If you’ve lived in your apartment for a year or more, chances are your closet has become a catchall for everything you can possibly cram in there, from clothes to suitcases to bedding to cleaning supplies. When it’s too cold to do anything outside, take advantage of your time stuck indoors and make that closet as tidy as when you first moved in.
Follow these steps and you’ll want to keep your closet doors open rather than using them to hide your mess:
Step 1: Take everything out. Yes, everything! But do so in an organized way to make the rest of the process go faster. Make a pile for clothing, another one for cleaning supplies (you’re going to need those in a minute), one for sports equipment, and one for what is this thing? Do this until every shelf is empty and every rod is hanger free.
Step 2: Before you start digging through the mess that has now taken over your room, use that vacuum, broom and Pledge to clean the closet floor and shelves. You don’t want those pesky dust bunnies hanging around your soon-to-be immaculate closet, do you?
Step 3: It’s time to tackle the piles. Go through your clothes and box up anything you haven’t worn since you moved in to donate. Then, organize the keepers by season – or even by color if you’re going for extra credit. Consolidate what you can – for example, your collection of duffle and cloth bags can go inside your big suitcase, and all of your sheets can go in one bin. As for that what is this thing? pile, it goes straight to the trash.
Step 4: Before putting everything back, take stock of your now-organized piles and plan out where they should go. If you have a lot of odds and ends, now is the time to run to the store and buy a couple bins, freestanding shelving units or over-the-door organizers. You may also consider removing the doors entirely if they make it difficult to get into the back corners.
Step 5: You’re almost done! Start with the top shelf and store those bins of sheets, sports equipment and other things you don’t use every day up there. Next, hang up all of your clothes, keeping long things like pants and dresses together to leave maximum floor space. Finally, set up your shoe shelves on the floor, tuck that suitcase and vacuum in the back corners, and voila! Your closet is now a source of pride rather than shame.
Find more tips for organizing and decorating your apartment here.