Guest Post: Organized Closet

5 Tips for Organizing Your Closet

A messy closet can do more than just cost you time on those mornings you are frantically searching for the right shoes, shirt, or pants. A disorganized closet can also damage your clothing and end up costing you more money in the long run. Cleaning up your closet and keeping it organized can seem like a lot of work, but it can be very simple. Here are 5 simple tips for organizing your closet that will end up saving you time, money, and energy.

1) Get the Right Hangers

Toss out mismatched hangers and get a coordinated set so they fit together better and free up space. You will also find it worthwhile to get the right hangers for the right type of clothing. Padded hangers work well for delicate fabrics and wooden hangers are meant for suit coats. Plastic hangers are fine for all other shirts. Skirt hangers with clamps are also a good idea to keep your skirts looking nice and wrinkle free. Beware of the wire hanger you get from the dry cleaner. Wire hangers are hard on clothing and will ruin your clothes if you aren’t careful.

2) Arrange According to Type

You wear different type of clothing for different occasions, so it is worth it to put similar types of clothing together in your closet. Hanging similar clothing together can help you quickly take stock of the options you have for any type of outing or occasion. For example, group your dress shirts together so you don’t have to search through your entire closet to find the right short for your next cocktail party. You can do the same thing with all your pants, shoes, skirts, and dresses. Then within each category, you can arrange by color.

3) Create Space

If you live in an area whose seasons change throughout the year, there is no point in stuff your closet full of clothing you won’t be wearing for months to come. For example, as the weather turns warmer, take some time to wash or dry clean your winter clothes and put them away in storage boxes or bags until it gets cold again.

4) Weed Out Old Clothing

Once a year, go through your closet and determine what items still fit, which ones are still in good shape, and those that are still in style. There is no point in keeping something around if you are never going to wear it again—it’s just wasting valuable space in your closet. As you are going through your closet, sort your clothing into piles, for keeping, throwing away, mending, or donating. This may seem like a hassle but you will never regret doing it later in the year.

5) Be Smart About Storage

You don’t need to spend a fortune on custom closets. Use large plastic, see-through boxes or clearly label labeled cardboard boxes to store clothing so you can maximize floor and shelf space. You can even find specialty storage solutions for a number of your clothing items, like shoes, belts, hats, ties, and more, your closet will thank you.

About the author: Diane Johnson writes about a number of her interests including four wheeling, shopping, and Continuing education.