Even if you’re an organized person who spends a lot of time cleaning, it can be awfully easy to let your closet get out of control. You might just set things in there during your routine cleaning process, or you try to keep things organized but find you have too many items to fit the space including your leather sofa.
If you fear you’re running out of space for all your clothes, it may be time to downsize. It’s easy to allow too many items you don’t even use to pile up, or to get caught up in purchasing exciting new fashions that start to fall apart all too soon.
Often, the best way to downsize is to focus on keeping high-quality essentials you can mix and match. To help you downsize your closet in the least painless manner, follow these tips.
Step 1: Go Through Everything
Though it might feel overwhelming, the first thing you have to do if you wish to downsize is to go through and take stock of everything you own. This is the part where the situation gets messier before it improves.
Take everything out of the closet and sort the items into categories. Then place them in particular piles. These should should consist of a:
- Keep pile
- Donate pile
- Trash pile
- Maybe pile
You don’t have to make all your final decisions just yet, but make a serious attempt to figure out what you need and what you don’t.
Step 2: Getting Rid of Stuff
Throwing out old belongings is easier for some people than others. If you need assistance with the sorting process, here’s what you can do.
- Ask yourself questions: Ask if the items are being used, if you like them, etc. If you don’t regularly wear certain clothing, it would be probably worthwhile to gain the extra space by removing them.
- Throw out what doesn’t fit: Except for highly sentimental items, it’s not worth holding onto items that don’t work. You want to have things in your closet you can enjoy.
- Give yourself time: If you’re unsure about whether to keep or get rid of certain items, wait a couple of days to see if you actually plan to use them or not.
- Keep high-quality pieces: When you downsize, keep essentials, such as leather shoes, well-constructed jackets, and good pairs of slacks.
Step 3: Upgrade The Space
Now that you’ve cleared out the space to sort through the contents, this is the perfect time to do a deep clean. This is a crucial component, because you’ll feel better once everything is free of dust and dirt.
You can also take things a little further, though. If you like, add a fresh coat of paint or make other upgrades. This is only an optional step, but it can help you appreciate your closet space much more.
Step 4: Set Up Organizational Aids
Once you’ve reduced how many items you own and possibly fixed up the storage space, you’re ready to put everything back together. If your closet doesn’t have a lot of built-in shelving, you could make matters easier for yourself in the future if you purchase some shelves, drawers, or cabinets.
You’ll have to decide what works best for you, but it’s easier to organize things if you have designated spaces. Along with shelves and other larger organizational elements, you might also want to get jewelry boxes, underwear organizers, and anything else that would help you use the space more effectively.
Step 5: Add in the Final Details
Lastly, place everything back in your closet. You may even add some finishing details to brighten the space, such as flowers, a houseplant, hedges, or decorations.
Now you can enjoy a well-organized, clean closet that is no longer bursting at the seams.
