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Cleaning out the closet clutter

 

Are you afraid to open the closet door, for fear of what might come tumbling out? Are you sure that something you once liked is in there, somewhere, struggling for air beneath the piles and piles of gift bags, old coats, blankets, holiday decorations, tote bags, old diaper bags, memorabilia and too-small kids' clothes? I was there a few days ago until I took the leap and tackled the mess.

I confess that I did not take this step out of some instinctive maternal need to be organized. I did it because we are preparing to have the carpets in our home replaced with laminate floors (yippee!), and the contractor would not have been able to reach the floors. Yes, necessity made me do it, but I feel so much better now that I did. In fact, I'm considering approaching other cluttered parts of my home in much the same fashion. Here are the tactics that worked best for me:

1. Plastic totes - They are cheap and sturdy. You can get them at Target or Wal-Mart, and they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Professional organizers suggest clear totes so you can see what is in them. Honestly, though, the big blue or gray ones are cheap, and I can label them with a permanent marker. Don't put everything in the totes, just the things that need to stay in the closet and that you don't use often, such as holiday candles that would melt in the garage. I have a Halloween tote, a Holiday candle tote, a wedding memorabilia tote, a gift bag tote, and a wrapping paper tote. 

2. Wrapping paper organizers - You can buy the fancy wrapping paper organizers at The Container Store or some discount stores like Wal-Mart and Target, but I find the totes work fine. You can get an under the bed tote for the rolls of paper and a regular 18 gallon tote for the bags, depending on how many you have. My goal this year is to reuse all of the bags and paper in my collection rather than buying any new wrapping items. Sorry, Hallmark.

3. Children's clothing containers - Giant Ziploc Bags or plastic totes with locking lids. I keep 2 giant Ziploc bags in each child's closet. When I buy new clothes, I remove the items that no longer fit and put them in the giant bags in the closet. I keep the bag on a hanger for easy access. One bag is for donating or discarding, and one bag is for keeping. I plan someday to make quilts out of the children's clothes, so I'm keeping the items with really cute patterns or special memories. You may plan on having more children, so you might keep some items for the next child to grow into. When the bags are full, I zip them up and move them to the garage. The plastic of the bags is so thick that no yucky garage creepy crawlies can get in. Just don't forget to label which bag is for keeps. They all look the same after a while. Plastic totes with locking lids would work just as well as the bags, and you could keep them on the floor of the closets and just toss the items in as you go. You could use cardboard boxes, but you might not want to put them in the garage if your garage is anything like mine (i.e. creepy crawlies). 

4. Toss (some of) it out - No, you're not going to tape back together the gift bags of years past. Even if you can, you probably shouldn't fit into that prom dress again. The rule of organizers is that if you haven't touched it in a year, get rid of it. I allow exceptions to this rule, like the toys and games from our own childhoods that we are saving for our children to play with when they get older. Legos and Lincoln Logs never go out of style, and the tie-dye kit we've been saving will be fun in a few years. I don't feel guilty for keeping these things, even though they clutter the closets a bit. They represent my optimism and excitement for the future. 

5. Donate - Every six months or so, you can load up the SUV with bags/boxes of clothes and items you don't use and visit the local Goodwill or Assistance Ministries Thrift Store. They are always happy to take donations, and they can give you a tax receipt so you can claim the donation on your income taxes. In my community, Purple Heart and Aspiring Youth drive through neighborhoods every few months and pick up donations from doorsteps. They call a week in advance to ask if you have anything to donate, and then they remind you a day or two before. They also leave a tax receipt on your door. All you have to do is leave your boxes or bags outside labeled for pickup.