No matter what kind of closet you're planning, take the time to think
ahead and really consider what you need to store and where you want to
store it. Taking a hard look at what you have will help you understand
the kind of storage you need.
Designate
a staging area and empty your closet out. You can use your bed or a
cleared-out corner of the room. This important first step requires you
to remove everything: clothes, hangers, boxes, folded blankets or piles
of old magazines.
Use
a collapsible clothing rack to hang clothes so you can clearly see and
sort exactly what you have. The rack is a nice addition for your laundry
room once the closet project is over. Take your time with this process,
maybe play some of your favorite music and ask a friend or family
member to help if heavy items need to be moved.
Organize
items into specific categories and take inventory. You can place like
items in cardboard boxes, plastic containers or in piles, and use labels
to help keep track of each group of items. Some organizers suggest
starting with "keep," "toss" and "donate" piles, while others prefer
their clients to start with broad categories (clothes, shoes and linens)
and then divide everything into smaller subcategories (sweaters, winter
boots and sheets).
During
this stage, take the time to group small items like batteries or toy
soldiers together in bags or jars, so they don't end up "lost" among the
boxes or piles of larger items.
Eliminate
items that don't belong in that particular closet. One of the big
causes of clutter and disorganization in the home is items that belong
in the kitchen or bedroom, are found hiding in closets all over the
house. Over time, the temptation to stuff something like a box of
appetizer plates in a bedroom closet or extra towels for the bathroom in
the entry closet can cause you to make some bad storage decisions. This
is the time to return out-of-place items to their rightful home. But
try to stay focused on planning one closet at a time. You can turn your
attention to other closets at a later date.
Remove
unwanted items. This might be the most difficult part of the closet
planning process. It helps to establish some basic rules up front, like
anything with holes or pairs of shoes or socks missing their partner
must go. Ask yourself some questions:
- Have I worn this shirt or skirt in the last year?
- Does this jacket still fit?
- Do I really need 12 baskets that look exactly the same?
The
answer to many of the questions will likely be "no" and then you can
decide if you want to donate items to charity, try selling items online,
hold a garage sale or take unwanted items to a local consignment store.
If
you don't want to sell your used goods, hold a swap meet with friends
and neighbors who want to eliminate clutter from their home. Many times a
beautiful sweater that looks snug on your daughter can be a perfect fit
for the child down the street. Just avoid the tragic storage mistake of
leaving the swap meet with items you don't need. Remember; Keep your
eye on the prize!
Clean
the closet itself. While you might think an empty closet is "clean",
now is the time to wipe down the closet walls and vacuum or mop the
closet floor. Once items are removed, you will probably find stray
clothing tags, store receipts or dust bunnies. If the walls need
painting, choose a paint that is specifically formulated to be mold and
mildew-resistant. If you find your closet walls have mildew or mold
after you remove items, have a professional examine your walls and
properly clean and paint them.
