You don’t have to get rid over everything you haven’t used in a while. However, it might be easier to decide what to discard if you know which items don’t get used often.
This can save you a lot of time and energy during the sorting process. Don’t pick through the items during this phase. Just remove items you don’t have to think about.
For instance, you might make piles for T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, leggings, workout clothes, and outerwear.
You may decide to keep everything, and that’s okay. Donate the items you no longer want or use to a local charity, thrift shop, friend, or family member. Throw out any items that are worn or damaged.
If your shelves are very dusty, you may want to switch dust cloths before you wipe down the walls.
For instance, if you wear a lot of T-shirts but only have 2 sweaters, you might designate a large area for T-shirts. Similarly, you could designate separate bins for sweaters, button-up shirts, T-shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses. You might decide to put hooks on the wall for your coat, belts, and ties.
Add a shelving unit to your closet. Hang floating shelves in your closet or armoire. Put a bookcase in your closet for more shelving. Place a dresser or plastic drawers in your closet. Hang hooks and baskets against the wall. [12] X Expert Source Ashley Moon, MAProfessional Organizer Expert Interview. 27 April 2021.
Decorate plain boxes for a fun, budget-friendly option. Consider using color-coded bins and boxes for different items. As an example, you might put your T-shirts in a grey bin, your pants in a grey-and-white striped bin, and your dress shirts in a white bin. Bins and boxes are a great place to store out-of-season items, such as your coat and sweaters.
For instance, use dividers to separate socks, hosiery, jewelry, ties, and belts.
As an example, you might separate your T-shirts into a workout pile and a going out pile. Use a label to keep track. If you’re using bins, you might label them things like “work pants,” “jeans,” and “sweaters. ” If you used color-coded bins, you may not worry about labels.
If you prefer temporary hooks, try something like command hooks, which come in different shapes and sizes. You can also just hammer nails into the wall to use as hooks.
Use the first item you fold as a guide for the rest. Keep in mind that your stacks may lean or fall over if some items are folded smaller than others.
For example, you may have a stack of T-shirts, a stack of dress shirts, a stack of work pants, a stack of jeans, and a stack of dresses. If you decide to separate your clothes by style, you might divide your pants into straight-leg pants, wide-leg pants, and boot-cut pants.
For instance, let’s say you’re using cloth bins to organize your shirts. Fold your T-shirts into a uniform size. Then, turn them so that the folded edge is facing up before placing the shirts into the container.
For example, you might arrange your work clothes at eye level.
If you prefer to have your shoes in boxes, place them in clear plastic shoe storage containers. Put a photo of the shoe on the end of the box that faces out so you know which shoe is in each box.
If you don’t have a small container and don’t want to buy one, an old shoe box works well. If you’re using dividers, it’ll be easier for you to keep the items separated.