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Published on The New Homemaker (http://www.thenewhomemaker.com)

Conquering the Closet

Quick and dirty re-organization, no special equipment
by Rachel Gurevich [0]
Friday: Clean and Organized [0]

Another morning, another adventure--to find something to wear, that is. As I stand half dressed, I dig through my closet searching for, well, ANYTHING that at least matches and is somewhat in season. I attempt to see what exactly is behind the dry cleaner bags. Knocking down a few metal hangers, one falls dangerously close to my toddler son's head, who is currently pulling the insoles out of my dress shoes. It's going to be one of those days.

Well, I've had enough of digging and have decided to conquer my bedroom closet. Here is how you can also successfully reorganize your bedroom closet.

Step #1--Get rid of all the metal and extra hangers

Every time I bring my clothes back from the dry cleaners, I end up with a new supply of metal hangers. Not only are they ugly, but also, they can ruin the shape of some clothing. Throw them away. All of them.

Then, make a pile of all the extra plastic hangers. Keep these handy for later.

Step #2--Take off and throw away those dry cleaner bags

Leaving the plastic bags on your clothes can lead to a musty smell and does not help preserve their freshness (As I once thought.) Plus, it's more difficult to see what there is to wear. Many times I have thought I found the perfect skirt, when in fact, I accidentally choose my husband's dress pants.

Of course, if you had taken off the plastic when you brought the clothes home in the first place, this wouldn't be a problem. So make yourself a resolution to remove the bags right way, to avoid the hassle later.

Step #3--Sort clothes into three categories: Keepers, Repair and Donate

And be honest. Are you really going to wear that creamy colored blouse with ruffled cuffs and collar that your grandmother gave you for your 18th birthday? Probably not. Donate it. Any blouses and skirts that need new buttons or hems you can add to the Repair pile. And anything that you plan on wearing, put into the Keepers pile.

I know what you're thinking. "But if I give all my clothes away, I'll have nothing to wear." I had the same fear. First of all, keeping clothes that you never wear only clutters the closet. If you're like me, you're not going to wear that ruffled blouse even if it's your last clean shirt! Give it away.

And schedule a time for the repairs now. Set the date, write it down, and keep to it, or the pile will remain. If you know you're not going to repair something, donate it.

Step #4--Sort the Keepers pile: His, Hers, and so on

We have only one closet in our bedroom, so my husband and I share. If you're lucky, you won't need to separate the clothes into a His and Hers side. For his side, the best policy is to ask him first if he wants you to organize his clothes, to avoid arguments. (Do NOT throw anything of his clothes away--that will definitely disrupt your peaceful home.)

For your side, separate into tops, bottoms, one-piece outfits, and dress clothes. Keep all your robes and house gowns together, and your two-piece outfits, which can not be mixed and matched, together. Don't forget to use the plastic hangers, and not metal ones, which you should have thrown away in step one.

Note that sweaters do not belong in your closet hanging up--they'll lose their shape. And depending on room, consider storing non-seasonal clothing elsewhere.

Step #5--Vacuum the floor and then organize the shoes

Remove any shoes or junk that's on the bottom on the closet and vacuum. You'll be glad you did it now, while you're cleaning this area anyway. Then, feel free to repeat a similar process for your shoes!

Now, finding the right outfit in the morning is a cinch. I can see what I have, and while I technically have "less," it feels like more.




Rachel Gurevich [1]is a stay-at-home mother and award winning freelance author. Her articles have appeared both on-line and in print, in publications such as The Writing Parent, NorthWest Baby and Child, FamilyClick.com and others. Her book is "The fabjob.com's Guide to Becoming a Doula." [2] She's the contributing editor for Suite101.com's Jewish Families page [3], and the assistant editor for Myria Media Inc. [4]





cover of Smart Closet Makeovers [5]Smart Closet Makeovers
[6]asin: 0376011149
cover of Closets: Designing and Organizing the Personalized Closet [7]Closets: Designing and Organizing the Personalized Closet
[8]asin: 0802132286
Technorati Tags: Clean and Organized [17]

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