Two years ago just before I moved provinces I tackled my closet BIG TIME giving away 108 pieces of clothing!!  There is nothing like the motivation of moving to put a fire under you to get stuff done.  When we moved into our new home I then blogged about my new closet and how I organized it.  That was a year and a half ago and since then my closet has continued to evolve and change in order to maximize space and the efficiency of how I use it.  You might remember this post I did singing the praises of thin hangers which I am still loving by the way.

In the last couple of weeks though I knew I needed to once again do a big tackle on my closet.  How did I know?  Because every time I walked into my closet I would immediately get annoyed and grumpy.  Clothes were everywhere and I was having trouble finding what I needed because there was just too much stuff stuffed in.  However I did what I know many people are guilty off.  I walked out and did nothing only to be annoyed all over again the next day.  I don’t have the time or I’ll do it later were just a few of the lines that repeated over and over in this big head of mine.

Then one day I went in and decided to do just ONE thing.  I wouldn’t worry about the whole closet at this point, but I could take 5 or 10 minutes to do just a little.  I’ll just hang up all the clothes not on hangers I decided and do the rest later.  Well you know what happened don’t you?  As I was hanging up those clothes I came across a few things I no longer wore or loved.  And then I came across a few more and then a few more after that.  Before I knew it stuff was flying out of that closet so fast.  I hit the zone.  There was no stopping me once I got going.  Toss, toss, toss (that’s my most recent purge pile above).  A half an hour later, I was done.  Not just that ONE thing that I had originally set out to do but my whole closet.  IN 30 MINUTES!

Seriously why do we do this to ourselves?

We put up with being annoyed day after day after day which, let’s be honest, plays out in so many other areas of our lives when we could easily nip the problem in the bud once and for all.  I know this, you know this but we still convince ourselves it’s going to take forever.  We convince ourselves we don’t have the time but with all the time we waste just thinking about doing it, we could have had it done.

So because I had no idea before I started that I’d be overhauling my entire closet I neglected to take a before picture.  However here are some after pictures though so you can see how it’s changed from when we first moved in.

Love my thin hangers!

This is my BelleDangles Jewelry Organizer.

I found this great basket on clearance and it currently holds my summer tank tops but that might still change.

This fantastic organizer on my top shelf is from a company called Neat Containers.  These are very cool for shoes, purses, wallets, scarves, slippers, bathing suits, etc.  They are plastic bins that slide in and out like drawers.  I like the way they use up vertical space that would otherwise be wasted.

And in case you missed this the first time I shared it, I’m going to share my 11 tips for parting with your clothes again.

Org Junkie’s Tips for Parting with Your Clothes

1.  If you haven’t worn something in a year then out it goes regardless of condition, price or size.  Why a year?  Because you cover every season in that period of time.  If you haven’t worn it during the year, you probably never will.

2.  If you have a piece of clothing that you wear but are annoyed with it every time you do, seriously stop it.

3.  If it’s waiting to be mended and it’s been waiting for a long time then enough is enough already.

4.  If you hate to iron and your ironing pile sits there totally neglected while you wear all your favorite clothing over and over again, why do you still have an ironing pile?

5.  I’m not opposed to keeping your “skinny” clothes (and I know we all do it) but for goodness sakes you don’t need to keep all of it.  Styles change, your tastes change, your body shape changes so chances are good that when you get back to that size you’re going to want new stuff anyway.

6.  If you absolutely love a shirt but never wear it because you have nothing to wear it with, well guess what, a mate isn’t going to magically appear in the night.  Follow the one year rule.

7.  Sentimental clothes that you aren’t wearing shouldn’t reside in your closet.   Either take a picture of it and preserve the memory or limit yourself to one tote of “clothes to show my kids so they can laugh their heads off at me someday”.

8.  Don’t hang onto something that is “just alright” because you don’t have something better yet to replace it.  Let it go now unless it means you go naked, that wouldn’t be right.

9.  You don’t have to do it all at once.  Try organizing in stages and be motivated by your success.  One day you could do shirts, the next day shorts, etc..

10.  Try everything on.  This one I can’t stress enough.  Do not hold something up and say oh this is so beautiful I’m going to keep it.  That’s too easy and what you might not remember is that, although it’s beautiful, the buttons gape at the front showing off your woman parts.  Nope we don’t want that now do we.  Get rid of it.

11.  You only have the space that you do.  Jamming your clothes into the closet and fighting with them every single day to find what you need won’t make your closet grow in the night.  It will only make you grumpy…every single day.  It’s not worth it.

************

And just in case you need a daily kick in the pants reminder, here is a copy for you to print out and stash away in your closet if you need to :)  Click on the link below for the pdf file.

11 Tips for Parting with Your Clothes

Hope that helps in your quest to do some serious clothes purging soon!!!

What organizing task have you been putting off for a long time? 

Org Junkie’s Tips for Parting with Your Clothes + Free Printable! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

1.  Using Towel Rods:

My girlfriend hung towel rods behind her bedroom door and then hung her scarves off them.   I love this idea and as you can see it also works great for jewelry too.

2.  In a Basket:

Depending on how many scarves you have you might be able to get away with just tossing them in a basket.  Simple!

3.  On a Hanger:

Using shower curtain rings (from the dollar store) on a hanger I was able to add my scarves in such a way that they take up next to no room at all in my closet.  Very simple and easy to do and as you can see I could really get many more on there.  This is probably my favorite solution of them all.

All I’ve done is loop them through the rings.

4.  With a Scarf Organizer:

This scarf organizer I purchased from Solutions (a Canadian organizing store) for $6.99 if I remember correctly.  Ikea sells a similar one as well although it is bigger and available for $9.99.  I blogged about it here.

As you can see it holds quite a few scarves but because they overlap one another it does get a little bulky.

So there you have it.  Scarves, scarves and more scarves.  Which solution is your favorite?

How do you organize your scarves?

4 Inexpensive Ways to Organize Scarves is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I am so thrilled to be sharing with Org Junkie’s savvy readers and one of my favorite organizing blogs! Many thanks and be sure to see what else is on my mind at Simply Savvy.

As a Professional Organizer I have the fun task of shopping for clients and purchasing organizing and designing solutions that meet their unique needs. While shopping with a loaded cart, I am often asked if I have a favorite product or one that I would recommend. I could go on and on about good organizing solutions—no one solution works for everyone. However, one of my favorite items to use is canvas grommet style bins—functional, flexible, and stylish.

They work great in a laundry room, under the sink, on a playroom shelf, and in any type of closet.

Here’s how I quickly transform a space using bins:

1- Start by removing all items so you can see what you have and purge what you don’t need.

2- Reorganize items according to purpose, category, or function.

3- Label each bin clearly for easy access.

Take a look at this transformed bathroom closet.

I chose the chocolate brown bins to go with the sleek look of the espresso cabinet. I grouped like items together; such as, hair products, accessories, toiletries and then utilized shallow bins for wash cloths.

This busy working mom can now access her items quickly and feel good while doing so! Now that’s Simply Savvy.

Are you spring cleaning? What areas are you struggling with? Share your thoughts, I love sharing back!

As a Professional Organizer and owner of Simply Savvy LLC, I work with clients to create organizing and design solutions that allow them to love their spaces. The Simply Savvy blog is where I get to share what inspires me in the hopes of helping others along the way — it’s all things organizing, design, or just things I find that are Simply Savvy!

Transforming a Closet with Canvas Bins is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Here is the before picture:

I’m not too concerned about the organization of it inside because these games get pulled in and out all the time.   My main concern was making room for all the games so they were all housed in ONE spot.  So out everything came and with the kids help we were able to create a donation pile that looked like this.

Not bad at all, I was very impressed with the kids.  We went through each game one by one and they provided me with a yes or a no.  Some decisions were easy since my youngest who is now 6 had outgrown many of them.  Others hadn’t been played with in a long while.

Finally everything fit back into this one space:

The two yellow bins hold smaller games and decks of cards to make them easier to find.

Last week I also had a chance to change out the clothes for the seasons and so my purge pile last week ended up being three big boxes that I dropped off at our local thrift store!

This week was all about going through the seasonal outerwear and Halloween costumes.  Anything outgrown or not worn during the past season went into the donation bag.  Only one bag but still happy to pass these things along to someone else.

What was in your purge pile this week?

Games Cupboard Organization & Other Purge Piles is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

before:

after:

Since then I decided I just had to redo my master bedroom closet with these new hangers.  I purchased a variety of different types of thin hangers in a variety of materials (velour, velvet and felt) from a variety of different stores and I can honestly say that I didn’t really notice a difference amongst any of them.  They all worked well.  I just love how my closet looks and functions now.  Love, love, love!!

Here’s a video peek of my lovely hangers and such a dorky picture of me..blah!

My system for arranging the clothes in my closet is by type rather than color.  All my sweaters together, casual tops together and then dressy ones.  Works for me!!

Have you tried the thin material covered hangers in your closet?

Related post:

My Organized Closet (although it looks a little different now)

Thin hangers can double your closet space – video is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Here is how it looked before:

(the bottom bag and box are thrift store donations)

Not too bad right?  But here’s the thing…I knew there were things in there that we haven’t used in the 9 months since we moved into this house.  Why was I taking up valuable storage space with items we no longer used or that we “might” use one day?  Because I had the room.  It’s as simple as that.  I could still find what I needed in there, it wasn’t too packed and it is a linen closet after all.  However just because a closet is called a “linen” closet doesn’t mean it has to be used for just linen.  Heck no!   Some of that space could be used for other things like craft storage, board games, puzzles, books, photo albums, panty overstock, etc.  I definitely knew I could use that space for something else.

It’s a matter of making a choice for the NOW rather than the ONE DAY!

I really don’t like the words “just in case”.   Just in case what?  I’d better have four sets of sheets for my bed just in case my washing machine breaks down for a month and I can no longer wash my bedding.  Seriously, a month?  In case of emergency, go to a friend’s house.  I’d better have 7 towels per person so they can change it out for a new one every day.  Umm, that’s a little much, after all we are clean when we dry ourselves off with them.  I’m just saying :)

If you have all the space in the world, then fly at it.  Have as many towels as your little heart desires.  BUT if you hear yourself complaining that your house is too small and you have no room for anything, take a look at not just a linen closet (as not every house has one) but any closet for that matter.  Walk yourself through this inner dialogue you have with yourself (we all do it!) and try to make some sense out of what you are justifying.  If the home you’ve got is it for awhile and upsizing just isn’t an option, then tough choices will probably need to be made.  Here’s the good news….once you feel the excitement of the purge and how creating some additional storage space frees up all sorts of frustration for you, you will be hooked.  Believe me, it’s an awesome feeling!  You’ll be absolutely itching to move on to something else!

So where was I?  (lol…got a little sidetracked there)

So I emptied my linen closet out and had a good ole purge fest.  It was FUN!!  Next I decided that I would use up the Spacemaker Storage Bags I purchased a couple of months ago to store some of my less frequently used items.   (psst: don’t miss my OpenSky deal of the week on these below!!)

I started with the special baby blankets that my kids each selected to keep.  In they went:

Now here’s where I decided to do something a little different.  Rather than stack my Spacemaker Bags one on top of the other (and have trouble accessing one without them all falling out on my head) I decided to line them straight up and down in order to make them super easy to pull out.

By this time I was getting real excited by the possibilities.  I could tell I was on to something…hahaha.

Someone asked about how to get these storage bags flat so they do stack.  Well I found the more flat they were going into the bag the more flat the bag would be with all the air sucked out.  Yet standing them up like this really eliminated the need for that to matter….yippee!

Check out how my top shelf turned out:

I used storage bags for guest pillows, out of season blankets, camping blankets and some extra curtains that I use to “create” a room for my daughter in the rec room when guests take over her room.  I was so so happy with the amount of space I saved.   Happy dance for sure!!

So if you remember here was my linen closet before:

And here it is after:

Whoot!  Two empty shelves!!   So excited about that although I’ve since added a proper donation station box to the bottom.  Everyone should have one!

A close up:

I”m still not sure how I’ll use all my new empty space but for now I’m just enjoying mulling over the possibilities :)

Here is my purge pile from the weekend (not just from my linen closet):

Got any questions about it, just let me know!

PS:  I love my Spacemaker Storage Bags and I’m so excited to offer them to you today as my OpenSky deal of the week.  This deal is available only for the next 24 hours (you’ll need to log in/sign up to see the deal)!!  Check it out! For more information about my OpenSky please see here.

My linen closet before and after is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

If you are new to 52 Weeks of Organizing, catch up here!

Week 20, whoot!  Are you hanging in there?

Today I decided I wanted to talk about the linen closet.  Whether your house has a big one or one that’s not so big, it’s often a neglected space.   Regardless of the size, is yours bursting at the seams?  This might be a good week to go through the PROCESS and tackle that area.

A couple of years ago I posted about how I organized my own linen closet and I encourage you to go on over and read how I followed the PROCESS myself.  I took my overstuffed closet from this:

to this:

Those pictures are from 2007 and in my old house.  Since then I have learned to downsize even more yet after looking at the state of my new linen closet I think it’s time for another overhaul.  I’ll have to do that this week also.

I think the majority of people have just way too many sets of sheets and towels.  The general rule I write about in my book, Clutter Rehab, is two sets of sheets and towels per person.  One set of sheets for the bed and one towel per person for the towel bar.  Then one for spare.  You may also want one set of each for guests along with a few blankets.  I find Space Bags to be especially convenient in the off season to help create additional space.

Remember to purge until it fits!

With some paring down and a little creativity perhaps you can use the extra storage space you uncover for other things looking for a home…craft supplies, a donation station, kid’s clothes to grow into, extra pantry space, etc.

I just have to show you what my sister did with her linen closet.  Since she lives in a small home with no garage or basement space she needed somewhere for her cat’s litter box where her girls couldn’t get into it.  So she moved her linen into her bedroom closet, added a animal door to the bottom of the closet and voila, problem solved.  Now that’s thinking outside the box!

Does your linen closet need an overhaul?

Note: most animal shelters would be more than happy to take your old linen off your hands to use for the animals :)

Please feel free to share your organizing journey and encourage one another in the comments. You are also invited to link up to the linky below with any posts related to your 52 weeks of organizing participation or to any post of an organizing nature that you feel will inspire and encourage others in their quest to get organized. Please remember to link back to here though so we can reach out to as many people as possible in need of some inspiration.

One other thing to consider: by including your link below you, you are giving me permission to use parts of your post including pictures as a spotlight in future 52 Weeks of Organizing posts. Proper credit and links will of course be provided. If you are not okay with this please do not link up. Thanks!

52 Weeks: #20 Take Back Your Linen Closet is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Remember last week when I mentioned I organized my entryway closet? Here’s a refresher:

Before:

After:

In that post, I had mentioned a product that I used that has changed my life.  Only one of you guessed that it was my hangers!  Yep something as simple as a hanger has made life so much easier for me, believe it!

Now I must be a little isolated here where I live because seriously I’ve never heard of the Joy Mangano Huggable Hanger until I received them to review. Up until now I’ve never really found a hanger that I love.  I’ve never been a fan of wooden hangers and I know Professional Organizers are gasping at me everywhere but I’ve always felt they were ugly and because they bow out they take up way too much space in a closet.  So I’ve been using plastic hangers which are fine except for the annoying habit coats have of falling off them.  Drives me crazy!  These Huggable Hangers are made of velvet-flocked material which means my coats no longer slide off…yipee!  Not only that but because they are thinner they allow you to fit more into a space.  Oh and as a bonus they prevent those horrible shoulder bumps as well….blech.

These were my coats before.  Don’t even ask me how many times I’ve picked up that one there in the middle with the red trim off the floor.  Seriously, what a waste of time!

Now I don’t have that problem anymore and I’m a changed woman!!  Coats stay put!

Love, love, love!

Now some other things going on in my closet to keep me organized are my bins on top which hold my husband’s ball caps, summer hats, bags, etc.  I still need to label them.  I blogged about where I purchased them here.

And then tucked behind the coats on the back wall I’ve hung up a four pocket organizer using a command hook.  Here I’ve got some extra supplies for the vehicle (tissues, wipes, etc) that are quick and easy to grab and go.

And then beside that I’ve got my shoe organizer that holds quite a number of shoes.

Finally the basket on the cubby shelf is home for all my Bella’s dog supplies.

Ahh isn’t she sweet :)

So there you have it my small but organized entryway and front door closet.

Giveaway:

Would you like to win a 24 pack of Huggable Hangers for yourself?  Simply leave a comment on this post prior to Tuesday, May 10th at 2:00 pm EST.  That’s it!

Good luck!!

My entryway and a Huggable Hangers giveaway! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

The great thing about a closet is that you can shut the door- so theoretically it’s the last place most people think to clean.  But, I’ve learned that an organized closet leads to a more organized home.  I NEED to have clean closets and here’s why.

1) A Centipede lives in my house

There is no other explanation for how 4 people can produce the pile of shoes that we produce near the front door if I do not have a readily available space in our front hall closet for shoe storage.  It only takes a few minutes to clear out a space for a cheap shoe organizer, and then the whole family can put their shoes AWAY.

2) I prefer laundry to be my part time job rather than my full time job

Crammed closets mean crinkly clothes, and a closet without spare hangers and a designated spot for “lightly worn” clothing means at the end of the day everything tends to end up in the laundry, even if it isn’t dirty.  I do enough laundry as it is- so I do everything in my power to ensure that the bedroom closets are organized enough to allow clean clothes to stay clean, and the laundry baskets to stay empty (at least for a minute)!

3) A clean floor = a clean room

As far as I’m concerned, if I can see the floor and it’s not covered in crumbs, the room is clean.  But with a young kids, the only way I can get all of the toys off of the floor, and the crumbs swept up is to have room to actually put things away. I’m a big fan of baskets, but I like baskets even more when I can fill them up and put them in the closet.  Out of sight, out of mind!

4) I HATE going to the store in the rain

It never fails, if I’m in a time crunch or it’s pouring rain, I run out of something that I need to make dinner that night.  Dragging 2 kids out into the rain just to get spaghetti sauce? Forget it!

We’ll have something else instead. But what if it’s the last ingredient for tonight’s birthday cupcakes? If the pantry is a mess, you have no idea what is or isn’t hiding on the top shelf, and you probably won’t realize you don’t have something until the clouds roll in and the sky opens up.

5) I do not live in a museum

I love a good organizing project, and I love to clean out closets, but I have a life too. Sometimes I’m just too tired at the end of the day to be in charge of clutter control.  So I am forever thankful for a closet with an empty shelf to stash stuff and then shut the door in a hurry if company is dropping by unexpectedly.

Clean closets won’t solve all of the world’s problems, but they’re a great place to start if you’re looking for a quick organizational fix in your home.

Alexis Anne is a busy wife and mother of two energetic little girls.  When she’s not cleaning closets, she’s blogging about organization and design inspiration for the home at her blog Clean, Smart, Simple Style.

How an Organized Closet Leads to an Organized Home is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

There are hundreds, possibly thousands of ways you can customize a closet for better organization and use of storage space. Closet accessories, closet organizers and custom closet systems are just a few, but what do you do about those tricky closet corners?  This is a problem for many households, so we’ve put together a list of easy do-it-yourself solutions to maximize space in closet corners.

Fix Overlapping Closet Rods

Overlapping hanging rods in closets create a square shaped space in the corner where nothing fits and it’s impossible to see or access your clothes.

For a quick fix, shorten one of the closet rods by at least 24” and then reinforce the hanging rod with a closet support bracket if needed.  One closet rod will stop short of the adjacent wall, creating not only more hanging space but also making it easier to see and access clothes on both sides.

Closet Rod Height Variation

For further closet corner accessibility, adjust the closet rod heights when shortening closet rods or fixing overlapping poles.  When closet rods of the same height meet in the corner of a closet, although functional from a storage standpoint, it’s challenging to access clothes or hangers that are located towards the far corner.

In this example, one wall has only a single long hanging closet rod at 70″ high; while the adjoining wall includes a double hanging section where the closet rods are 80-84” high and 38-42” high.

Add Corner Shelving

Much like kitchen cabinetry, some shelving units are made specifically for corner spaces.  They can be “L” shaped or angled; either configuration can maximize storage in closet corners by adding space for folded clothing, boxes, shoes and linens. This is a great solution for those who have more shelving items than hanging clothes or if the closet dimensions present design challenges to incorporate storage goals.

Proper Spacing of Closet Organizers

If you want to maximize space throughout your entire closet with closet organizers, proper closet section spacing should be utilized in all corners.

A general rule of thumb is to leave 12″ of empty wall space between closet sections in a corner. (24” from the adjacent wall to a closet section… assuming shelving is 12” deep.) This allows full access to clothing hung in the corner space.

In this example, the left wall includes a shelving section and stops short 24” from the corner.  The adjoining wall can then accommodate the hanging sections beginning from the corner.   Hanging clothes in the corner are accessible by the 12” spacing between the adjacent sections.

If possible, avoid placing hanging sections on both sides of the corner, but if you must, vary the heights of the adjacent closet rods; this will create a design that allows for better garment accessibility.

Whether you opt for simple closet rod adjustments or DIY closet organizers, either route you choose will result in added space and less clutter!

Tabitha Kokoska has years of experience in the closet organizer and design industries. As Creative Director for ClosetPages.com, she manages the website’s closet organizers blog and contributes to the monthly newsletter.

How to Maximize Storage Space in Closet Corners is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie