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Tackling Closet Organization
by Dani Jacobs
by Dani Jacobs
Spring has finally arrived which means three things to me:
My daughter, who, by the way, did not inherit my anal-retentive gene, brought the innateness of spring cleaning to my attention when SHE
came down to tell ME that it was time to clean out her closet. Knowing that she loves a mess as much as most seven-year-olds, I knew it
had to be pretty bad. So, up I went, armed with my organizing ammunition, and we spent two hours cleaning out her war zone. I came to
a couple of very important realizations during this process:
The most important part of spring cleaning is to have your supplies ready before you begin. This may seem elementary, but it’s so
frustrating to be cleaning and realize you don’t have enough bins or garbage bags. So, here are the necessary tools in your closet-
organizing arsenal.
First, you will need to buy some bins, baskets, and a shelf if you don’t already have at least one. Plan before you go, determine how
many containers you will need for the different toys, clothes, or accessories that will go in each box. Make sure to measure the size of the
shelves to ensure baskets will fit on them, and buy away.
Second, a label maker or labels are super helpful here as well. Each bin should be labeled as to what it contains. For smaller children who
can’t yet read, a great idea is to draw a picture or cut one from a magazine of the box’s contents, that way they can learn early how to put
things away in its proper place.
Third, garbage bags are crucial when spring cleaning. Designate them beforehand. I usually do one for donation, another for selling, and
another for trash. When you tell your child that they can sell their things and earn money to buy new things, or that they can give them to
their younger cousin or friend, they are often more apt to get in the purging spirit. Get rid of all your child hasn’t used in the past year. If
it has been that long, they won’t miss it. This is true for all closet cleaning experiences, although, I have to admit, ridiculous as I know it
is, I sometimes hang on to a skirt for years, just because I really liked it once.
Finally, bring dust cloths and a vacuum. Don’t put anything on a shelf or back on the floor until you have wiped it clean. An organized
closet is great, but a clean, organized one is even better.
So, that’s it: all the tools you need to wage war with disorganization. Have a great spring and happy cleaning!
Dani Jacobs is home interior expert and co-owner of Solace Design. She can be reached at
(612)210-9343 or through e-mail at Danielle@Solace-Design.com
- The beauty of the first flowers
- The warmth of the sunshine
- The dreaded spring cleaning
My daughter, who, by the way, did not inherit my anal-retentive gene, brought the innateness of spring cleaning to my attention when SHE
came down to tell ME that it was time to clean out her closet. Knowing that she loves a mess as much as most seven-year-olds, I knew it
had to be pretty bad. So, up I went, armed with my organizing ammunition, and we spent two hours cleaning out her war zone. I came to
a couple of very important realizations during this process:
- First, my daughter is very messy.
- Second, a clean closet is important to everyone.
- Third, when you have the proper tools, organizing a closet is a trillion times easier!
The most important part of spring cleaning is to have your supplies ready before you begin. This may seem elementary, but it’s so
frustrating to be cleaning and realize you don’t have enough bins or garbage bags. So, here are the necessary tools in your closet-
organizing arsenal.
First, you will need to buy some bins, baskets, and a shelf if you don’t already have at least one. Plan before you go, determine how
many containers you will need for the different toys, clothes, or accessories that will go in each box. Make sure to measure the size of the
shelves to ensure baskets will fit on them, and buy away.
Second, a label maker or labels are super helpful here as well. Each bin should be labeled as to what it contains. For smaller children who
can’t yet read, a great idea is to draw a picture or cut one from a magazine of the box’s contents, that way they can learn early how to put
things away in its proper place.
Third, garbage bags are crucial when spring cleaning. Designate them beforehand. I usually do one for donation, another for selling, and
another for trash. When you tell your child that they can sell their things and earn money to buy new things, or that they can give them to
their younger cousin or friend, they are often more apt to get in the purging spirit. Get rid of all your child hasn’t used in the past year. If
it has been that long, they won’t miss it. This is true for all closet cleaning experiences, although, I have to admit, ridiculous as I know it
is, I sometimes hang on to a skirt for years, just because I really liked it once.
Finally, bring dust cloths and a vacuum. Don’t put anything on a shelf or back on the floor until you have wiped it clean. An organized
closet is great, but a clean, organized one is even better.
So, that’s it: all the tools you need to wage war with disorganization. Have a great spring and happy cleaning!
Dani Jacobs is home interior expert and co-owner of Solace Design. She can be reached at
(612)210-9343 or through e-mail at Danielle@Solace-Design.com
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