This week I’m continuing my Get Organized series with a get organized checklist for your bedroom closet. Next week we’ll tackle the bedroom, but the bedroom closet is a big enough job on its own so we’re handling it separately.
Step 1 – Purge
I know – A lot of my get organized checklists start with this step. That’s because you don’t want to waste time organizing things you don’t need or want to keep!
If you haven’t worn something in the past year and can’t think of when or where you would wear it in the next 6 months, get rid of it. If an item doesn’t fit, donate it or sell it.
Make a separate pile for items that need to be repaired. As soon as you are done organizing your closet, make it your top priority to get them fixed.
Step 2 – Empty the Closet
I know this seems counter productive. You want everything put AWAY, why would you take it all OUT?
The best way to organize any space is to assess the space you have available and the items you need to store there so you can make the space work for you. You can’t do that if your space is stuffed full of your things.
Go ahead and wipe down all the shelves and vacuum the entire closet too once it’s empty. Might as well start with a squeaky clean closet when you start putting your things back.
Step 3 – Sort
Now it’s time to look at what you’re going to store in your closet. Sort all the items into groups.
- Shoes
- Handbags
- Scarves/Belts
- Sweaters
- Dresses
- Shirts
- Pants
- Jeans
As you sort your items, fold or place them on hangars so you can get a good visual cue as to how much space they will take up in the closet.
Step 4 – Put Everything Back In
Most closet organizing systems will send you to the store for storage supplies before you put everything back in your closet. When you’re single, that might work. For those of us with spouses and families to take care of, it’s not practical.
Unless you miraculously have the rest of your day free to shop for closet supplies, get everything back in the closet now. Once you have everything in, nicely arranged and properly hung or folded, the areas that need special solutions will be obvious.
Step 5 – Make a List of Items Needed
With everything back in your closet, you’ll quickly realize problem areas. Maybe you have nowhere to hang your belts and scarves. Or perhaps you don’t have enough shelf space to hold all of your folded clothes.
Figure out which areas aren’t working and make a list of what you’ll need to make them work. Do you need a better shoe rack? Hanging storage? More hangars? Write it all down and then search your house for items you can use.
If you don’t find enough of the right storage solutions at home, order what you need or add it to your shopping list so you can pick them up next time you’re out running errands.
Check out some of my favorite closet solutions:
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Download the Get Organized Checklist for Your Bedroom Closet
Use the printable checklist to help you organize bedroom closet. Answer the questions in the “Purge” section to decide which items to discard or sell and set aside the items that need to be repaired. Then, follow the remaining steps and use the “Items Needed” section to keep track of storage solutions you’ll need to locate at home or purchase in order to finish organizing your closet.
Click the image below to print or download your checklist.
Get Organized Checklist for Your Bedroom Closet
If you are just stumbling upon this series, check out the other get organized checklists. Each week I’ll be sharing a new checklist for another area in your home so check back if you want to get your entire home organized this year.