Quick Quarantine Closet Refresh
Is Your Closet Feeling The Effects
Of The Coronavirus Too?
I don’t know about you, but with all this staying at home over the last few months, I have been basically throwing on clothes and then tossing them off again at the end of the day. As a result, my closet was messy, disorganized, uninspiring, and I’ll admit it…..dirty! I decided to do a quick refresh to get this essential space sorted and spruced up.
When we professionally organize a client’s closet, we invariably take everything out and start with a blank slate. We also categorize their wardrobe, edit everything they no longer need or love and add organizing products, like matching hangers, bins and baskets. Because my closet needed a refresh, rather an overhaul, I cut a few corners to save time and energy but yield the same result.
Not Sure If Your Closet Could Use A Refresh?
To decide, ask yourself these questions:
Are clothes starting to pile up on the floor?
Was your closet color coded but now resembles a thundercloud rather than a rainbow?
Have some of your clothes fallen into disrepair? (This was really true in my closet from wearing that same pair of comfy leggings day after day.)
Has it been a year since you have vacuumed all the nooks and crannies of your closet? (Guilty!)
Did you previously have zones set up in your closet, but they have mostly morphed together?
Do you have organizing products already but might just need to add a few things or shift things around?
If you answered yes to even a few of these questions, your closet could greatly benefit from a refresh. In just an hour or two, you can take your closet from dingy and uninspired to clean and organized – and who knows, you might even be more inspired to branch out and rethink wearing those sweatpants on repeat!
6 Steps To Quickly Organize Your Closet:
STEP 1 - work in sections
Rather than taking everything out, break your closet into sections such as shirts, dresses, shoes, shelves with stacked clothing, and bins or baskets with smaller items. Work clockwise, starting at the entrance so you immediately see your results.
STEP 2 - clean as you go
Keep your vacuum with a horsehair brush attachment at the ready to vacuum all shelves, the floor and all hard to reach corners that collect dust and pet hair. Don’t forget the top shelf of your closet!
STEP 3 - categorize and color code
Follow the ROYGBIV key or develop your own, based on your preference. Put all like items together. Grouping jeans and sorting from light to dark makes your closet look visually interesting and easier to find things.
STEP 4 - edit
As you work your way through your wardrobe, put aside items in the following categories: donate, sell, repair / launder, trash. Make quick decisions and don’t get hung up on this part. See tips below for more on editing.
STEP 5 - add organizing products
I added 4 baskets from The Container Store to contain smaller items and added a couple at the top for seasonal clothing. The white baskets are from IKEA.
STEP 6 - style
Make sure all clothing is hanging properly on hangers, group like hangers together (I like to have pants on wood and use velvet for the rest), neatly file fold clothes in baskets.
Editing Tips + Local Resources
Donate: clothing that is not comfortable or does not fit properly (we all have a new definition of comfort now, am I right?!), pieces that have seen better days (I got real with myself and tossed several things that I was wearing on repeat that had holes or were too faded), items that you no longer like or have gone out of style. My favorite donation places for clothing are Hand Me Up Thrifts in Raleigh, NC and Turning Point in Charlotte, NC
Sell: Try your hand at Poshmark if you would like to make a few bucks on your discarded clothing. You can checkout our shop here, where we donate a percentage of each sale to charity. Recommended consignment stores in Charlotte is Nouveaux and Revolver in Raleigh, NC.
Repair or Launder: that linen shirt that you were too tired to wash and iron or take to the cleaners, sweaters with pills - I just bought this sweater shaver to get my sweaters in shape for fall : )
Trash: dry-cleaning bags and tags, metal hangers, price tags, shopping bags and any other trash that has found its way into your closet.
That’s all there is to it! I would love to see your before and after photos – tag me on Instagram @simplifystudio or use the hashtag #simplifystudio, so I can repost your pics and inspire others to organize their closet as well!
As always, if your closet (or any space in your home) feels too overwhelming to tackle on your own, the Simplify Studio teams in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina are here to support. Just click here to set up your free virtual consultation!