Though chances are good that one of your top resolutions for the new year was to clean out your closet, your good intentions may be stymied by a tangle of clothes you don’t know what to do with or an unruly pile of shoes you feel you just can’t tame.
Don’t stress. Professional organizer Rachel Strisik of Bethesda has 10 start-to-finish steps that make the process simple and methodical. And once you see what you need, you get to shop to fill in the blanks.
- Get four boxes and place them outside the closet. Label them Keep, Donate, Consign and Throw Away. (Simple, right?)
- Decide which box each article of clothing goes in. If you don’t know, try it on and decide right away. Don’t keep items if they don’t fit your current body. If you haven’t worn it in a year, let it go. (*See note below.) Make room for clothing that you love and wear and those you’ll want to buy. We wear 20 percent of our clothing 80 percent of the time.
Keep: These are the items that you actually wear regularly.
(*Note: If there is clothing that has sentimental value but you don’t wear, put them in a separate box for storage.)
Consign: It can be easier to let go of pricier items you don’t wear when you may be able to earn some money by consigning them. There are plenty of local consignment shops including Inga’s, Second Chance and Reddz Trading.
Donate: Some items may be too old or out of season to sell, but you can donate them to any number of local charities and shelters, including the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda.
Toss: This includes undergarments and anything that’s stained, torn or worn out.
- Now clean your closet; vacuum or sweep the floor and dust the shelves. A tidy closet will make you more inclined to keep it organized.
- Get flat, velvety, non-slip hangers. Clothes won’t slip off and they don’t take up extra space.
- Hang up your “Keep” clothes and fold the items that belong on shelves. Sort your clothing by type, such as dress shirts, pants and dresses, and then each group by color, starting with white, then brighter colors and finally grays, browns and black. Now you can what you actually have. If possible, start with the hangers backwards so that at the end of the season, you can see what you never wore.
- Organize you shoes in clear, labeled shoeboxes. These can fit on a shelf or neatly stacked on the floor.
- Put out of season clothes in labeled containers to keep inside (if you have room) or outside the closet. Space bags are a good option and so are boxes that fit under the bed.
- Now, take another look. Once you see everything categorized and in color order, it will be easier to see what you don’t really wear.
- Take a survey of what you have and what you need. You’ll be able to see wardrobe gaps (accessories to change up those regular items, perhaps?) as well as the six pairs of black slacks that can probably be pared down to three or four.
- You’re finished! Pat yourself on the back and savor your well-organized closet.
Rachel Strisik is a professional organizer and Bethesda resident who helps families put order around their households and daily life. You can reach Rachel at rachellifestylist@gmail.com or via her website at www.rachel-lifestylist.com
