Closet Organizing, Before, During and After
It’s wonderful to not be continually moving, but the problem with living in a home for more than five years is the amount of stuff accumulated (and the hidden dust bunnies). Each time you move you purge and then unfortunately purge again when you unpack (the why did I bring that?). We have been in our home for nearly 17 years. And although, I routinely sort, donate and discard it has not made enough of a dent in our master bedroom closet.
The before
The motivation: There are several reasons why I must reorganize the closet in our master bedroom:
1) When George and I purchased our home, it was a major fixer (upper). We had the opportunity to have it personalized to our taste and style and added cedar lining to our master bedroom closet. But the problem with cedar is that it needs to be sanded down every now and again or it is not effective in repelling moths.
2) When we moved, my husband gallantly allowed me 75% of the room in our closet. But, I have been selfishly taking up valuable space for garments which I don’t wear or don’t fit. George’s everyday and golf clothes are in the guest closet, so most mornings he has to walk down the hall to get changed. I think if he and I were organized, our bedroom closet would contain only clothes which fit and those we have worn in the last twelve months. For the record, I donate my clothes, I don’t have a problem with that, but George can be a collector, I think he has ten pairs of tennis shoes, so he will have do his part of purging as well.
3) When moving, have you ever pulled something out of its place and the hidden dust and dirt sickened you? Our closet must be cleaned, I can’t bear to imagine the dust and who knows what else is lurking there…
I don’t want to spend a fortune on baskets and bins. One space saving suggestion is to only use one type of hanger. Personally I prefer quality plastic hangers and George gets those for me in LA’s garment district. My goal is to keep in our bedroom closet only what George and I typically wear. The navy blue Chanel bag which I last used more than a decade ago will be banished to the guest closet; same thing with his tux.
I am assuming that this will take an entire day. I plan to do this when the cleaning lady is here and she can help empty the closet, then the handyman can sand, cleaning lady can clean and I can sort and put away. When will this take place? Since the holidays are over and both our daughters are back at college, I am running out of excuses. Stay tuned.
Related Posts: Top Ten organizing tips for 2011
Twelve tips to holding a successful garage sale
Selling your Los Angeles home, clean out the closet
Declutter your Los Angeles home
Tweet
The before
The motivation: There are several reasons why I must reorganize the closet in our master bedroom:
1) When George and I purchased our home, it was a major fixer (upper). We had the opportunity to have it personalized to our taste and style and added cedar lining to our master bedroom closet. But the problem with cedar is that it needs to be sanded down every now and again or it is not effective in repelling moths.
2) When we moved, my husband gallantly allowed me 75% of the room in our closet. But, I have been selfishly taking up valuable space for garments which I don’t wear or don’t fit. George’s everyday and golf clothes are in the guest closet, so most mornings he has to walk down the hall to get changed. I think if he and I were organized, our bedroom closet would contain only clothes which fit and those we have worn in the last twelve months. For the record, I donate my clothes, I don’t have a problem with that, but George can be a collector, I think he has ten pairs of tennis shoes, so he will have do his part of purging as well.
3) When moving, have you ever pulled something out of its place and the hidden dust and dirt sickened you? Our closet must be cleaned, I can’t bear to imagine the dust and who knows what else is lurking there…
I don’t want to spend a fortune on baskets and bins. One space saving suggestion is to only use one type of hanger. Personally I prefer quality plastic hangers and George gets those for me in LA’s garment district. My goal is to keep in our bedroom closet only what George and I typically wear. The navy blue Chanel bag which I last used more than a decade ago will be banished to the guest closet; same thing with his tux.
I am assuming that this will take an entire day. I plan to do this when the cleaning lady is here and she can help empty the closet, then the handyman can sand, cleaning lady can clean and I can sort and put away. When will this take place? Since the holidays are over and both our daughters are back at college, I am running out of excuses. Stay tuned.
Related Posts: Top Ten organizing tips for 2011
Twelve tips to holding a successful garage sale
Selling your Los Angeles home, clean out the closet
Declutter your Los Angeles home
Tweet
Posted by Phyllis Harb at 1/22/2011 3:00 AM 
Categories: Homeowner's Benefits and Woes, Clutter Buster
Tags: how and why to organizing your closet
Categories: Homeowner's Benefits and Woes, Clutter Buster
Tags: how and why to organizing your closet
Nice post. Learning about Feng Shui is another way to help organize your closets space and your life!
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Regarding my comment above, here is a post to learn more about Feng Shui:
http://blog.findmemovers.com/clutter-free-with-feng-shui/
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I agree that it is wonderful to not be constantly moving (as in college or when recently married). However, as our son is graduating from high school this spring, my wife and I are planning to put our house on the market. There are many reasons for us making such a decision with the primary reason being we simply don’t need this big of house! When we were first married we lived in a condominium and it wasn't until we moved into our house that I began to appreciate having someone else complete all of the outside lawn, plant, and building maintenance.
We have lived in our house for 14 wonderful years and I have established many beautiful flowerbeds. However, as a result, I have made myself a “prisoner” of my lawn as I have created a “monster” which requires constant attention. I love gardening and yard work, but the older I get, the more I “dream” about not having to deal with it anymore! Additionally, I constantly wonder what I did with all of the “free time” I had when we lived in our condominium! When I look back at all the time I simply squandered, I realize I could have used the time so much more wisely.
Although we’re anxious to move into a place where our lives are more manageable, at the same time, we are both in a constant state of “dread” when we think about all of the work it will take to move! Additionally, as you noted, the absolute worst part of moving is the “final cleanup”. When you literally “pick up your life” and move, you always reach that point in the “final push” when the only thing remaining are drawers with broken pencils, paper clips, safety pins, rubber bands, thumb tacks, etc. and there is always at least one box in the garage which is full of old paint, shellac, and other hazardous waste which simply cannot be thrown away but must be taken to a “recycling event”.
I’m sure we’ll survive the ordeal, but while there are so many reasons to look forward to the move, there are just as many reasons to dread the entire endeavor! The best part is, I have a 29-year old son who is constantly “on the move”. For example, in June/July 2006, I helped him move four separate times, including placing items in a storage unit and then retrieving them! So, even though my wife and I may eventually become settled in a smaller home which suits our lifestyle, I’ll be able to look forward to helping my older son (and eventually our younger son) move their belongings once or twice a year for the next five to ten years! Thanks!
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