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The 11 Step Plan for Organizing Your Close
The 11 Step Plan for Organizing Your Closet
Reading the "C" word may make you recoil in horror. Needless
to say, this challenge isn't for those who lack courage or
for the faint of heart. Going boldly doesn't entail
conquering just the junk drawer. In The Change Your Life
Challenge we go for the gusto, the big time, the whole
enchilada. That being said, you don't have to tackle your
whole closet in a day! We will take simple steps each day to
tackle this big job. As a Chinese Proverb states, "yard by
yard life is hard...inch by inch, it's a cinch."
So my guess is you have more than one of these "C-word"
areas in your home. The good news is that you can pretend
(for now) that you only have one, yours. (We will get to the
kids next time!) So here are the steps I challenge you to
take.
1. Grab all of your dirty clothes and clean them. This
includes dry cleaned clothes too! (Imagine my surprise when
I found all my missing kitchen towels and long-lost summer
shorts!)
2. Take anything that is off-season, fold it neatly and pack
it away in labeled storage containers. (I like those large
plastic Rubbermaid containers. They can be stacked easily in
a garage, attic or another "C-word" area.)
3. Grab a box and remove all the hangers from your closet
that don't have clothes on them.
4. Now arrange all your hangers so that they are facing the
same direction. This will help avoid tangles that require
advanced yoga-skills in order to extricate yourself.
5. Decide what is going to be on hangers and what is going
to be stacked. Are you going to hang sweaters or fold them?
T-shirts and light cottons? Pants? I love to hang just about
everything as I find it gets less wrinkled---and as you
probably guessed--I don't own an iron.
6. Now that you have decided, go ahead and put everything in
its proper place, hanging like items together.
7. You knew the "use it or lose it" talk was coming. I saved
this for after the sorting process so that you could easily
see what all you have (how many black skirts does one person
need?) Take all those clothes you don't wear and get them
out of your closet. Here are a few options for removal:
a. If you have a bunch of clothes from when you were a
different size than you are now and you anticipate needing
them in the future, fold them all neatly and put them in a
Rubbermaid container with the size clearly marked on the
outside.
b. If you aren't sure whether to keep something or get rid
of it, try it on. Go look in a full-length mirror. How do
you feel? If you find yourself smiling, promote the article
to a hanger. If you find yourself experiencing disassociate
disorder, give it away. If you are impartial, grab a
Rubbermaid and toss it inside. In 6 months, repeat the
experiment. (Many professional organizers suggest that if
you haven't worn something within a year, let it go. I find
that often I don't wear something because I have forgotten I
own it or simply can't find it! That's why I suggest the
try-it-on experiment.)
c. If you have a hard time letting go of something because
it was expensive, a gift, or you have some other attachment,
the best cure is to give it a good home. Place in a bag and
deliver these items in-person to a homeless shelter or
woman's shelter. You'll never regret your decision. If you
need extra cash there is another alternative. Become an
E-bay junkie. You'll be amazed at what a silk shirt and
other nice clothes will auction for... The key is to be
descriptive and take a good photograph.
8. Remove anything in your closet that you wear only once a
year. If you have a few fancy outfits or suits that you
rarely wear, get them out of your working space. Put them in
a hall closet. The goal is to get your closet to the point
that anything you grab will be something you can wear--and
feel great in!
9. Now you have streamlined your clothing and gotten
everything in its proper place. If you have a separate
wardrobe for work, group it together at one end of your
closet. Basically categorize like items together so you can
easily find work or casual wear.
10. You are almost done! Tackle socks, hosiery and intimate
apparel next. Throw out anything with a hole or tear. Match
up socks. Create a lost sock box to keep in the laundry room
for socks seeking partners.
11. Tack up nails to hold accessories, purses and belts. Buy
a storage box from your local craft store to securely hold
jewelry. Purchase a shoe rack or an over-the-door organizer
that easily hangs and holds 20 pairs of shoes. Or... be like
me and use Rubbermaid. I have three tubs (1) for dress shoes
(2) for boots (3) for all other stuff.
About the Author
Brook Noel is an international best-selling author and has
written over 10 books. Her newest book The Change Your Life
Challenge: A 70 Day Life Makeover Program for Women has
helped thousands of women improve relationships, finances,
home management, self-esteem, fitness, self-care, stress and
depression you can visit the website at
http://www.changeyourlifechallenge.com/.
Written by: Brook Noel
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