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Health & Fitness

How To Organize A Closet

Organizing a closet can be one of the most rewarding tasks in a home or office. Not only does an organized closet look good, it also saves time and improves efficiency. Since we typically “stash” items in closets, cleaning them out every year is a good idea. If you haven’t tackled a closet in awhile, follow these steps:

GATHER SUPPLIES

  • Step stool
  • Rag/wipes
  • A couple of empty boxes or bags
  • Plastic/zip-up bags
  • A trash can
  • A card table or other surface for sorting
  • Pen/Sharpie & post-its

EMPTY THE CONTENTS COMPLETELY
Decide in advance where you will “stage” items while you are working. If the project is large, designate a space where items can be left out overnight, such as a spare bedroom, a section of the floor or a conference table. As you pull belongings out, group them into categories of “like” items in your staging area. For example, all dress shirts in one pile, or all pens in this corner. Small items can be grouped into the zip-up plastic storage bags.

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WIPE THE SHELVES DOWN
Cleaning shelves when they are full is no fun, so take this opportunity to wipe down the surfaces, vacuum the carpet, etc.

BRING THE ITEMS TO THE SORTING SURFACE AND REVIEW
Now bring like items in small batches to your sorting surface and spread them out so you can easily see them. Decide for each item whether you to put it back into the closet, donate it, trash it, relocate it to another part of the home, or put it in long term storage (e.g. a bin in the attic)

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CAUTION! Don’t allow yourself to leave items sitting on the table. Make a decision and get it off the table. Items you have decided to get rid of can go into the boxes or bags you have gathered.

PLAN
Now you have a good view of what you want to keep in the closet. As you reload, keep these guidelines in mind:

Put the items you need most at eye level, items you need less frequently up high.

Never put small objects loosely onto large shelves. Use smaller containers (e.g. clear plastic bins) to hold like items, and label them. For example, if this is a supply closet at work, have separate bins for pens, pencils, ink cartridges, etc. Or use a milk crate on a top shelf (facing forward) to hold clutch purses.

Subdivide drawers which will hold loose/small items. For instance, use old shoeboxes in a drawer to segregate white socks from dark socks.

If you are working with clothing, organize by type of garment and – if you have space – by color. This makes putting outfits together easier.

Don’t be afraid to install extra shelves/rods/racks to optimize the space. The smaller the closet, the more important it is to have a good closet management system. Make the closet suit your needs. If you have no need for hanging, remove the rod and put in extra shelving.

If more than one person uses this closet, label everything. Put a label directly onto the front of a shelf or hang key tags from baskets.  If users don’t know where an item belongs, they will likely just “stick” it onto the nearest shelf.

Be creative. Have walls in your closet or the back of a door? Hang some hooks or racks. Check out The Seana Method’s Pinterest page for some visual ideas.

Don’t keep more than will fit. If – after sorting – you stillhave more than will fit, sort again.

When organized and maintained, closets can improve our efficiency and protect our investments. What works well in your closet?

Submitted by Seana Turner, Founder and President of The Seana Method.

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