Some areas of the home are easier to ignore when it comes to a mess. Take for instance closets. You know the old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
I recently decided to tackle the most disorganized and messy closet in my home, the linen closet. Here are the steps I took which I plan to do with my other closets.
First, empty the entire closet. It is better to start with a clean slate. Otherwise you end up just moving things around.
I made it a rule for myself that as I emptied things out, I wouldn’t decide what I was going to do with the items. I just piled everything on my dining room table and chairs.
Second, I cleaned the inside of the closet. Dust, vacuum, and repaint if necessary. If your closet has a light, make sure it is working.
Third, before you begin to put your items back, make a plan on how you will keep it organized. If you need to set up shelving or clothes rods, do that first.
You might even want to take a trip to your local retail store to see what kind of closet organizing products they have. Think functional and organized.
For my linen closet, I hung up a plastic shoe organizer on the inside of the door. The pockets are perfect for holding smaller items such as batteries, hooks, game-playing pieces, needle and thread, and so on. And because the pockets are clear, I can easily see what’s inside.
For this particular closet, I have a lot of shelves. I decided to keep them as they were. I just needed to make sure each shelf had a specific function.
For instance, all cleaning products went on one shelf. All beauty and cosmetics went on another, towels on yet another and so on.
I also put together a small plastic bin of first-aid supplies. This is where I put our band-aids, creams and Ace bandages.
Then it was time to start taking from the pile and finding a home for each item. Sometimes it went on a shelf, sometimes in the shoe pocket holder and sometimes it went into the trashcan.
What I discovered after cleaning that closet out was I didn’t need to buy shampoo, toothpaste and razors for awhile. But it also helped me see what items we were low on or needed replacing.
What closets in your home need to be organized?
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Organizing Your Front Hall Closet
Organize Your Clothes Each Season