Are you tired of the clutter in your bedroom closet? Want to get yourself organized this year? Read this for our expert guide to decluttering your closet!
Are you tired of the disorganization and clutter in your bedroom? Have you made a New Year’s resolution to get yourself organized?
Let’s face it:
If wading through bedroom clutter is a regular part of your morning routine, it’s time to do something about it.
And the first place to start is your closet.
When your closet is full of clutter, it can be hard to find the outfit or accessory you are looking for. You’ll waste time searching for it, which will make you late and frustrated. Not a great way to start your day!
That clutter also bleeds out into the rest of your home if it’s not contained quick enough.
It’s one of the most overlooked areas when it comes time to clean, but it’s the foundation of your day.
To declutter your closet before it takes over your life, try this five-step process.
1. Prepare the Essentials
When it comes to cleaning, you can easily get distracted. You can avoid this by setting yourself up for success before you start.
First, set your phone to airplane mode or silent, whatever keeps you from checking for notifications.
If you need it nearby for your cleaning music, that’s fine, but keep it far enough away that it doesn’t call your name every time you get bored.
Next, get your cleaning supplies together. Decluttering your closet is one of those things that if you are going to do it, you should do it right.
Start by mopping and vacuuming to get the space pristine before you do anything else.
You may need supplies such as:
- All-purpose cleaner
- Paper towels
- Microfiber towels
- Vacuum/mop
- Mop bucket
While you’re at it, grab three containers for your sorting. Use one basket for things you want to keep, another for what you plan to donate, and a third one or a large trash bag for everything you want to throw away.
2. Empty Your Closet
Yes, just empty it. Don’t try to analyze or overthink this step — it’s the easiest one.
Pile all of your clothes in a central pile, hangers and all. You may be tempted to start sorting now, but wait. For now, just pull them out and pile ‘em up.
Repeat this process with your shoes, books, accessories, and anything else you have cluttering up your closet.
By the time you’re done, your room may look like a tornado went through, but your closet is completely empty and ready to be organized!
3. Sort Your Stuff
This is the most detailed and important step. It’s time to go through each item one at a time and decide what you want to keep, discard, or donate.
For most people, this is the hardest part, especially if they have a sentimental attachment to certain items.
To Keep or Not to Keep? That is the Question
As you decide what to do with each item, use these tips to help you make a decision:
- Is it torn, stained, or stretched? If so, toss it in the discard pile.
- Does it make you happy, even if it’s not necessarily functional? If so, take a picture and keep the memory.
- Do you like it but haven’t worn it in a while? Try it on first to make sure it fits like you remember.
- Avoid keeping clothes that you’ve outgrown. Later, you can even replace them with new clothes that fit you better!
Once you’ve touched every item and made a decision on its final destination, it’s time to move on to the next step.
4. Clean Your Closet
Closets are notoriously humid areas. When you keep your closet doors closed, it reduces the flow of air and allows humidity to take over. This environment is the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew to grow on everything from your walls to your clothing.
Not only are mold and mildew problems, but dust bunnies and lint collect and spread to your clean clothes.
If you have pets, it’s even worse. Animal fur and dander can float through the air and land on your best outfits. Then the next time you want to make a great impression, you’ll have to spend precious time cleaning them with a lint roller.
You can prevent this right now while your closet is empty.
Pull out your cleaning supplies and do a thorough scrub down of all the flat surfaces, including the walls. Don’t forget the baseboards and moulding — you may not deep clean this area again.
5. Organize Your Clothes and Accessories Before You Put Them Back
In the final step, you’ll get to reap the benefits of your hard work. But you can’t just put everything back randomly.
You’ve put a lot of effort into decluttering; you want that effort to have long-term results, not just immediate ones.
What’s Your Preferred Organizational System?
Starting with your clothes, choose a system for keeping your stuff in order. Experts recommend a few common methods, but whatever works for you is fine, as long as you are consistent.
If you’re not sure how you want to set up your clothing system, try one of these techniques:
- Separate and label your closet rods into sections, similar to a retail clothing store
- Color coordinate your clothes as you hang them
- Organize your wardrobe by outfit
- Fold bulky items, such as heavy sweaters or jeans, and store them on shelves
When it comes time to arrange your shoes, use storage bins, over-the-door racks, or drawers, depending on the size of your collection.
Get strategic with storing your accessories if you keep them in your closet. Make-up organizers are the perfect places to keep your jewelry. They also can store other small items that would otherwise become messy.
And when you’re done, you’ll have a clean, organized, and decluttered space!
Conclusion
The great thing about decluttering your closet is that you’ll feel the results daily. When you’re able to grab and return things to their homes without hassle, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief.
Now, you can just wake up in the morning, toss on an outfit, and head out the door with reasonable effort. It’s going to be great!
Who knows? Maybe you’ll even want to start decluttering the rest of the house next!
Author Bio:
Proxi Lawrence offers luxury housing for Kansas State University students in Lawrence, Kansas. Learn more about their housing options today!