5 Clever Tips to Co-ordinate Your Closet

Home makeover shows make creating a spectacularly organised closet look easy.

The reality of attacking your own dishevelled wardrobe without a camera crew and stylists on hand? It’s a little more complicated.

We’re here to help! Here are five simple steps to make your wardrobe space Pinterest-worthy.

How to Clean A Closet in 5 Steps

Step 1

Grab two garbage bags, labelling one as ‘donate’ and the other ‘rubbish’. Make sure your bed is clean and neat as you’ll need somewhere to put all of your clothes and items.

Step 2

Pull everything out of the closet, including shoes, clothes and other personal items and place them on the bed. Take this opportunity to give all shelves a wipe down and a thorough vacuum if you have carpet.

Step 3

Time to start sorting! You need to be ruthless here. If you haven’t worn it for a year, it’s time to say goodbye. A great tactic I found while researching was to stop thinking about what to throw out. Instead, assume everything is getting thrown out and you can only keep what you love or wear often.

Create a keep pile that you’ll deal with in step #5.

Pop anything that is still in relatively good condition but that you don’t want anymore into the ‘donate’ bag and once full, drop it into your nearest charity bin.

Keep in mind that charities want people to think about what they’re putting in donation bins – in an article about post-Christmas donations, St Vincent de Paul Mitchell (ACT) warehouse manager Gary Crowder said to donate items you would give to a friend.

Mr Crowder also said not to donate anything broken or ripped, as charities don’t have the resources to repair damaged items.

While you’re organising, those with the space can alternate seasonal clothes between their wardrobe and another storage area. I personally keep all of my big winter jackets in our spare room cupboard when they’re not being used during the warmer months.

Step 4

It’s time to focus on your shoes. Use the same rule from step #3 on your shoes, while investing in a shoe storer. I purchased a shoe hanger from Big W and it has been a total game changer by saving a lot of wardrobe space.

Utilise boxes smartly, too. Stackable containers are great for storing miscellaneous items like handbags, hats, scarves and boots not worn regularly.

Step 5

There is an art to putting all of your clothes back – time to take control of the ‘keep’ pile.

You need to perform triage on your clothing. Pick out items you wear the most and ensure they are where you can see them as soon as you open the door. Place them either front and centre of the closet or first in the clothing line-up, depending on your wardrobe layout.

There are varied ways to approach categorising. While colour-matching your clothing does make for a beautiful picture, it’s more practical to categorise your clothing by when you wear them. For example, work clothes, going out clothes, and special occasions.

Everyone’s wardrobe contents are different though, so do what works for you – some people prefer just grouping skirts, dresses, jeans etc in their clothing type category.

You can colour code once you’ve categorised by clothing if you choose!

Why is a clean (and organised) wardrobe essential?

Now that you’re done, here are a few ways you will benefit from a clean and super-organised closet.

• You’ll save time. Now that you can find what you need quickly, you’re going to save a lot of time when you’re busy getting ready for work. You can now see exactly what you need to throw on, exactly when you need it.

• You could make money. You can sell your unwanted items online or at a market, potentially making you a little extra cash.

• You’ll uncover long-lost items. You’ve made space and now that your cupboard isn’t overflowing, you may find clothing pieces you’d forgotten about.

• It’ll make shopping easier. An uncluttered and functional wardrobe will help you see exactly what you already have, ensuring you’ll only shop for the pieces you need.