Hi! I’m Hannah Hearin and I’m the owner of Home Refreshment, which is a home organizing company. After organizing a bit for Jackie and the MMRR store, I was thrilled to be asked to come up with some helpful tips for ya’ll to enjoy!
Home Refreshment really focuses on helping busy people easy organizing solutions that they can maintain long after we are gone! We organize pretty much any space and while you may think that seems daunting, it’s our kind of fun.
I thought it would be helpful to share some closet tips to make room for more MMRR merchandise! ;) So let’s get to my top 10 tips for organizing your closet!!
Before we get started here is a before and after to show it can be done!
Tips for Organizing Your Closet
1. Look at each item, don’t just skim.
The first step in organizing any space is actually the hardest. Set aside a day that you can devote to this task and remember that it gets much worse before it gets better! Take it ALL out. Take all hangers out and lay them on the bed, put your shoes in a corner on the floor and your purses in another open space. One of my favorite moments when working with clients is seeing the shock on their face when we pull it all out. “How did I even fit that much in there in the first place?!?”
Your closet should be completely empty! This is the time to vacuum the floor and wipe down the baseboards and shelves in order to get it to square one.
2. Be honest with yourself.
Focus on each item and ask yourself these questions if you’re debating between keeping and donating.
Do you like it? Does it fit you? Do you like how it fits? Does it fit your overall style? Would you miss it if you let it go?
There are a lot of reasons that people hate to part with their clothes. Maybe the clothes remind them of a certain time in their life, were a lot of money, or a combination of the two. However, if you answered the questions in the tip above, you will know that these items do not belong back in your closet.
Consider selling them on Poshmark or Ebay, I say that if they’re over $100 it is worth it to atleast try.
If they’re not worth the trouble to sell, find a cause that feels right to you and donate there. Many women’s shelters or churches will accept donations and they can be put into good use.
3. One in One Out
This isn’t always easy to do, but I like sharing with my clients to challenge them a bit. Instead of continuously consuming, be aware that the more you add, the more likely your closet will turn chaotic again.
When you buy something new, it should (in a dream world) replace something that you currently have.
4. Store out of season clothes elsewhere.
Storing out of season clothes elsewhere is a time and space saver. What I mean by this is having those winter clothes stord during summer months keeps you from wasting time searching through clothes that you’re not going to wear right now anyway. It also leaves your space feeling lighter and more spacious.
The simplest ways to store out of season clothes are in bins with labels. You can store them on racks above in your closet, under the bed, or in a smaller closet that is devoted to storage.
5. Decide how to organize the items you’re keeping.
There are a few ways to organize the clothes that you have decided to keep.
If you want an aesthetically pleasing closet, it may make sense for you to color coordinate first. If you choose to do this option, you’d want to organize by style within each color of clothing.
I find that most of my clients prefer to have their tank tops, tees, blouses, button ups in the style category first, and then color coordinated. This seems to be easier when getting dressed and overall saves a bit of time.
6. Consider shoe storage.
This one is dependent on the space you have available. For some, a simple shoe rack on the back of your door will suffice. For others, a shoe rack that sits on the floor of your closet is best. If you have shoes you want to preserve, consider buying small, individual plastic bins with lids. These are easy to store and make a space look uniform.
7. Use the back of the door
The back of your closet door is a place that often gets overlooked with it comes to organizing but is actually a perfect spot to store smaller items. You can store small purses on hooks, buy a hat rack, hang jewelry, store shoes, or accessories like scarves and belts. This is especially useful in smaller spaces because it allows you to use every inch of available space.
8. Purse Organization
There are many useful ways to organize purses depending on the types of bags you need to store.
For large travel bags (carry ons, duffle bags, etc) it is most efficient to store in a large suitcase. The suitcase is already living in your closet so it makes sense to keep travel bags together.
When it comes to smaller purses you can hang them on the back of your closet door on simple hooks or with an Elfa system. You can also use simple Command hooks for your closet walls.
Clutches can be tricky to store but with a simple metal lid organizer you can keep everything organized so you can see what you have.
9. Store out of season clothes elsewhere.
Storing out of season clothes elsewhere is a time and space saver. What I mean by this is having those winter clothes stord during summer months keeps you from wasting time searching through clothes that you’re not going to wear right now anyway. It also leaves your space feeling lighter and more spacious.
The simplest ways to store out of season clothes are in bins with labels. You can store them on racks above in your closet, under the bed, or in a smaller closet that is devoted to storage.
10. Matching Hangers
This is one of the quickest ways to make your space feel organized and put together. It is a simple and inexpensive step toward giving you that luxurious dream closet you have always wanted. Plus if you decide to use velvet hangers you’ll end up saving yourself a little space since they aren’t as bulky as your typical plastic hanger.
11. 5 Minute Clean Up
Taking the time at the end of every day to clean up your closet will really make all of the difference in the long term upkeep of your space. Take the time to hang up the clothes you pulled off the hangers, put back the bags, and re-fold the shirts. If this is a tough one for you here is a simple trick to make it fun.
Put on your favorite song and devote yourself to cleaning until it is over. That way it is simple and enjoyable!
And if all of these tips were helpful but you just don’t have the time to execute, we organize in the Oviedoo & Winter Springs area and would love to help! Follow us @homerefreshment on Instagram or if you’re like “Hannah, I need help.. Sign me up!” you can schedule a free consultation on our website www.homerefreshment.com!
Talk soon,
Hannah Hearin