3 Easy Steps to Take Back Control
It gets so overwhelming that closing the door feels like the only option. The space stops being useful when you can’t even step inside to find something to wear. Clean laundry piles up on the dining table or the sofa because there’s nowhere to put it away. The clutter spreads, the stress spreads, and suddenly your whole home feels smaller.
Imagine getting that closet back in three hours or less. Easy to walk into. Easy to find what you love. Clothes living where they belong. I’ll give you three steps to take back control. It’s absolutely possible. I help people do it every day.
Step 1. The Closet Floor
The best first step to take back control of a closet is to reclaim the floor. Don’t let the hanging clothes or top shelf distract you— pretend nothing exists except the floor! As you pick up each item, classify it as:
- Keep (get it folded or on a hanger, or in the laundry basket right away)
- Donate (use white trash bags to hold your donations)
- Trash (use a black trash bag for trash and damaged items that aren’t good enough to donate)
- Belongs Somewhere Else (Label a cardboard box “ANOTHER ROOM,” and move those items elsewhere when you’re done in the closet).
Shoes are a common source of closet-floor mayhem. You may need a better storage system for them. Consider some shoe shelves. They take advantage of the vertical space on the wall under the clothes. I prefer solid, sturdy shoe storage that doesn’t allow the shoes to fall through or fall off.
Step 2. Hanging Clothes
Look at the Clothes–Working left to right, classify each item as Keep, Donate, Trash, Belongs Somewhere Else. Once we know what we’re keeping, it’s time to—
Group the Clothes–What categories make sense to you? Group your clothes according to how you think when you get dressed. Do you want to group by color? Casual vs. Dressy? I use these groupings in my closet:
- Sleeveless Tops
- Short-sleeve Tops
- Long-Sleeve Tops
- Jackets
- Pants
- Jeans
- Yoga Pants
- Dresses
Quick Tip:
Hang an oversized shopping bag or tote bag in your closet as a DONATE BAG. When you try things on and they don’t work for you anymore, drop it right into the DONATE BAG. This will keep unwanted items off the floor. Your wardrobe will stay current and you’ll save time. When your donate bag is full, put it in your car to be donated.
Step 3. The Top Shelf
For the keepers, contain and control what’s stored there. Blankets can’t unroll or fall if you put them in bedding storage bags. For purses, I like clear bins that allow you to see the purses, yet prevent them from falling.
-Beth at Expert Decluttering and Organizing
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