5 EASY STEPS TO DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET
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We have all been there, you start your day, you look at your closet, and cannot find anything because it’s cluttered. You pull out what you think will look good on you, only to find out that it has to be altered and/or do not fit anymore.
Even putting everything back is a daunting task when everything is bursting out. So now, not only your closet is messy, but you are wearing something you don’t necessary like and that also took a good chunk of your morning when you could have used that for your imperative cup of coffee.
Our closet is a space where we spend a lot of time, specially at the beginning of our day. Even if you have a small closet, making sure is nice and tidy, is the beginning of a good outfit; when we find our items fast, we have more time to be creative and play with what we have.
Personally, I feel that when my space is messy, I easily overspend on things that I already have. Sometimes when we cannot find what we need immediately, we appeal to do what is easier: ordering same-day delivery is faster than find it in a bursting cluttered rack or floor.
So, without further ado, I figured out 5 steps that have worked for me consistently (I did not say perfectly just consistently!) within the last couple of years:
1. Remove everything out of the closet
Before taking everything out, make sure you have trash bags or bins; one to donate, one to keep and one to sell. I like to keep my selling bin small, I figured out that I don’t have a lot of time to follow through, and sometimes I just end with this big pile, so donating is what works best for me.
I also like to have cleaning materials to clean up before deciding what I am going to keep. Hold on to buy the storage materials, this will come later after you declutter.
After having everything ready, it’s time to take absolutely everything out and clean your closet (it sounds daunting I know but you’ll thank me later) this way you focus on what you want to keep which makes the decluttering a lot easier.
2. Start decluttering what is easier
In order to start a difficult task, sometimes we need all the momentum we can get. I like to take out first the things I immediately dislike, then, all the pieces that I haven’t worn in one year; if I haven’t used an item throughout all seasons, it’s most likely I won’t be wearing it anytime soon.
Even if trends come back, they usually return with a different twist so there is no point to keep them unless it’s a very special piece that makes you feel amazing.
Next, I will take out what does not fit or whatever doesn’t make me feel my best.
If I feel I want to get rid of something, but I feel guilty, that is my sign that the item needs to go, I don’t need that feeling every time I visit my closet.
3. Think about the blessings you will bring to others
Maybe the button-down shirt you used when you worked at an office will bless a nice lady to get a job, or the hat you haven’t worn in years will cover the sun for a working mom.
You are not throwing stuff just for the sake of doing so, you are repurposing them by being generous to others, not getting damaged by moths or time inside your closet.
4. Arrange everything aesthetically
Think about your closet as if it was your little personal “store”. Try to arrange your pieces by type and color, you can even decorate the walls or shelves with some small paintings, signs or plants or whatever fits your aesthetic.
Now is the time to invest on nice boxes and containers, you won’t need a lot of them if you have effectively decluttered. The size of your closet is not important, you can make it your own special place that suits your own personality.
According to Marie Kondo, the creator of the famous Kon Mari Method, you should put clothes of the same color together, so you do not even think where to put things back. And go with darker items on the right of the closet, and lighter items to the left: ‘creating a line that goes up to the right.’
Marie calls this the ‘sparking joy’ line – inspired by her classic line that if you are keeping something, it must ‘spark joy’.
5. Move on
This step is one of the most important ones. You need to move relatively fast, do whatever is necessary to get rid of what you decided as soon as possible, you don’t want to have the temptation of going through them again. Take your bags out and get them on their way.
Decluttering is an act of courage; you must find it inside of you, and let go what does not bring you joy anymore.
We all change, and that is ok, and when we let go what does not work for us anymore, we are welcoming time and energy for what makes us happy.
Every time I declutter my closet, I feel like I just did an act of love to myself by accepting who I am now.
Focus on the feeling of love and gratitude for what you lived on these pieces and say goodbye!
