The blouse you’re looking for has hidden itself somewhere and the matching shoes are buried in a mound. You throw up your hands in defeat; there doesn’t seem to be any method to the madness. Calm down; there’s a solution to the problem: Set a goal to organize your closet. Once it’s done you’ll never have to worry about it again, and you can do it with a few handy items and only a couple hours of your time.
Step 1
Empty your closet, sorting your clothes into stacks on the bed. Use one side of the bed for clothing you wear every month and the other side for seasonal items, special occasion dresses and outfits. On each side of the bed sort the clothes into long items such as dresses and short items such as blouses. Put your shoes and accessories into laundry baskets or piles on the floor or dresser. Set aside any clothing that you don’t like or wear to take to a donation site later.
Step 2
Examine your closet for its size and possibilities. If it’s very small, consider installing a second rod beneath the regular one. If there’s lots of room but everything gets jumbled up, consider adding more rods, a stacking bin or drawer tower to hold sweaters, handbags and accessories.
Step 3
Hang the clothes you wear all the time in one area, matching them by outfit or sorting them by type (blouses in one area, skirts and slacks in another). Clothes that are seldom used can go in the back of the closet or another closet or storage area in your house.
Step 4
Consider sorting your clothes by season and storing the off-season clothing in storage tubs. These can be placed in another part of the house. If they’re airtight you can store them in the garage or attic until the weather changes.
Step 5
Sort your shoes by how often your wear them, by style and color. Store them in an over-the-door organizer, shoe tree, shoe rack or other type of organizer designed for shoes. Again, make sure the ones you wear the most are the easiest to access.
Step 6
Measure your closet width and shop for a closet organizer kit that will fit the dimensions of your closet. Typically, these offer extra rods, cubbyholes for baskets and sweaters, shelving and other options and can be found online and at most home improvement stores. They can be installed in one to two hours with some basic household tools.
Step 7
Maintain your closet organization once a week by checking for out-of-place items when you put the laundry away. This is also a good time to move things around a bit if you find you’re not utilizing the space as much as you thought you would.
