Dan's Papers - October 26, 2007 - Weeding The Closet

Fall is the perfect time of the year to clean out your closets, getting rid of those old and worn out clothing and memorabilia by sending them to the donation bin. Organizing your closet doesn't have to be painful, boring yes, painful no! Having an organized closet will enable you to find what you need, when you need it. And think of all the hangers you will have to fill when you're done...

Start the motion by opening all the windows in the room, let the fresh fall air in and start getting rid of the clothing that you don't wear anymore, it's typically called "weeding the closet." Or pick a day that you don't have to answer the phone, and the weather may be a bit rainy or cloudy, putting you in gear for a long and gruesome chore. Turn up the iPod and get started...

Set up at least four to six storage boxes or bags; label them "Keep," "Give Away," "Dump," "Maybe?"...Don't get sentimental with the maybe box. When the time comes for you to go through that once again, you may be lucky and wind up with an empty box, having filled all the others with the maybe items.

Make sure you get your warm weather and cold weather clothing ready to separate...You may feel differently about an item when it's out of season, giving you the strength to get rid of it more quickly. Start with jackets, suits and separates. Feel free to keep your essentials, such as clothing that makes you feel and look good, as long as they are still in good condition, still fit and aren't outdated - they go in the keep box or bag. If you have gained a pound or two, and haven't worn something in at least a year or maybe two, plan to give it away. Some styles and colors are forever. Lordy knows, we all have something stashed in our closets that we have worn for years, refreshing them with a new scarf, belt, or sweater. An evening outfit that still fits and looks great can be kept.

Throw out clothing that isn't really fit to donate, keeping a few things for dirty jobs like painting and gardening and store them in the basement with the tools and paintbrushes. If you're the type to alter, hems, buttons etc., (I'm not), then put them on the side and make a decision when you are done. You might just say, the heck with it, I'll just replace them. They go bye-bye.

If you're not wearing an item but want to save it, it shouldn't be in your closet. The "save" box is your time capsule. Gather anything you want to save for sentimental reasons and put it in this box. Make sure these clothes are clean, and pack them away in archival quality boxes with layers of tissue paper and cedar blocks or chips. Store the box in a cool, dry place to protect them.

Closet shelving is a must and very easy to install. Vertical shelves are worth their weight in gold. If you don't have the time or inclination to do an installation, you can purchase hanging canvas shelving that works just as well. Find a pretty hook to hang on the outside of your closet for the next day's outfit. Laying out your work clothes the night before will get you out the door faster. Make sure that everything you need is on that hook: bras, panties, belts, hose, etc. The prettier the hook, the less you'll mind looking at it.

There are tons of ways to store shoes in your closet, and dumping them in one pile on the floor is definitely not the best one. A visit to any major store will yield hanging shoe cubbies, back of the door racks, floor racks, wall racks, and on and on. Is there one best way? Nope. You pick the system based on your personal preference and the size of your closet. If you don't like the idea of putting all your purses in a basket (or you have way too many), consider putting them right on the wall. If you have a large closet and an empty wall, hanging them on nails right on the wall is an excellent way to find them easily, and also makes for a very interesting display. If you have a lot of horizontal shelving (lucky you!) you can set them upright on that and buy shelf dividers to help keep them upright.

Spending some time organizing your closet will yield big results during the week when you're on the move. One weekend's work will pay off for a long time to come!