How to Organize Your Closet

An organized closet can help you get ready faster in the morning because you can find your clothes quickly and you won't throw your hands up at not being able to find something you want to wear.  About.com helps you tackle that mess you hide behind closed doors.

First, there are few things you need before you begin:  shopping bags (to take clothes to Goodwill or the dry cleaners), tape measure (to measure the space in your closet), pen and paper (to record measurements), full-length mirror (so you can try on clothes and decide if you want to keep them), and basket (for lose odds and ends that need to be relocated).

Now, remove everything from your closet.  Yes, EVERYTHING:  clothes, accessories, closet organizers, EVERYTHING.  Then, give your closet a good cleaning:  dust the shelves and closet rods, vacuum the floor, and dust all baskets and bins that may have collected dirt and dust.

Time to make two piles:  toss and keep.  When you try things on, ask yourself three questions:  do you love it, do you wear it, and does it show the world the image you want to project?  If the answer to all three is yes, put it in the keep pile.  If you answer no to any of them, time to really consider whether this piece is worth keeping.  If you're unsure and decide to keep it, when you put it back, put the hanger the opposite way of all your other hangers.  If you wear it, turn the hanger around.  If after six months you haven't turned the hanger around, you can be confident it's time to say goodbye.

Now it's time to put everything back.  organize like objects together and put the things you wear most often in the front of your closet and the stuff you rarely wear like formal dresses in the back.  If you need any organizing items, think about what you own first and how it could be re-purposed to cut down on costs.  Also, before you head out to buy new stuff, measure the space 3 times so you don't have to return things.

To maintain your neat space, go through your closet once a month and undertake a full re-organization at least twice a year.

Looking for an Austin apartment with a closet big enough for all your stuff?  Call Apartment Experts North today!