How to Easily Reorganize Your Closet for the New Year

It’s the beginning of a new year. It’s cold and gray outside. What’s the perfect thing to do right now? Reorganize your closet! If you’re like a lot of people, cleaning out your closet is probably something you’ve put off for a while. When you’re ready for a fresh start with a freshly organized closet, follow our tips to make the job a whole lot easier:

Break it down

To tackle the project, separate it into smaller tasks, so you’re not overwhelmed. Start by sorting items by category. This will also help you see where you have duplicate or very similar things.

Set a time limit for how long you’ll go at a stretch. A three-hour marathon of decluttering may wear you out physically and mentally.

Have some bags or boxes on hand for gently-worn items that you will donate to Goodwill. Fill the bags as you go. It will make the job much more manageable.

Get organized with Goodwill!

Decide what stays and what goes

The hardest part of decluttering is, well, getting rid of the clutter! Think like a minimalist, and pare down similar items. You probably don’t need three identical pairs of black pants or five flowy shirts. Pick your favorites and donate the rest to Goodwill!

If you haven’t worn an item in a year, your best bet is to donate it to Goodwill. Likewise, if you hesitate about keeping an item, you probably don’t really want it.

When you’re on the fence about keeping or donating an item, ask yourself these two questions: Do I wear it? Do I love it? If the answer to both is no, it’s time for it to leave your closet!

Clean and reorganize

Once every single thing is out of your closet, wipe everything down. Scrub marks off the walls and vacuum the carpet. You might even want to consider putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Giving your closet a thorough cleaning will encourage you to keep it organized in the future.

Donate to Goodwill and make a difference in your community

Map out the “floorplan” for your rejuvenated closet. You may think there’s no way to add to your closet’s capacity, but now you have an empty canvas that will spur ideas. Maybe your closet has vertical space you can use. Or, you could take advantage of unused space with a hanging shoe organizer or hooks where hanging rods can’t go.

Decide how you will organize your clothes. You can hang clothes by category, color, season, or even by length. Make your closet visually pleasing by hanging everything facing the same direction and using matching hangers.

Keep it neat

Now that you have a freshly reordered closet, here a few quick tips for keeping it that way:

• Do the “hanger flip.” Turn all your hangers in one direction. Anytime you wear an item, flip it forward. Any clothing not flipped in 6 months to a year is ready to donate to Goodwill!
• Use the ” one in, one out” rule. For every new item you buy, you have to donate one to make space in your closet. Got to have those new shoes? Then, a shirt has to go!
• Have a designated donation area in your closet. Keep a basket, bag, or box in sight to remind you to fill it with things you no longer use nor love. When it’s full, donate to Goodwill!

Donations box

Decluttering your closet is not exactly a fun task, but it’s important! Having a clean, well-organized closet can relieve stress and eliminate the problem of never knowing what to wear. By donating your gently-worn clothing and household goods to Goodwill, it’s much easier to keep your closet and your home clutter-free in the long-term. When you do, you also help Ohio Valley Goodwill provide valuable job skills training and employment services to job seekers in your community. Find your nearest Goodwill donation location and make a difference today!