Scared To Open Your Bedroom Closet? Tips To Permanently Get Rid Of Clutter

I always laugh at the scenes in the TV shows or movies where someone opens a closet and an avalanche of clothes and things crash to the ground. Part of the reason I think it is so funny is because it is so near to the truth! Closets are the catch-all areas for your home. No matter what room a closet is in, anything that you do not want seen, (or if you need the floor clear) is just shoved into the closet to be dealt with later. Except “later” never comes, and more is shoved into the closet. So how do you break the cycle?

Cut Down

Go through your wardrobe and get rid of anything you have not worn in a year. A year is a long time to remember what you wore each day, so if you need help here is a great tip:  Turn all your hangers backwards, and then when you wear something, turn the hanger back the right way around.
In a year, whatever clothes are on hanger that are still backwards, give to a local secondhand store, hold a yard sale, or give them away to your friends. If you have not worn it in a year, you will not miss it.
This also works for shoes and clothes in drawers. Just have an empty side of the dresser that you can move clothes over to once you wear them, and move shoes from one side of the room to the other. That way you can keep track of what you wear and what you can give away.
Keep only in-season clothes in your closet to free up space. In the warm months, move your sweaters and jackets to a storage space until they are needed again.

Fold Right

Put folded clothes in drawers standing up, instead of laying down. This will create more space in the drawer. The army does it, so it must work!
When folding, group like with like clothes for more efficient stacking. So for example, put all your jeans together, your khakis together, dress pants together, work t-shirts, nice t-shirts, etc. in their own little stacks. It will make things more efficient and easier to find what you are looking for.

Compartmentalize to Organize

One thing that I have found really helps me stay organized, is to hang clothes by color. That way, if I want to wear my orange button up shirt with a blue tank top, I do not have to search my entire closet to find them. I just go to the orange section and grab my shirt, then go to the blue section and the tank top is right there. It just makes things easier (and saves time in the morning!)
Cheap, clear, shoe organizers that you can hang on the door are great. You can sometimes find them at the dollar store, and can store so much more than just shoes. Clear totes are also awesome. They can be stacked, purchased in any size to fit any space, and can be labeled so you always know what is in them.
Invest in a pegboard or corkboard equivalent. It can be any size, from a small square to floor-to-ceiling size. Use it to hang your jewelry and handbags. It will get them off the floor and let you see them all at once when deciding which will go best with your outfit.
You can get a cheap tie rack hanger that you can hang in your closet to keep all your ties together. It can also be used for belts and scarves. You can also hang them on your peg board if you have one big enough.
One last little tip I find helpful: put folded sheets inside the matching pillowcases. It keeps all the different pieces together and keeps them from scattering in all different directions. It also saves space.
And remember, if all else fails… get a storage unit. There are some in just about every town; just do a little local internet search for whatever town you live in, for example, “Toronto self-storage” and see what comes up. As long as you keep your storage unit organized with clearly labeled boxes and such, it can be an awesome addition to the storage in your home.
There you have it! Follow these tips, put your personal spins on them, customize them, and watch as your closet transforms from an avalanche waiting to happen to a beautiful space that you want to show to all your guests.
Happy organizing!
<a href=“https://plus.google.com/u/5/105883047295604000135/posts?rel=author”>Michael
David</a> is a freelance journalist and blogger living in New York City. Michael loves writing about DIY projects, home improvement, and garden-related topics.