“The woman or man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there”.
I chuckled when I first read this and then I read it again. But isn’t this the truth? To reach a goal or to change for the better it does take effort. Many of us have problems with clutter in our master closets. But there are ways to eliminate clutter to make our lives easier. Here are some excellent tips on getting rid of clutter in the closet.
Take everything out on the floor of your closet. Get everything up and off your closet floor. Chances are there are many pairs of shoes and stray boxes living there.
Now put only the shoes back that you wear. Toss the old ones that don’t match anything you now wear. Get rid of the worn out shoes with rundown heals—or take them to the repair shop. But don’t put them back in your closet. They go into the BE basket (Belongs Elsewhere) if they are going to the repairman or in the trash if they can’t be worn by anyone.
Another tip for things found on the floor in the closet: As a professional organizer I often find gifts stuffed in closets. And many times the owner is surprised they even purchased the gift and are thrilled to have found it. I recommend putting all gifts you intend on giving away in one place in your home. The closet is fine if there is room. Put them in a container with a lid and place it where you can readily access it.
It may be in a container you roll under the bed, or in a container you place in the back part of the closet either on a shelf or on the floor. Or place it in a completely different room in a container on a shelf. When you need a gift it is so nice not to have to quickly run to the store or search the house for what you know you purchased but can’t find. And it certainly makes clearing clutter a whole lot easier when things are contained and you know where to find them.
Have you heard the expression “The More You Have The Less You See”? This is true all over the house and is certainly true in the master bedroom closet. When clothes are jammed in it is hard to see what you have.
We now have our floor all tidy and organized so we are moving on to the closet rod in our quest of getting rid of clutter. Take everything out that is on the rod. If you share the closet with someone else just do one side at a time—I suggest doing your side first. It can be a chore to do this, but believe me it is worth it. Then you can see how much space you have and nothing can hide from you.
As you put your clothes back look at each one and evaluate if you like it, wear it, fit in it, is it clean or does it need repairing? Only put back clothes that you wear. Put them back in categories. All blouses together, casual tops, dressy tops and also divided by long or short sleeve. Put all pants together, dresses together and suits.
Get rid of wire hangers and plastic ones too. My preference is to use wooden hangers as they look beautiful and give your clothes some room so they don’t become as wrinkled. You don’t have to purchase them all at once, do this a little at a time and before you know it you will have all beautiful hangers. IKEA is the most reasonable as far as price that I know of but I have seen them at Home Depot, Target and other variety stores as well that aren’t really expensive.
When you are getting rid of clutter in your closet take it a step at a time doing first the floor, then the clothes on the rod and then the shelf and soon you will be singing the praises of your closet and will be thrilled that you have gotten rid of a lot of clutter.
Marilyn's Bio:
Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.
Marilyn invites you to visit her website where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.
