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Organizing the Master Closet: Purging – Part 1 of 2

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Organizing the Master ClosetIn getting ready for summer, we are switching over from the long-sleeved winter outfits to the short or sleeveless outfits for summer.

Purging our closets of out-grown or unused items saves us time in picking outfits for the day.

With all the clothes weather-appropriate and the correct size, we can make a choice, dress, and set off for our day.

In purging my closet, I have chosen the following criteria to determine whether or not to keep items:

Have I worn it in the past year?

If not and I do not have a plan for the item, then I let it go. If the outfit is for a special occasion, then I keep it away from my regular everyday clothing.

Do I like the item?

If I do not care for the item, then I let it go. No sense in passing over that item every time I am looking for something to wear. If I only wore it because it was the only item that matched another item, then I begin looking at sales for a fitting replacement that I want to wear.

Does the item fit?

If the item is too big, too tight, too short, etc., then I donate it. By keeping it in the closet, I am reminded each time I wear the item of why I do not care for it. To prevent wasting time fixing a loose strap, readjusting, uncomfortable, or miserable, I get rid of the item.

After going through my entire closet answering these questions honestly, I am left with a workable wardrobe. I place the donation items into bags and put them in the van for the next trip by the donation center.

As I was organizing the master closet, I purged two piles of clothing to pass along to others. The next step I took in organizing my master closet was straightening.

Beware, I am very particular about the order and the sections of my closet. I will share my extreme organization next week, but you have been warned. 😉  Happy organizing!

Question: How do you determine what to keep and what to donate?

Organization: Coat Closet

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Were you able to get that bookshelf organized? I hope you were able to follow those 10 steps and complete your project. Having a finished task brings me great joy since I can find what I need without clutter. When I cannot quickly get to my items, I waste energy and time. Digging through a mound of games in our coat closet to locate one game costs me valuable time.

Our downstairs coat closet had quite a bit of empty space. To maximize that space, my brother-in-law kindly installed white wire shelves. I love having shelves to hold our family games that we play often. The games with little pieces can be stored on top shelves out of little one’s reach. I can also easily get to a game in a stack of 5 games without disrupting an entire stack of boxes. When my children request a game, I can usually go to the closet, locate the game, and get it out. The problem comes when my children and/or husband help put the games away. After the games have been repeatedly pulled out and put back, the closet mysteriously became disheveled.

After wasting time searching for a requested game, I decided to use my time wisely and organize the coat closet. Here is a before picture showing the lovely mess in the coat closet.

BEFORE:

Disorganized Coat Closet

To organize the contents, I did the following:

  1. Took out all the games.
  2. Sorted them into piles: large, medium, and small.
  3. Placed the random game pieces found on the floor with the appropriate game. If I could not locate the game, then I put the extra pieces in a container. As I found those games, I took the extra pieces from the container and placed them in the game box. Then I placed the game in the small, medium, or large pile.
  4. Designated a home for each game. The larger games were placed on the floor whereas the smaller games were placed on the shelves.
  5. Put games in designated places. When all the games were put back into the closet, I had plenty space. The result was a clean, organized coat closet.

AFTER:

Organized Coat Closet

Entire closet neat and organized

As I open this closet door and see the neat shelves, I can easily scan the shelves and locate the game I want. Keeping this closet organized is helping me save money (refraining from purchasing a game we already own), energy (retrieving the game needed without moving items out of the way), and time (getting in and out of the closet quickly). Spending my current time organizing helps me spend my future time wisely. Though you may have organized that closet in the past, keeping it organized requires maintenance. Enjoy the process and happy organizing!