Closet organization is easy when you follow three simple but effective methods. These tried and true practices will help you easily cull unwanted items, keep clothing articles clean, and dress with intention.
As a teenager, my closet was a disaster. We lived in a 75 year old home with the tiniest closets. If I remember correctly, my closet was four feet wide, had one hanging bar, and one wooden shelf above. I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about putting away laundry, or keeping anything organized. I was more of the – open the door and shove it inside – kind of gal.
As I grew up and eventually got married, I would love to say my closet organization methods matured. But alas, they did not. We lived in a 636 sq ft apartment with two bedrooms. One closet was for storage, and we shared the closet in our bedroom. I believe it was 7 feet wide…and again, we utilized the ‘shove it all inside’ method.
As time went by and I had children of my own, I learned that any organization I could employ for my own personal benefit was very important to my productivity. While I had grown to love closet organization, there was still so much I had to learn. I tried organizing like items together, I tried organizing by color, I tried organizing by outfit. Each method had benefit; each method had drawbacks.
Now that we are frequently moving and aren’t sure what size or type of closet situation we will have, these are the three absolutes I use to keep my closet organized, to weed out the unwanted, and to be certain what I’m wearing is clean.
Twenty-five Percent Reduction
There is a school of thought that says you can reduce your closet by 25% simply by asking yourself one simple question: “If I were shopping today, would I buy this item?” When was the last time you asked yourself that question? It hadn’t occurred to me to ask that about my clothing. I ask myself that about furniture and decor items, but it had not occurred to apply it to my closet organization.
I like to test these theories out; I suppose I’m skeptical that way. As we have been moving from our home of nearly 20 years to a smaller apartment, I have started asking myself this question every time I transfer clothing from one location to another. As a matter of fact, I’ve started asking myself this question when I pack for travel, as well.
And guess what? It absolutely works. There are beautiful blouses, trousers, and blazers in my closet. I wore them frequently when our office was still business casual. Once we adopted a more casual dress code, I rarely wore these items. I look at them now and the answer to the question is, “No. I wouldn’t buy this item today.”
Why not pass it along to someone who could use it? You could also have it tailored to suit another purpose. Either way, if you wouldn’t buy it today, odds are you aren’t wearing it either. Let it go to another home and bless someone with your donation.
Seasonal Items Need a Fresh Perspective
One caveat to this closet organization method I’ve found is that my seasonal items need a fresh perspective. I used to cull my seasonal clothing at the end of each season. However, I rarely discarded much, though. I mean, I’d just worn all of these things. Why would I get rid of them?
Instead, I store everything away at the end of the season, and I cull these seasonal pieces at the beginning of each wearing season. What I’ve discovered is that I am more likely to recognize clothing items I don’t like, don’t fit correctly, or are just not my taste.
Now that autumn is approaching, I am in the process of transitioning my spring and summer wardrobe for my fall and winter wardrobe. As I pulled these clothing items from storage I found several sweaters that were WELL past their prime, two pair of slacks that didn’t fit well, and a few skirts that were simply out of date. I didn’t recognize that when I stored them away, but it was clearly obvious as I pulled them back out for a new year. Again asking myself the question, “Would I buy this item today,” – if the answer was a clear no, to the donation basket it went.
Three Strikes and You’re Out
When it comes to keeping my closet organized, I use the ‘three strikes and you’re out’ method. No matter what the item is, if I put on an item, and immediately take it back off, I hang the item up with the hanger facing backwards. The next time I select that item, if I take it off again I will fold it and drape it over the hanger bar, again putting the hanger in backwards. After that, if I select the item a third time, and again, choose not to wear it, then I know it isn’t an item I enjoy or want to wear.
This is what I call the ‘three strikes and your’e out” method. It may be color, it may be fit, it may be style, or it may be the way it feels. The reason doesn’t matter. If I’ve tried it three times, and have chosen not to wear it three times in a row, then it is highly unlikely I will want to wear it in the future.
I put the item in the donation basket and let it go to a new home.
The Sniff Test
When it comes to keeping a closet organized, a large component is keeping clothing in good condition. In order to reduce wear and tear on my clothing, I try to wear items at least twice before laundering them. I do this whenever possible, whatever the article may be; skirt, dress, slacks, jackets, or sweaters. Really my only exception is undergarments (obviously).
I have a very easy way to follow this practice, and it does NOT include the sniff test. I believe we all know when our clothing is soiled, or had an unpleasant odor. In that case, clothing should be washed even if it has only been worn once.
This simple method works like a champ every time! When I’ve worn an item, I remove the clothing and hang it up wrong side out. When able, I hang it in an area of the closet where it will get good airflow around it for at least a day. In addition, I like to keep a little spray bottle of water and rubbing alcohol close by. (The recipe is 7 oz of water to 1 oz rubbing alcohol. You can add essential oils for fragrance if you like.)
I lightly mist the article of clothing, and hang it wrong side out, giving it overnight (at least) to fully air out. The next day, I place the clothing back into my rotation. The next time I pull it out to wear it, I know immediately if it’s been worn before and can put in the laundry hamper once removed.
Closet Organization is simple and effective when using these three easy methods
I hope you’ve found some inspiration here today. It doesn’t matter what size closet you have, or how you organize your wardrobe; by color, style, or outfit. You’re sure to keep items culled and clean using these tips. With that comes the ability to be neatly dressed and to dress intentionally when you know everything is clean and well chosen.
If you’re looking for more inspiration, HGTV has some pretty good tips. You can view them here.
