Tired of digging through a pile of shoes to find the belt that fell to the bottom of your closet? It’s time to get serious about getting organized. If you’ve been putting off getting your master closet in order because you think it’s too expensive, time-consuming, or you just don’t want to get rid of stuff – worry no more. Here are three of the top myths about closet organizing, busted:
Myth 1: Organizing is Expensive
It’s true: You can go overboard at a big box store and spend an entire paycheck on containers and fancy hangers. But you don’t have to. In fact, many of the things you need to get organized are likely right under your nose already. And custom fit closets are more affordable than you might think. Combine shelving and cubbies with shower organizers that can hang belts or hold shoe polish and reuse shoeboxes to organize shapewear and socks.
Myth 2: You Can Only Keep Things that Bring Joy
There have been a lot of trends in closet organizing, including a popular theory that you should only hold on to possessions that spark joy in your life. If this method works for you, great! But there are more ways to organize your storage spaces.
It’s simply untrue that you shouldn’t hold onto practical items that bring no joy but make your life easier. That extra cat litter box that comes in handy when you’re on vacation may not make you happy, but it sure does keep your house cleaner. Your backup tennis shoes may be ugly, but they are useful when your favorite pair are caked in mud. Don’t get overwhelmed by the notion that you’re going to have to throw out anything less than joyful – you could get so paralyzed that you never get started.
Myth 3: Getting Organized is Too Time Consuming
The sight of an overflowing hall closet is enough to stop anyone from trying to get started. What feels like a 5-hour project is just not the way you want to spend your Saturday. The reality is that closet organizing can be done in stages, so you don’t have to block off huge amounts of time. Create a list of every step you need to accomplish and stick to it. For example:
Step 1: Clean up top shelf and put gloves, hats, and scarves in separate wicker baskets.
Step 2: Take out all coats and donate the ones you haven’t worn this year. Rehang coats on wooden hangers.
Step 3: Put out-of-season shoes in boxes and stack/label them at the bottom.
Step 4: Hang hooks for backpacks next to the closet to free up space inside.
Organizing your closet gets a lot easier when you stop believing the hype about how scary it is. You don’t have to do it all at once, spend a fortune, or throw out practical items. Start rethinking how you get your closets in order, and you may even enjoy the process!
