5/21/2010 Ten Ways to Organize Your Wardrobe
In your closet and drawers, clothing can quickly build up and become a gigantic mess. Fortunately, here are ten ways to organize your clothes so your house cleaning service will be able to perform its work without having to step over piles of pants and mountains of shirts.
1. Organize by season. Store clothes you’re not using that season in plastic bins in your attic or basement. Keep one or two emergency outfits in your closet, but otherwise, maintain a lean usable wardrobe. Label each bin so you can determine the contents quickly and easily.
2. Sort by color. In your closet, sort by color starting from black and working your way over to white. This will help you locate any item you’re searching for by providing a color-coded organization system. If you have multiple items in a single color, store the ones you wear most often nearest the closet door.
3. Fold neatly. Crumpled up shirts and rolled jeans take up more space than neatly folded items. But keeping your creases taut and your folds tight, you’ll be able to maximize your storage space—allowing you to keep more outfits and accessories.
4. Place your most used items near the closet door’s handle. Always sort by color first, but remember the rule of thumb (or, rather, arm length): the items that are easier to grab from the closet door are the ones you’ll wear most often. Store little-used belts and boots in the far corner, leaving your slippers and favorite purse near the closet door.
5. Regularly donate and discard old items. Don’t let your wardrobe become stagnant. Once per month (or at least twice per year), sort through your belongings and make a charity pile. If you notice any worn or torn items, throw them out. This pruning will keep the closet fresh and ready for new acquisitions throughout the season. Treat your goodwill with a new outfit from the mall after you’ve dropped off the donation.
6. Force yourself to wear each item once before you can reuse another item. Do you have more blouses than you can count? Make yourself wear each item once before you can wear a previous item again. This will help you discard old, unwanted outfits that might otherwise sneak through the cracks in your wardrobe.
7. Hang clothes in the same direction. A neat closet is a happy closet, and a happy closet is one that you’re proud to keep clean and organized. Orient your hangers in the same direction with your shirts and trousers hung in the same way. Make sure your belongings have enough room; wrinkling can occur if they are confined to a small space.
8. Encourage your entire household to organize in the same way. There is power in numbers, and if your entire family is supporting your organization effort, it’ll be easier to keep the routine up. Set up a schedule for donations and reward the family’s efforts regularly. After several months, you’ll continue organizing without even realizing it.
9. Keep scented refresher products in with your linens. No one likes to smell like mothballs or musty closets. Hang car air fresheners in your closet, or place reed diffusers on a shelf. Your clothes will be kept fresh when you need them, and you won’t have to spend a fortune on extra dry cleaning between uses.
10. Set limits for yourself. Don’t allow yourself to have more than a certain number of shirts, and don’t let your laundry go unsorted for more than a day. By setting limits, you will force yourself to get into a good routine with positive habits. Follow the limits and enjoy the splendor of a clean, neat living space.
By following these simple tips, your overflowing closets and bulging drawers will be tamed in no time. Your housekeeping will thank you, and you’ll feel all the cleaner. Plus, you’ll get the added bonus of keeping your looks updated and always being fashionable!
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