When you move into a new place and you’re hanging your clothes up for the first time, appreciate that it will never be this clean again. The rest of your time there will be spent trying to tame the wild lion that is your closet. Following these tips will hopefully give you the upper hand in the long run.
Attack Plan
Before you start this lion fight, you need a plan of attack. That means knowing where everything is supposed to go. Few things look as pathetic as a man aimlessly walking around his room not knowing what to do with the pants in his right hand and the pull over in his left. If you live with a significant other, you may want to ask permission before you start moving large amounts of their clothes around. Otherwise, dive right in.
When facing a colossal mess, you should start by completely removing everything inside. Not only does it give you a chance to start over, it gives you a chance to see if any vacuuming or dusting needs to be done.
Culling the Herd
When you’re putting things back you’ll see shirts you haven’t worn in a while…or ever. That green and yellow flannel looked bad when you bought it, and it isn’t getting better. If you have items in good condition and don’t want them, donate them. If it’s really that bad just throw it away. There’s an easy trick if you can’t decide to keep it or not. Turn the hangers around so the open side is facing you. Over time when you put clothes back in, the items you never take out will still be facing the opposite way. Mark your calendar for six months later to revisit your closet and see what you haven’t worn. You’re closet shouldn’t be a museum of old cloth.
Organizing
A lot of people talk about color coordinating, but be honest- you’re not going to do that. There’s a much simpler way and all it takes is hanging your jeans with jeans, shirts with shirts, and button ups with button ups. It gives your closet a nice flow and minimizes any chance you have of getting lost. When you’ve done your first load of laundry it’s up to you to be vigilant and stay organized!
Storage
Not everything can be hung, just a fact of life. Plastic containers are a great way to store clothes, bed sheets, and towels. In the summer, make some room on the rod by storing your sweaters, jackets, and other winter clothes in a large bin. They can easily fit in a storage unit or on the floor of your closet. Now there’s no chance they’ll get in the way when there’s no chance you’ll wear it.
Shoes
Some guys have a lot of shoes, some guys have between one and three pairs. If you have a lot it’s best to get a shoe rack. Do anything but line them up on the floor, they take up too much room for that. If you only have a couple pairs, a small shoe organizer does the trick.
Advice To Live By
If you forget everything you’ve just read remember one thing: do not let one shirt on the floor multiply into a dog pile of clothes.