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10. So Many Clothes, but Nothing to Wear!

THE PROBLEM

With clothes there are a variety of problems that might prevent you from keeping them organized. I find most people say space is an issue. Either the closet space is too small, or the dressers are too small. I have even worked with people who have no dressers in their bedroom. Then there’s the chore of putting summer and winter clothes away when they are out of season. Add children’s clothes into the mix and you’ve got the problems of random growth spurts, hand-me-downs, and clothes they simply won’t wear. And your husband...well, hopefully he’s someone who can take care of his own clothes. If not, treat him like one of the children when it comes to organizing solutions.

THE STORY

I recently read a newspaper article about the rising need for junk dealers—the people who come to your house and haul out the big items you want to get rid of but can’t throw in the trash. A woman called one company because she literally had clothes piled from floor to ceiling in every room. The only place she had to sit was a portion of her living room sofa! She finally called for help because she didn’t have anywhere to live in her house. I hope that your clothes are not taking over your home, but if they are on their way, let’s talk about some solutions.

Having Trouble Deciding?

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF NOT ABLE TO PART WITH CERTAIN CLOTHES, think about your goal or motivation for getting organized. Think practically. There are so many charities that take clothing. Why are clothes sitting in your drawers or hanging in your closets if you don’t wear them? Ask yourself, “Am I ever going to wear this again?” Honestly answer that question and put it in the right pile.

In giving advice about simplifying your wardrobe, Sarah Ban Breathnach poses this question in her book Simple Abundance, “What if everything hanging in your closet were something you loved—something that made you look beautiful or made you feel wonderful when you put it on? Think of how good you would feel every day.”

THE SOLUTION

The best solution to the clothing problem is for you and your husband to set a good example for your children. Start by organizing your own clothes, first.

Absolute of Organizing: Keep purging simple with Yes and No piles.

Organize Mom and Dad’s Clothes First

  1. Gather all of your clothes on your bed. This includes emptying your dresser and bringing in any plastic bins from the attic. Now you can use the space around your bed for stacking or making piles. Put a clean sheet on the floor so your clothes won’t get lint on them. I suggest you start with folded clothes, then deal with the hanging clothes.
  2. Make two piles—“Yes, I Wear It” and “No, I Don’t Wear It.” Go through every piece of clothing on your bed and make a quick decision.
  3. Now go through this process of making Yes and No piles with all of your hanging clothes and with your shoes.
  4. Once you have decided what you’re not keeping, bag it or box it up and get it out of your bedroom. Put it in a place in your house where you will remember to call to have it picked up, or put it in your car so you will remember to drop it off at a clothing collection center.
  5. Now you are left with all the clothes that make you look great and/or feel wonderful! It’s time to break down the categories even further. You can make nice folded piles back on your bed. Here are some possible clothing categories:
  6. Take a look at the piles and see if you have way too much of one category. Ask yourself, “Do I really need all these?” If not, purge some more.
  7. Decide whether you can keep all of these clothes in your current dresser and/or closet. If not, put the out-of-season clothes in a plastic bin with a lid. Label the bin and find a storage area where it will fit.
  8. If you need to update your bedroom with more appropriate clothing storage, see Options For Storing Clothes.
  9. To reward yourself after all this hard work, put on a newly-discovered outfit and go out. Just don’t go shopping for clothes!

Absolute of Organizing: Organize from big to small.

Organize Your Children’s Clothes

  1. Start with the oldest child’s clothes because they typically don’t have any hand-me-downs. Have the child with you to try things on or at least hold them up to see if they still fit.
  2. Bring all the clothes into the child’s bedroom if you have the clothes stored in other places. Take the clothes and shoes out of the drawers, bins or closets and begin making these piles:
  3. Put the trash pile in the trash. Bag or box up the hand-me-downs and move them to the other child’s room. If they fit now, put them in with current clothing. If they will fit later, label the box or bin with the size and season of clothes and tuck it in the closet. Next take the donations and move them to your car for delivery later.
  4. Take the Yes pile and separate these into smaller piles such as:
  5. Now look at the dresser and closet and decide if all the clothes will fit. Make a decision about whether you need a larger dresser, or a closet organizing system. Look at the number of shoes and decide where they will be kept as well.

OPTIONS FOR STORING CLOTHES

Dresser. My first option is always a dresser. If you need a new one and have limited funds, second-hand shops are great. You can buy a dresser there and paint it whatever color you want. If you can afford it, buy a good quality dresser that you or your children can use for many years. It’s a worthwhile investment.

Basic closet. If you decide to store all the clothes in the closet, first see if you can use what you have, which is typically a hanging bar and a shelf. If you need more hanging space, purchase a double hanging bar, which hangs from the upper bar and increases your hanging capacity by 50 to 100 percent depending on how wide it is. For the children, you could always hang out-of-season clothes up top and current clothing on the bottom bar.

Custom-made closet. There are a number of options for closet organizers. You can purchase anything from a $20 rack system at a home store to custom-made shelving from companies that specialize in closets only. Before you spend too much on a custom closet, remember that children’s clothing sizes change quickly, so the configuration should be flexible enough to accommodate larger clothing. Also, look at what you have to put into the closet first (i.e., the stacks you just made) to determine what you need to store them. If you only need one simple shelf, consider putting it up yourself to save time and money. Don’t make the common mistake of letting someone else design the closet while you try to make your clothes fit in.

Shoe Racks. Look at the number of shoes you have and find a floor rack or hanging rack that will work. You can purchase back-of-door hanging racks, wide floor racks, shoe carousels, under-the-bed rolling bins or fabric shoe racks that hang in the closet.

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Short shoe racks work well inside a closet.

WHEN TO DO THE CLOTHES CLEAN OUT

Obviously this is a project that does not happen weekly or even monthly. Children don’t grow at the same time every year so you need to be flexible. Here are some suggested times of the year to clean out your clothes:

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When closet space is tight, under-the-bed containers keep shoes dust free and easy to reach.