3 Easy Tips to Organize Your Messy Closet

If you've been living on the planet earth for any amount of time (well, at least the western civilization), you've heard of the 80/20 rule. But this 80/20 rule has to do with clothes. It states that individuals wear 20% of their clothes 80% of the time. Everyone's closet would be neat and in order if it only contained the 20% of the clothes you wear.

No worries! I am not suggesting you get rid of those items that you don't wear as much, but I do suggest investigating some different setups and techniques to create a nice, cozy and clean closet space.

This task may seem too overwhelming, so it will have a better chance of success if you to start small. Try one of your hall closets first to build your confidence. All of the steps needed to complete a clothes closet can be learned just by doing a hall closet.

1: Begin by select the closet with the messiest setup. Look around at all of the items you have. If you see anything that you know you're not going to wear, then donate it to family, friends or a charitable service. It may seem like you want this stuff, but if you haven't worn it in years you probably won't wear it again

It's important to be honest with yourself and make the effort to purge the old clothes, clothes that don't fit and clothes that are out of style. If you're still having a hard time, put the clothing in a box, write a date on it 6 months from today, and if you haven't touched that box in 6 months get rid of it without looking inside (a little trick I use myself from time to time).

2: Now it's time to put away the items you have decided to keep. As you store the items you intend to wear, keep them categorically together. Long sleeves should go with long sleeves, sweaters should go together and any season clothes should be in the same group. Placement is important -- store special occasion dressings in the back , while frequently worn items should be up front and between shoulder and knee height. Don't forget about the floor space under your short hanging items.

3: Next, consider ways to maximize the space you have. Go to your local store and grab a shoe bag that hangs on the back of your door. Use your floor space for bins that you'll store seasonal clothes in or trunks/dressers that will house your clothes. If you have a lot of hats, then look for some hat boxes to use. They're also good for storing small accessories and give your closet a nice, colorful appearance.

Once you have everything in place, congratulations! You have just organized your first closet. Now it's time to go tackle another. Make this a challenge every weekend, and you'll knock out organizing those closets in no time.