Decluttering Goals: The Closet

Bedroom closets are often some of the most cluttered areas in a home. It is inevitable that after a while, the clothes, shoes and accessories we accumulate can start to overcrowd and clutter up the closet.

It isn’t easy to go through clothes either. Whether for practicality or sentimentality, it can be easy to justify hanging onto items that you really don’t wear that much or may not even fit so well anymore. Often, there is the thought that you might need it for a special occasion, or that you might fit into it again one day. While you don’t want to complete eliminate your entire wardrobe, a good organizing session and reset is important to do on a regular basis – especially after a major shopping trip.

When you’re going through your closet, go through everything – pants, shirts, dresses, coats, sweaters, scarves, shoes, bags – whatever you have stored in there. Try clothes on that you may not have worn in a long time. Do you still like the item? Does it fit? Is it worn, faded or torn? Be realistic with yourself – fashion and personal tastes can change, so don’t feel bad about adding it to the donate pile or the clothes recycle pile if it isn’t in good shape. If a button is missing or the zipper needs fixing but the clothes still fit and you like them, see if you can fix it yourself or if it needs to be done by a professional. Instead of adding it back into your closet so it can be forgotten again, put it in a place you will see it often so you remember to fix it. 

For clothes that don’t quite fit, it can be a difficult decision on whether or not you should keep them. Think about the item of clothing and be honest with yourself. If you are actively losing weight, and the item is only a size or two smaller, then it may be worth hanging onto. If it is a few sizes too big or too small, then consider giving it to away for someone else to use. It is not worth hanging onto items that you are more likely not to wear especially if you have no real intention of actually wearing them again. Anything that won’t be used is just adding clutter from your closet and preventing you from buying clothing that looks and feels good. It isn’t giving up but moving on and making the clothes available to someone who might need them more.

Placing the clothing and accessories you have decided to keep is also an essential part to maintaining an organized closet. It may be worth investing in proper hangers, shoe racks, and accessories holders to keep your items not always looking fresh and ready to wear, but easy to find. Consider sorting your closet into sections and sort items based on whether they are casual or more formal wear, what season you wear them in, or what colour they are. Having these items separated into different groups can make styling and putting an outfit together easier. For more tips on sorting clothes, check out this previous post on the blog.

Having an organized closet is an achievable and sustainable goal for the year. When you take the time to do an initial declutter and reset of the closet, you are making it much easier to maintain moving forward. Don’t let your hard-earned and stylish purchases languish in the back of your closet – make organization your goal this year!

Maintaining your organized home

Getting your home organized in only half of the battle – maintaining your organized space is another challenge altogether. Following organizing methods like the KonMari method require a change of your daily habits in order for them to work long-term. However, life can get busy, plans change, new opportunities arise, and you and your family can return to your previous routine. To maintain your organized space, it’s important to take the process seriously and find key methods that work best with your lifestyle.

Following an organization method closely will not work for everyone long term. Many of the suggestions work great to help people eliminate a large amount of clutter, but some steps, like treasuring every item, might not be realistic for each member of your family. Instead, identify the important lessons and find a way to make them work with your life. For example, the method for folding clothes might work best to keep your clothing organized in your wardrobe and suitcases, but your children have difficulty keeping their clothes folded that way. While the folding method may not work for them, the idea of only keeping items that are important to them and being able to let old clothing and toys go might work better.

In order to maintain organization, you and your family need to be able to make organizing a part of your routine. Depending on your schedule, it may make more sense to do quick decluttering sessions on a regular basis by sorting through items by type instead of by room. However, you may instead prefer to do larger organizing projects on a less frequent basis. By encouraging your whole family to get involved with the process and adopt these life changes, you will have an easier time maintaining organization throughout your home.  

To make organization a regular part of your routine, you need to follow methods that you and your family can easily pick up. For example, getting in the habit of putting things away once you’re finished with them, instead of leaving them to put away later, is a simple action that can have a significant impact on the organization of your home.

Staying organized and changing your usual habits takes time and commitment, but it can be accomplished. Make sure you implement organizational methods that are practical and work with your family’s lifestyle. If you’ve gotten your house organized following a specific organizing method, it may be unrealistic to maintain all of the strategies you used going forward. However, you shouldn’t feel the need to follow the guidelines closely. Instead, find out what works best for you and your family, and use those key strategies to maintain your organized state in the future.

Organizing clothing with the KonMari method

The KonMari organizing method has been around for a couple of years, but some of its ideas and methods can still be confusing for some people looking to live a more organized life. Here is how the KonMari method can help you get organized, starting with your clothing:

What is it?

According to the KonMari method, organizing should not happen room by room, but item by item. In this way, people are able to properly organize and find a home for one specific item, which may be scattered throughout a home. Clothes are recommended as the first item to start organizing. Organizing begins by collecting all of the like items together and laying them on the ground so you can get a good look at what you have. Then, you go through each item to determine whether or not it makes you happy or “sparks joy.”

Karen, at Calm Order recommends to start with areas with the least amount of attachment. Clothing may not necessarily be easy for some. Sometimes it is going through the pantry or kitchen which may just be an easier place to start.

Often, we hold on to items for sentimental or practical purposes. Maybe the item of clothing was on sale, or a gift. Regardless of how or why you got it, if it doesn’t make you happy or you never wear it, you should simply donate it. The KonMari is based on only owning items in your home that have meaning and bring you joy.

Items should be organized and put in a place that is easy to find and access. Fancy storage solutions aren’t always the answer, and extra drawers and cupboards may encourage more clutter instead of stopping it. The KonMari method encourages people to focus on the folding and storage of items to prevent clutter. If items are special to you, you should treat them well. For example, your cloths should be folded and stored in a way that prevents them from getting wrecked or wrinkled and is easy for you to find and wear.

How is it done?

The unique KonMari method has attracted a lot of popularity for its complex steps and ability to significantly increase storage. Whether it is a t-shirt, pair of pants, or socks, any article of clothing you own can be folded using the KonMari method. This guide provides step by step illustrations of how you can fold your clothes using the KonMari way.

Once your clothes are folded properly, they need to be properly placed in your closet or wardrobe. Instead of organizing by colour, the KonMari method organizes clothing by light and dark clothing. For example, keep heavier winter sweaters separated from light summer blouses. This will also help you find clothes and pick out your outfit easier because similar items will all be placed together.

Clothes in drawers are not stacked on top of each other but stored vertically. This way, it is easier to see what clothes you have and prevents shirts or pants from getting lost at the bottom of your drawer. By folding items in the precise KonMari way, you’ll also cut down on wrinkles, so everything is ready to wear when you need it.

Where else can you use this method?

The KonMari folding method can be used to help you organize your clothing for a vacation or a home move. Use the folding method to save space in your suitcase when you travel and prevent your clothes from getting too wrinkled before you reach your destination. You can even store your folded items in storage cubes.

Clothes can also be folded using this method when you’re packing up your belongings before moving. You will be able to fit a lot more items of clothing in a box or plastic bin by stacking your shirts, pants, and other articles of clothing vertically instead of horizontally. You will also be able to easily see what items you have stored in what box, and quickly transfer the clothing after your move back to your wardrobe or closet.

The KonMari method can help with organizing more than just your clothes – its basic principles can be applied to any item in your home. However, in order to make sure your newly-organized items stay organized, you need to ensure that you continue to keep clutter down. Remember to only keep items that bring you joy and make sure that every item has a proper and easy to access home. The KonMari method is not meant to help with one-time organization, but help you stay organized for the long term.