Spring cleaning is a well-known and common action, but what about fall cleaning to get ready for the colder months to come? You shouldn’t be afraid of a quick clean up, to avoid suffering the long winter months in clutter and chaos, unable to function. I don’t know about you, but when my room is a mess, my life feels similar to that mess. So, spending some time organizing your space will likely benefit you in the long-run.
Below are a few ways to make that happen, with particular emphasis on the closet. These are simple examples of what you can do to keep your closet organized so you can find what you want when you want it, instead of having to waste time looking. You can easily apply all of these tips to your fall cleaning time or pick a few that suit your organization type.
Tip #1- Get rid of the clothes you don’t wear
This may seem like common sense to some of you, but to others, it is actually quite hard getting rid of things, even when they don’t wear them anymore. One way to ease this transition is to organize a clothing swap with your friends, allowing you to trade out the clothes you don’t wear, trade in a few from them you will wear and send anything left over on to your local non-profit clothing store, thrift store or charity.
Another idea for getting rid of the clothes you don’t wear is to sell your used clothes. Be aware, though, from my own experience, that this alternative can get difficult if you don’t own a lot of designer clothes. Even if you don’t, it’s always worth the try. Plato’s Closet is an in-store alternative where you can sell your gently worn clothing and shop other barely used clothing while you wait. If you want to try any online/app options, a few popular ones include Poshmark, thredUP and even Amazon.
Tip #2- Separate by color, length, etc.
Another awesome way to organize your closet is to categorize your clothing pieces however you find works best for you. For example, you may want to organize by length where you would put your short sleeve shirts first, then your long sleeves, jackets, coats, jeans and dresses after them. This will help you create an outfit quickly as your clothing is already categorized in the order you dress. Or, divide your clothing by color so that when you feel like wearing a certain color, you can find it more easily.
For those of you who have a dresser, you can also organize your clothes like a closet there, or you can categorize your clothes by putting your most worn clothing or favorites near the top and what you wear less on the bottom.
Tip #3- Hang tees
Like I mentioned before, these tips should be easy to apply and tip number three is just that. For those of you that have a closet in your room, hang all your tees. As for your sweaters, fold them if you have a space to place them such as on a shelf so that they don’t lose their shape. Also, if you prefer to fold your jeans better than hanging them, do so.
Tip #4- Use extra boxes as storage space
Have extra boxes around from ordering school books or moving? Use them to store things! Place clothing items that don’t work for the season, such as shorts and tank tops, into the boxes and store them underneath your bed or in a spot out of view. If you have any small boxes, use them as dividers in your drawers or stack them in your closet filled with shoes. If you don’t organize your shoes this way, you can separate them by style with boots in the front, sneakers next and flip flops near the back of your closet.
Tip #5- Take advantage of extra space
Find extra space somewhere in your room such as a cabinet or drawer where you can put some extra sweaters or clothing pieces in, if they aren’t used. This is an idea if you can’t seem to fit all of your clothing in your closet since it prevents you from having your clothing laying on the ground of your room and creating that before-mentioned undesirable mess.
Tip #6- Buy organizers (optional)
I find that this tip is a useful one but not necessarily one you need to spend a lot on. If you think your closet could use a little more structure to it, it may be wise to buy some type of organizer depending on need. For example, if your shoes tend to get all mixed up, find a dividing organizer that hangs up so it won’t happen. If you have jewelry pieces laying all around, look online or in store for a box of some sort or decorative holder.
Any of these tips can easily be incorporated into your room cleaning routine to keep you more organized.