Tackle Your Closet; Win New Hangers!

Dear Readers,
Does your spring-cleaning routine include your clothing closet? Regular culling not only helps me find things faster, but a well-organized space gives me peace of mind. A clean, clutter-free closet will allow you to appreciate the time and money investments you’ve made in your wardrobe.

Simplify. If you decide to tackle your closet, I recommend going through your belongings twice. On the first go-round, get rid of anything that 1. Is worn out, 2. You no longer like, 3. Is out of style, or 4. You haven’t worn in the past two years. As you declutter your closet, evaluate. Let go of clothes that are too small and give up items you don’t intend to wear. Decide if these “clearance” items will be given away or tossed, depending on how well used the garment is. Labeled boxes can be useful during this step.

On the second time through, try on the remaining clothing. Create a third box for items that need alterations. At this point another person’s opinion could be helpful. Make your closet cleaning activity more fun by mixing, matching and styling outfits while playing your favorite music! Not only do you have a clean closet but a pocketful of outfit ideas that can save you time and money.

Reorganize. Now you can rearrange the remaining items. I like to use matching hangers. Wooden hangers, although beautiful, are expensive and take up lots of room. Velvet flocked hangers prevent slippage. Flocked and plastic tube hangers are narrow and conserve space. Wire hangers are flimsy, ugly and slippery. They can get tangled, and they don’t support the clothing. I recommend recycling these.

I use plastic hangers with metal swivel tops. Not only are they economical, but also they allow all of my clothing to hang in the same direction no matter how I place it on the hanger. To prevent slippery or wide-neck tops from falling off I apply adhesive foam.

I suggest you arrange like clothing categories together. Examples include knit tops, blouses, sweaters, jeans, pants, and jackets. Sort tops by sleeve length. For example, group together strappy tanks, sleeveless tops, cap sleeves, three quarter sleeve and long sleeves. You won’t have to rummage as much to find the tops you want.

I fold my heavy sweaters (stored on shelves) and workout apparel. Exercise apparel is again separated by sleeve length and stored in a drawer.

These organization steps will help you see your closet contents and determine what can be worn together. Imagine opening your closet doors and smiling with a sense of satisfaction rather than sighing in exasperation. When you pare down your possessions, your closet will work for you.



If you have other tips, suggestions, techniques or questions that aren’t listed above, please share them in the comment block below. Or just leave your name in the comment field. On Monday I will draw one name from the comments. Winner will receive fifty free hangers and foam hanger covers. I will announce the winner’s name on the next blog post. Thank you for your input!