Life
9 Weird Hacks To Keep Your Closet Tidy
It's a new year, and most of us are gearing up for a fresh start and clean slate. However, it's difficult to have a "clean slate" when your apartment is, to put it lightly, a disaster. Getting your kitchen and bathroom tidied may eat up a couple hours of your time, but the space that seem to always take what feel likes forever to reorganize is the closet. Seriously, getting your closet organized can be one heck of a challenge if it's been a while, but it's totally doable — even for the messiest of people (*hesitantly raises hand*).
In a 2011 survey from Rubbermaid, 91 percent of people polled that they feel overwhelmed when their house is cluttered and disorganized. I know some people claim to thrive when their apartment is a mess, but the truth is, research has shown that staying organized actually impacts your health for the better: It can improve sleeping habits, reduce stress, and boost your mood.
"First, [organizing] optimizes your use of your time. You focus on your priorities, because you have already reviewed them for the week or month ahead and have scheduled them in," Dr. Dana Gionta wrote for Psychology Today. "Second, you feel more in control of your schedule."
If you're not sure where to start, here are nine ways to keep your closet super organized all year.
1Put Away Clothes That Aren't In Season
Storing your seasonal clothing in bins, or garment bags, will help you keep your closet much more organized. "Wash and dry-clean out-of-season clothes before you put them in storage, because antiperspirant, cologne and makeup residue attracts insects," Geralin Thomas, a professional organizer and president of Metropolitan Organizing, told Forbes in 2015.
2Use Labels
Labels are your friend — especially if you share closet space with a significant other or roommate. You'll save time by not having to dig around for items before work in the morning, and, it will just make your shared space much easier to manage overall.
3Customize Your Shelving
"Customize shelving to work for you and your things, not the other way around," Jeni Aron, a professional organizer and owner of Clutter Cowgirl, told Real Simple. Amazon has a pretty wide selection of affordable, adjustable closet shelves so you can even customize shelving in an rented apartment.
4Donate
A good rule of thumb is to donate the clothing in good shape you haven't worn in six months, along with shoes or accessories. If you're having trouble parting with a splurge item, you can always take things to a resale shop to get a little bang for your buck.
5And Straight-Up Get Rid Of Things
Time to try Marie Kondo's KonMari method, and get rid of the things in your closet that don't "spark joy" — especially the items that haven't seen the light of day in years. Deep cleaning your closet can be a grueling task, but, your future self will thank you for decluttering. Throw out stained, broken, or otherwise unwearable clothes and accessories, and donate the rest.
6Take Everything Out Of Your Closet
If your closet is really disorganized, it may be best to take everything out of your closet first before trying to reorganize it. That way, you can truly see what you need to get rid of, what you want to keep, and what needs refolded. Plus, it's probably not a bad idea to wipe down and dust your shelves.
7Learn A Folding Method
Folding clothes can be half the battle when it comes to organizing and creating room in your closet. Again, Marie Kondo has an superbly efficient method for folding clothes. Or, you can test out a range of different folding methods to find what works best for you in the space you are working with.
8Make Use Of Shelving That's Higher Up
If you haven't been making use of the shelves higher up in your closet, it's time to. Writer and home organizer Elizabeth Larkin suggested in an article for The Spruce that buying a step stool is a worthy purchase for anyone who has tall closet space that's not being utilized.
9Reorganize Your Closet Regularly
Doing a deep clean of your closet is all well and good, but if you don't reorganize it regularly, there's a good chance you'll be left doing the whole deep clean process again. Try to stay on top of your organizing so you can save time in the long run.
Even the most organized people could probably benefit from learning a new organization hack or two. By utilizing some (or all) of these tips, your closet will hopefully be neat and tidy in a jiffy — and, stay neat and tidy in the long haul.
