Except it does and, eventually, your closets will overflow.
What Youll Need
Before you dig into your massive pile of junk, gather your materials.
By all means, bring some booze, listen to some music, or download an audiobook.
Its easier that way.
Youll have a blank canvas to work with, which is easier than picking and choosing as you go.
Take everything out of your closet andgo through each item one by one.
Use the old Donate, Toss, Sell method to sort everything out.
(Or if youre really lazy, like me, adjust the method to Donate and Toss.)
If youre indecisive, a friend or spouse might come in handy.
They can offer some straightforward feedback on what you should toss out.
after you grab everything you want to keep, sort out the rest.
Chances are, you also have a lot of junk that shouldnt be in your closet to begin with.
Your paperwork and personal files, for instance.
Can they go in a desk drawer?
Or better yet, canyou digitize and shred them?
If you have special seasonal clothes you dont wear often, you might store them somewhere else entirely.
Rainboots might go in your living room or coat closet, for example, if you have one.
Your shoes can go under your bed, too.
You dont want to clean out your closets just to clutter up another spot, though.
you’re free to utilize more of the wall space, too.
And Iveused these easily removable Command hooksto hang necklaces and hats.
(or high on another wall where you dont have to look at them).
All you have to do is screw aheavy duty hookinto the wall, then hang.
Heres a video from Helpful DIYthat shows you how its done.
This doubles the available area for hanging clothes.
Get Space-Saving Hangers
The right hangers can work wonders for your closet space, too.
(You could alsouse soda can tabs for this!)
Some hangers even come with these hooks built into them.
Tiered Skirt Hangers: Similar to cascading hooks but for skirts.
you’re free to hang multiple skirts on one hanger.
Theymake them for slacks, too.
Super Thin Hangers: Exactly what they sound like.
Very thin hangers that take up less space.
Containers can help with small spaces, too.
Whether theyrefancy boxes designed for storageor just old shoeboxes, corralling your stuff makes them easier to find.
you could fit more in a tight place and still have everything organized.
Before you do, though, give it a little thought.
Your wardrobe will take up the bulk of your closet.
How do you want your clothes organized so theyre easily accessible?
There are a few ways to sort them out.
For example:
By Occasion:You could separate your work clothes from your casual weekend clothes.
By Clothing bang out:Most people probably go this route because this works well for just about anyone.
By Season:You could also separate according to winter clothes and summer clothes.
Summer dresses go in one area; sweaters in another.
Your method might be a combination of all three of these.
Personally, I sort by clothing jot down, then further organize by occasion.
I also usually wear a cardigan everyday.
By organized I just mean I keep the casual dresses in front within reach, for everyday wear.
With this method, it never takes much time to get dressed.
It helps that Ialso have a smallish wardrobe, but organizing it makes a big difference.
Adiscard bag can helpwith this.
Its basically a bag you keep in your closet to make decluttering an ongoing process.
Every now and then, Ill realize Im ready to get rid of an item of clothing.
Professional Organizer Kate Brown takes it one step further.
And then there are the clothes you just stop wearing.
Heres any easy way to weed them out:turn all of your hangers backwards.
When you pull something off the hanger and wear it, then turn the hanger around.
Its easy to forget about stuff hanging in your closet, too.
A friends dad taught me this trick: keep your hangers one finger-width apart.
Finally, I take a stab at abide by theone in-one outrule.
If I buy a clothing item I dont really need, something else has to go.
This has really helped curb my impulsive clothing purchases, and its also kept my closet under control.
Illustration by Angelica Alzona.
Photos byJim Larrison,Chris Bohn,Emily May,Emily May.
