Tired of having to rummage through your entire closet to find one piece of clothing? Always seem to lose your favorite dress in a sea of clothes? Having to spend 10 minutes every time you search for a particular shirt can be tiring. With our help, you can get your closet in order with five simple steps.
✓ Put it on your schedule
One of the hardest parts of doing anything is finding the time for it. Find an opening in your schedule dedicated to cleaning out your closet. It does not have to be a huge chunk of time.
For example, if you need around four hours to clean and you don't have a whole afternoon that is free, break it down into four one-hour sessions or even eight 30-minute cleaning sprees. Use these short intervals to clean out your closet one area at a time.
✓ Evaluate your closet
Chances are, you are not maximizing every square inch of your closet. Evaluate your closet for opportunities for extra compartments based on your needs. If you have a closet with a single rod, add extra hanging space by adding a second rod beneath it. Also, consider adding extra shelves and racks to utilize your closet's extra height.
✓ Organize in sections
There should be a place for everything in your closet. Organize items in sections according to types, seasons, or categories. Place shoes in one place, shirts in another, and so on. You can also organize per season so your winter clothes are in one place while your summer outfits are in another.
Another way to organize in sections is by category. For example, dedicate one area for clothes you wear to the office and another to the ones you bring to the gym. Organizing your closet in sections saves you a lot of time in the morning; you won't have to search your entire closet to find the item you're looking for.
✓ Apply the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule for organizing your closet is based on the economic concept known as the Pareto Principle by the Italian economist Wilfredo Pareto. This principle demonstrated that in Italy, 80% of the wealth is owned by only 20% of the population.
Translated to closet organizing, this principle stipulates that an average person uses only 20% of the clothes they own 80% of the time. To effectively clean out your closet, it is important to determine which items are put into use frequently and which ones are just taking up space in your closet.
Use the backward hanger trick to determine which clothes you have truly worn. Turn all your hangers backward. When you wear a piece of clothing, turn the hanger around. When you return that item, hang them correctly. After three months, consider getting rid of the items that are still hanged backward.
✓ Know when to sell or throw away
Now that you have your closet in order, it is important to classify items that didn't make it. Throw away items that are unwearable such as those with holes or stains on them.
For items that are still in good condition, sell these clothes online to give them a new home. When you sell clothes online, you can gain extra cash, which you can then use to get that new jacket you've been eyeing. You'll also have space for it now.
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