Tag: Closet Organizing

Four Reasons to Conquer Closet Clutter

Fifth in the Lenten Clutter Challenge.  This time of March brings us Clutter Awareness Week and Clean Out Your Closet Week, so today we look at the spirituality of clothing clutter in our closets. 

     I was packing  for vacation last week.  Packing for travel is a great opportunity to realize which items are my favorites, and conversely, which items I can probably let go of.    

     Why are there things in our closet that we will never wear? Clutter is anything you Don’t Need, Use or Love.   Here are some reasons Why We Keep clutter, and What To Do About It.

We keep our clothing clutter because of a skewed sense of frugality:  “I spent money on that item!”  or “That item is worth money!”

  1. Yes, that item is worth money, perhaps a lot!  But is it worth enough to keep it around even when it is no longer useful, becomes a nuisance, wastes our mental energy, or causes negative feelings or disruption?
  2. The biggest waste of your money is the storage, upkeep and maintenance of Clutter.
  3. Do not move clutter around your closet perpetually, just because you spent money on it once.
  4. Sometimes clothes are Just Wrong.  Wrong fit, feel, smell or color.  These characteristic will not change, Let the clutter GO!
  5. What is Peace of Mind worth?  Put a value, a dollar amount on being organized.  Eliminate clutter and stress, increase the appeal and enjoyment of your home.   

We keep clutter because we are Sentimental, or would feel guilty getting rid of something. 

  1. Perhaps our stuff represents a loved one or a certain time in our life.  But what if our closet is full of such items?
  2. What if we get frustrated because there are too many sentimental items, and our attachment to them decreases because of sheer numbers?
  3. I have things that I treasure, but I have lots of people in my life that I treasure even more.  We can let go of an item that has become Clutter without letting the loved one or their memories go.  Honest.  It’s okay.
  4. Treat your treasure as treasure.  If you are keeping clothing items from your old life, with no intention of wearing them again, they are now keepsakes, not clothing.  And they do not belong in your closet.  Box up a few to keep, or frame them on the wall, then let the rest go and get on with living your life. 

We Should-a, We Could-a, We Would-a….  Our clutter represents opportunities, taken or missed.  So we don’t want to let go of the opportunity, the possibility the item represents. 

  1. Someday:  My hubby bought a t-shirt on vacation.  It reads “Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  See?  There is no SomeDay”.
  2. Wouldn’t you rather live better today, this day, than save things for SomeDay that ruin today and get in the way?
  3. Did you stumble over things that you keep for SomeDay as you tried to get ready for work/class today?  Let the clutter GO!

We keep things for Just In Case, but there are Opportunity Costs from Just in case.  Any time we choose to buy or keep something, it eliminates the opportunity for something else.

  1. Space dedicated to clutter can not be dedicated to something else. 
  2. Someone else is not benefiting from the stuff that is weighing us down.
  3. Be honest.  Often a client will cling to old or grungy clothing items by calling them workout clothes or cleaning clothes, saving them for just-in-case.  When there are 20 grungy t-shirts in a drawer for “working out”, you are deluding your self.  Keep 5, toss the rest.  Then use your now cleaned-out drawer for something else that you use every day. 
  4. Don’t let Just In Case get in the way of Today.

So, as you read these 4 reasons, which one strikes a chord in you?  Which description do you read with a wince, because you know there are things in your closet that fall into that category, and that you just need to let go of?  Here is the permission you’ve waited for, I give you permission to get rid of that closet clutter.  Feel Better?  Great!  Now go clean that closet!!

Here are some other blogs I have written about Closet Organizing:

Learn To Love Your Clothes Closet!

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It is always a good time to organize your closet, but especially in January for Clean Out Your Closets Month.  Why, you ask?  An organized closet helps you focus, makes decision-making and getting ready easier,  clears the clutter and elevates your favorite stuff to new heights. 

Click here for some great Pinterest Visuals of organizing solutions!

First, ask yourself:  What does not belong in my clothes closet?  Regardless of your closet size, the following items do now belong in your closet (though I have found them in client closets over the years):

  • Old or broken computers, lamps, picture frames and golf clubs
  • dog crates for non-dog owners
  • furniture
  • 20 year-old college text books
  • other people’s stuff
  • Christmas decorations / wrapping paper
  • costumes unless it’s halloween,
  • 11 pairs of ice skates (one closet)
  • Shopping bags, un-delivered bags of clothing to donate or to go to other people
  • The list goes on and on and on….

If you need more space, even after removing these obvious clutter culprits, it is time to dig a little deeper. Luckily, there are easy filters to make more space:

  • Parcel out bedding to worthy charitable causes, under-bed storage, linen closets, top shelves in Space bags, or really big zip-lock bags.
  • Store these types of clothes in well-labeled plastic bins in the basement / attic / garage:
    • Off season clothing (summer stuff in winter, heavy stuff in summer), sporting goods and overcoats.
    • Clothes that don’t fit your life today.  E.g, old work uniforms or work suits, maternity and postpartum clothes.  If you don’t expect to wear an item in the next 6 months, it does not belong in your closet.
    • Keep clothes for today’s life, and the life you want to have, at the front of your closet.
      • Ditch the fat jeans, it makes it too easy to slide back into bad habits!
      • On a job search?  Fine tune your professional look so you are ready for the interviews and new job.
  • Purge or recycle dry cleaner bags and empty hangers.  It’s amazing how much space you can reclaim, and your closet will look so much tidier. 
  • Pull out sentimental items you won’t ever wear but want to keep as treasure (Thanks CB and MB!).  Keep them (within reason) in well-labeled, stackable plastic containers elsewhere in your home.  Attic, basement, just out of your clothes closet.
  • Let go of your shoe boxes.  I know some folks love their designer boxes.  The problem is that we forget and don’t use what is inside the boxes.  Clear boxes or over the door shoe racks are a much better solution for seeing and using what you have.
  • Cut out duplicates:  Keep less in regular rotation.  Just last week, we removed 6 white t-shirts from each of my son’s drawers.  They only wear them for sleeping lately, so having 12 in the drawer just doesn’t make sense.  We’ll keep the extras in a bin in the laundry room, and replace worn out ones as needed. 

So, now you have made some space by clearing out some closet clutter. How do you optimize the space and stuff that is left?  Two words, Friends:  Vertical Space. 

  • Use any blank wall or blank door, including the wall behind your hung clothes, for hooks and vertical hanging storage solutions (click here for some great visuals!!)
  • Add an over-the-door hook or two for Clean-ish clothes.  You know, Clean-ish?  Not dirty enough to wash, not clean enough to get hung back up with everything else?  In my closet, clean-ish clothes are usually jeans or lounging pants, pajamas, perhaps a hoodie.  Limit the hanging options and wear stuff again until it’s ready to wash. Just do not let your clean-ish stuff mound up on a chair, bench or dresser top, because then it gets too difficult to determine clean / dirty vs cleanish.
  • Double-hang your clothes closet (thanks SM), to double your rod space while better utilizing your vertical space. 
  • Add high shelves in every closet for large items or off-season clothing (thanks WM).
  • Climb your walls and doors. 
    • Use over the door hangers and hooks, 3M Command hook or permanent metal hooks screwed into the wall or wood work.
    • Mount a soft shoe sorter on a hook on the wall for handbags
    • Purchase hanging sweater stackers (per SM) to mount on your closet rod (see Pinterest page), and roll the sweaters in the compartments to use the space even better.
  • Kid Closets (thanks AM, JF, WM and CD):    
    • Hang everything on hangers, so your kids can see what they have. 
    • Use dressers or shallow bins on shelves for small or tough to stack items like undergarments, socks, jammies, t-shirts. 
    • Make Regular purging less of a drag:  Make it routine, to go through stuff a couple of times a year, remind everyone that new stuff can’t come until we purge the old, and make it fun (sweeten the deal with Pizza or ice cream when you’re done!  Thanks CD!)

Embrace an organized closet today, so you can see and use your clothes better tomorrow!

Got Kids? or a Spouse? Organize Together!

     This Article is dedicated to 3 friends, L., K. & A.  I started this as an “Organize your kid’s bedroom” article in response to a request from L.  Thanks to K. and A.,  I realized today that the same suggestions I have for organizing with kids would work for organizing with other adults, too! (Perhaps your Spouse? Parent? Sibling? Who knows?!)

     I also tried something new this week, posting visuals on my Pinterest page, so click here for more inspiration!  http://pinterest.com/colleencpo/kid-s-storage-ideas/

So, friends, here are your answers!

  1. Organize WITH your loved one, to get their input, their cooperation and to transfer organizing skills.  Yes, it may take longer, but they need to know where things belong, and to learn how to organize for themselves.  However, and you don’t need to tell them this, keep in mind the few things you may come back for and dispose of permanently, after the fact.
  2. Recognize your differences.
    1. We see trash, they see treasure.  We’re both right.  But you can’t just throw away their treasure. 
    2. You and your loved one may have different learning styles.  You are both right, but may have different ideas.  Respect both. 
    3. Our children and loved ones are constantly evolving, as are their interests and their stuff.  What is important now may need to move to make way for other things in 6 months or a year.   (Another friend called it “keeping it lean” to describe the clutter control in her daughter’s very small room.  She keeps only what is for current interests and purges the rest!) 
  3. Start with the easy stuff: dirty clothes, dirty dishes (though these shouldn’t be in there in the first place!!).  And start small. If the whole room is overwhelming to both of you, plan on tackling just the dresser or closet or bookshelves today.  Conquer that, then move on to the next area.  Set a timer, and you both get to take a break when the timer goes off.  Then back to work!
  4. Always have a destination in mind for items to purge.  Options include elsewhere in your home, give to family, donate to charity or local non-profits like the Library or sell (Game Crazy or Play It Again Sports).
    1. Discussing respect and taking care of stuff, one of my cub scouts said he “recycles some of his toys this time of year to make room for new things and to help the kids who don’t have any toys.  So sweet, and so true!
  5. Keep the process objective and unemotional.  Try “I read an article / Mrs. Klimczak / my Professional Organizer suggested we spend some time organizing the bedroom.  We can make some space by clearing out outgrown summer clothes, off season clothes and sport equipment, etc.  This makes room for new items you’ll get for Christmas.”  (Sounds better than what we want to say, “Ugh, that’s it!  We’re throwing everything out!”)
  6. Show your loved one the benefits of being organized.  Just last week, I taught organizing to 45 elementary students.  During the class, we talked a lot about the benefits of organizing.  
    1. For example, “Cleaning out your closet and drawers of clothes you don’t wear makes it easier to find your favorites / get dressed in the morning / get to practice on time. “
    2. Or “When we organize our hobby stuff, like baseball cards or jewelry making supplies, we make sure not to lose or break them.  Then we can find what we need when we need it.”
    3. Or “You really love your Nintendo DS / cell phone / IPod / Ninjago figures (I have sons).  Let’s create a spot for them so you can always find them.”
  7. Every Kid’s room should have:
    1. High shelves for display of childhood treasures, trophies, etc.
    2. Low shelves for books and toys, low so they can reach them and put things away.
    3. A dresser they can access, safely open and close all drawers.
    4. Closet space for hanging clothes.  We hang school clothes in the closet on hangers.  High closet shelf storage is great for off-season clothes, childhood treasures in clear, well labeled boxes.
    5. Lots and lots of hooks (like command hooks) for hats, accessories, medals, belts, etc., hung low for easy access.  Your children may be vertically challenged, so their storage solutions should be down on their level!
    6. Under bed storage for bedding, small toys in bins, off-season clothes, etc.

Organizing can be fun, and it is always useful!  Organize with your family members to make your home more livable, and teach each other a few things while you are at it!

 

Clear Some Closet Clutter This Week!

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      Last week, I knew it was time to Swap out my clothes for Fall when I could not find something to wear in a full closet.  Chicago’s September weather is capricious, and wardrobe choices are challenging when we can wake up to frost, and are back in the 70’s by 3 o’clock.

     I have zippered canvas bags on my top closet shelf for off-season storage.  There is a card in a clear pocket on the front with “Summer” written on one side and “Fall / Winter” on the other (I know, not terribly original).  So out came my Fall faves, and away went all my summer colors and hot weather items.  I feel much better about opening up the closet to make my choices!  My challenge to you is to Spend a little time organizing your closet this week.

      Why?  Why spend time organizing?  To make life simpler and less stressful, and ensure we are using what we have in the best way possible.   To make decision-making easier, to clear out real and visual closet clutter, to review what you have in an objective and critical way, to make sure you are looking and feeling your best in the clothes you have. 

     You have two options for your plan of attack:  1.  Carve out a couple of hours and phone a helpful, supportive and honest friend (or call me, and I’ll help!).  Then take all the clothes out of your closet, review them and purge what needs to go, then put back what is left.  OR: 2.  Do your closet in bits and pieces, like shelves today, rod tomorrow, or pants today, skirts tomorrow.  “Bits and pieces” are less disruptive but take longer.

     Sort clothes in a way that makes sense to you.  With clothes, your best bets are either by color or by type.  I prefer to sort by type, with all the pants together, all the skirts together, etc.  I have clients that sorts strictly by color.  Both ways are correct, so long as they make sense to you or to me.

      Once we sort, we decide what stuff can go away.  When it comes to clothes, it is helpful to realize that some items can stay in your life, but can be stored somewhere other than your closet. 

  • Items may need to go away just for the season, like specifically summer items and shoes.
  • Some items may need to go away for longer.  For example maternity clothes can be stored away somewhere else in your home if you plan to have more children or are saving them for a family member.
  • Also in your home but not in your closet may be clothes from older children that you plan to save for younger children (I have three sons, we always have bins in storage for the between sizes).
  • Treasures:  Your bedroom closet is prime real estate, beach front property, if you will.  Dedicate it to the stuff you use and wear all the time.  Treasures are great, but should be stored elsewhere.  Yes, I still have my wedding dress, but it is safely stored in the basement.

 I am not a fashion consultant, but let me share what stayed in my closet, and moved to the front:

  • Light weight wraps and capes, for drama and color in this transition time, before I commit fully to a coat!
  • Clothes in Autumnal (I love that word) and winter colors, regardless of fabric weight
  • Scarves, for drama and color and occasional warmth to lighter fabrics. 

What left the closet, for now?

  • Clothes is summery colors, like pale yellows and creams. I really only look good in those with a tan. 
  • Duplicates of shorts, leaving just a few pairs in my drawer for the few really warm days we have yet
  • Most of my sandals, sad to say.  The flip-flops that match my swimming suits went in the drawer with the suits, in case we travel, and the rest went in the canvas storage bag.

 What left the closet and my life for good:

  • I have a friend who does not transition her closet.  She dresses extremely well, and wears everything in her closet.  The closet is not really big, she is great at using well what she has.  For the rest of us, though, we need to occasionally purge and shop, to keep our wardrobe fresh. 
  • Anything more than one size away from my current size went away.  Happily, I am smaller than I was in the spring, thanks to clean living and Weight Watchers.  And after working hard to earn this smaller size, I cringe when I put on the now too-large clothes.  Bigger is not better, nor is it flattering.
  • Some cool weather clothes went away, like the stuff that I never liked, e.g., some boot cut jeans I had because I heard the cut is supposed to be flattering to my shape.  But I can’t stand the extra fabric.  So I practiced some tough love, cut my losses and ditched the pants.
  • Loved items that were starting to show their age.
  • Summer stuff that I did not wear this summer, and won’t wear next summer.

     A word on Replacing / Shopping…. I should mention I swapped out my closet only after I looked through my September / October magazines to become aware of the styles and trends for fall.  So, now that I know what I have on hand, I also have a clearer picture of what I need to purchase to replace my purged items and update my clothes for fall. 

     Spend a little time and make your closet work for you.  You’ll thank yourself tomorrow morning!