Have you opened closet doors in your home, be it a main floor closet or a bedroom closet, and thought to yourself, “That’s disgraceful!” or “Not getting much from this space!”? While organizing your closet may not be at the top of your priority list, once you are done, you will feel a weight lifted from your shoulders. This article will discuss how you can maximize your home’s closets to their fullest potential.
Every Closet Has a Purpose
Every closet in your home was designed by an architect with a specific purpose: storage.
Some homes have false closets, usually concealing a water heater or an HVAC unit. However, bedroom closets are typically used for shoes and clothing. Main floor closets are where we store things like linens, jackets, winter coats, or cleaning supplies such as brooms and vacuum cleaners.
Decluttering and Reorganizing Your Home’s Closets
Although cleaning a closet may seem incredibly daunting, it doesn’t have to be.
Before you start organizing your closet, start by identifying what kind of closet you are organizing. Over time, we often place items in a closet that doesn’t belong. After a while, the closet is full of things that are either in the wrong closet or you forget where you put something. Although the use of the closet may vary, the first step in organizing any closet is to identify the items that belong and don’t belong.
Remove All Items from the Closet
Removing a closet’s content may, at first, seem intimidating. After all, everything needs to go somewhere, which is why things end up in a random closet to begin with. Depending on the amount of clutter in your closet, you may feel you don’t have time to take on the task of organizing your closet. Don’t worry; having a system in place to organize small spaces will cut your time by half and get you through the reorganizing process with plenty of momentum and time left to spare. Focus only on the task at hand!
Group Like Items from Your Closet
While removing items from your closet, it’s best to identify what the item is and what group it might belong in. For example, if you’re clearing out a bedroom closet separating Summer clothes from Winter clothing may be a good approach or casual wear separated from business attire.
If cleaning out a linen closet, you might want to separate bed linens from kitchen or bathroom linens, which will help you identify how many of these items you have.
While organizing closets, most people tend to find items that do not belong in the closet they are in. You may even find items you forgot you had.
By grouping like items, you’ll also get a sense of how much space a particular grouping may require inside the closet upon putting items back into the closet.
Does it Inspire or Expire You?
As you’re sorting your closet contents, you might feel nostalgic because you’ve reconnected with something that gives you good memories. However, you may also say “Ugh” because you’ve come across something that makes you feel negative. Reconnecting with items long forgotten is the time to ask yourself, “Does this item inspire me, or does it expire me?”. If it doesn’t make you feel good, then ditch it! Many charities will accept items you no longer connect with, which may provide an opportunity for someone else to be inspired. This exercise also could create more space for the things you want to store. Ultimately, organizing your closet will benefit you and any benefactors of the items you no longer want.
The Closet is Now a Blank Canvas
You now have an empty storage area with all items removed and somewhat categorized or grouped. Now that this area is empty, it is the best time to wipe down shelves and floorboards and an opportunity to sweep or vacuum the floor. In addition, viewing an empty closet allows you to determine precisely how much space you have to store items. With a blank canvas, you can now decide if you need more storage solutions for your closet.
Closet Storage Organizational Systems
As mentioned in a previous Clean Heart Maids article, TOP BUDGET FRIENDLY ORGANIZATION IDEAS FOR BEDROOMS.
“It is very common in standard closets to have a lot of unused space. Typically, you have one bar to hang your clothes on with a shelf above the bar for storage. But what about all the space under your clothes? Consider using a closet organizing system to use all of the available space. There are several alternatives available, including shelving and an additional bar to hang more garments.”
Returning Your Closet Items in an Organized Fashion
So, you’ve removed all items from your closet, grouped or categorized them, your closet is fresh and clean, and finally, it’s time to return the items you plan to store back into the closet. So, hang on; you want to kick your organizational skills into high gear!
Ordering Items in Your Closet by Use
Whether the closet you’re cleaning and organizing is a broom closet or a coat closet, the number one thing you should consider asking yourself is, ‘How often do I use this item?’.
How often you access a specific jacket or dustpan should determine the order in which you return items to your closet. It would be best if you considered making those frequently used items as easily accessible as possible. Those items you use every once in a while are typically what you would want to place in the closet; first, these items usually end up the furthest from reach. Remember, when organizing your closet, the last item you place into the closet should be the first item you consistently retrieve from the closet.
It’s Time to Organize the Closets!
Have you ever taken the time to evaluate your closet and its contents? If not, now may be the time. By following these tips for organizing your closets, you can make sure that every square foot of space is put to good use. And if you need help getting started or finishing the job, don’t hesitate to contact a professional organizer like Clean Heart Maids. We’d be happy to help!