An organized closet feels better!
Spring is in the air, and on the mind of many. When we think of Spring we usually think of spring flowers, trees and grass turning green and of course Spring cleaning. Spring is also a great time to declutter and organize your home.
Spring into action now!
I picked my closet to start with. It made perfect sense to organize this first since I needed to pack away my winter clothes and start taking out my Spring and Summer wardrobe. I went through every article of clothing on my hangers. I asked myself, “have I worn this, or will I in the next 6 months?” If I said no, I put it in the donation pile. Some of us hang onto clothes in the hopes that we will lose weight and will wear them again. If you truly feel you will love that article of clothing when you drop the pounds, take those clothes and put them in an air tight tote to store in your basement and attic. Make sure you label that bin (put the sizes on a label). I know that if I lost 20 pounds, I would have a blast shopping for new clothes!
After I take all of the clothes out that I want to donate, I organize my closet into ‘sections’. I love to walk in my closet and know where to find what I’m looking for.
The first portion of my closet is sweatshirts, cardigans and wraps. How many times do you go to your closet when you are chilly or about to run out and need something to keep you warm? Make these articles easier to grab in a hurry. I then have tank tops, T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, skirts, and dresses. I also hang nicer pants and leggings. Some of you may even hang jeans. If you are lucky enough to have a larger closet or enough hanging room I would put the pants under the shirts or in a different section. I try to hang everything but undergarments, workout clothes, shorts, and night clothes. These all go in my dresser. If I didn’t have a dresser I would place them in nice baskets and put them on shelves.
Once you get rid of everything you want to donate you can then hang up your Spring and Summer clothes. I then take my winter clothes (ones I KNOW I won’t wear anymore, like sweaters or heavy pants) and put them in labeled bins. I always label this bin ‘seasonal’ so it works for any season (you can use adhesive labels or fold a piece of paper inside of it). I prefer clear totes, so I can clearly see what is in the bins.
If you have shoes in your closet go through those next. Honestly, this whole process doesn’t take as long as you’d think it would if you stay focused on this plan. Sometimes doing this with a glass of wine or a cocktail doesn’t hurt either! There is nothing more satisfying then a nicely organized closet! Its makes your morning routine so much quicker and less stressful.
If you are organizing a children’s closet, depending on the age, you may not want to hang to much (except nicer, dressier clothes). My daughter is 15 and never has enough time to hang her clothes. She places her clothes in dressers and we set up shelves in her closet. On those shelves we have cute bins deep enough to store folded clothes. She has one for jeans, T-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, etc. In doing this, it makes putting away clothes so much easier and faster for her. If your child is too young to handle this, you will be so happy you did this!
You will feel so accomplished once you’ve decluttered and organized your closet! Make sure you keep going! Don’t make excuses, do it now! How many times does later become never? Organize your bedroom next. This would include your dressers (go through the clothes as you did with your closet), under your bed, etc.
Don’t forget to itemize a clothes receipt for the donations! Here is the link for the donation value guide from the Salvation Army: https://satruck.org/Home/DonationValueGuide
Count how many you have of each item and place a value on them from high to low. You can hand write this or type it out and print it. Either way, make sure you get it stamped and signed when donating! Make a folder now for 2018 taxes and place it in a safe place (we will get into office organizing at some point).
Please share your organizing and decluttering experiences with us and let me know if you have any questions or need any ideas! There is nothing better than an organized home! It makes your daily routines more efficient and life so much simpler!
In my next blog I will get into other areas to focus on in your home like the kitchen, pantry, office, garage, and much more!
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