next time it’s time to “fall in line,” you’ll be able to easily pull out all the correctly facing hangers and put them into their respective pile(s). Once you’ve done it a couple of times, it’ll become second nature!
So, add “fall in line” to your to-do list this fall season and see how it makes you feel! Your organized closet awaits!
XO,
The Kléi
