We got so into the project that I didn’t even use my good camera for photos; these phone pics were about as good as I could do in the cleaning frenzy. I promise my carpet isn’t mauve, it just looks that way on the computer.
Tip #1: TOUCH EVERYTHING. A two-person closet is a two-person job. However, my husband and I have different methods for clearing out old clothes. But both involve putting your hands on every. single. item. My husband goes through each piece of clothing in the closet and throws discards out the door (where I’m waiting to sort into either the trash, donate, or dry clean pile). I like to take ALL my clothes out and only bring back in what I love, sorting the leftovers into the same piles as I go. Both accomplish the same thing: we get rid of clothing we can no longer wear and make room for carefully selected new clothing that we love.
All of this was extra stuff was living in our closet, including that box of kids’ books.
Tip #2: THRIFTY SCARF ORGANIZING TRICK. I came up with this idea because I didn’t want to spend $15 on a scarf organizer. Quite frankly, I’d rather spend that money on an actual scarf. I used a rare 6-pack soda holder (we don’t usually drink soda so I don’t know where it even came from!) and hung it on a hanger. Then, I added my scarves! Easy, neat, and completely free. More scarf money for me!
Tip #3: HOW TO KEEP YOUR BOOTS FROM FOLDING OVER. This easy trick makes boots looks incredibly neat and extends their life by keeping them straight instead of getting folded and creased from flopping over. Simply roll up a magazine and stick it inside your boot. Now they stand at attention, ready to be your fashion warriors at a moment’s notice!
TIP #4: TURN THE HANGERS THE WRONG WAY. What? Why would you do that? This easy trick will tell you whether you actually wear something or not. At the beginning of the season, turn the hangers the wrong way and after you wear something hang it back up the RIGHT way. At the end of the season, you can tell in a glance what you’ve worn and what can be weeded out. It also challenges you to wear items you wouldn’t normally choose because you can instantly see which ones need some attention.
Tip #5: UPGRADE YOUR HANGERS. Each time I’m at HomeGoods or a similar store I purchase a package of ‘higher end’ hangers. Upgrading your hangers to the slim velvet style, wooden hangers, or even nicer plastic hangers extends the life of your clothing because it doesn’t create as much of a crease and eliminates those embarrassing shoulder bumps if you hang something wrong. We still have plenty of the wire hangers due to dry cleaning, but every few months I gather them up and take them back to the dry cleaner to be recycled.
TIP #6: HAVE A COLLECTION SPOT FOR LOST SOCKS. Every time I find a lone sock, I’ll toss it in a specific bin in our closet. Every few weeks I’ll match them up, and it makes this process a breeze! Having a landing spot is a must in our house– I think we have a sock monster that separates socks from their partner every load of laundry.
I also keep an electric sweater shaver in the closet to fix us sweaters that have started to pill or get fuzzy. Even my expensive clothes don’t seem as well made any more, so I’ll pull out the stops to keep them looking good as long as possible and this little tool has helped.
Now that all your clothing, shoes, and accessories have been weeded out and styled nicely, give your closet a good cleaning and vacuuming. Stand back and rejoice in the vastness of your space. Extend your arms and spin like Maria in the Sound of Music, you can even let go with a song if you wish. YOU DESERVE IT.
It isn’t a glamorous closet, but it’s a nice size and gets the job done. I think my husband needs to go clothes shopping.
