FINISH YOUR LAUNDRY
Fold clothes when they emerge from the dryer, iron them while they’re still slightly damp, and take clothing up to the bedroom if you’re going there anyway. If your clothes are wrinkled when you remove them from the dryer, use the appropriate hanger from the closet but hang the garment out to air and “de-wrinkle.” Staying on top of laundry is much easier when the clothing items are returned to where they belong immediately after being washed.
MAXIMIZE YOUR STORAGE
Remove clothing from dry cleaner’s plastic bags and transfer them to your personal hangers when you put them away. The plastic bags can damage clothing if used for longterm storage, and wire hangers can cause clothing to lose shape. Maximize closet space by storing running shoes and outerwear, such as jackets and sweatshirts, in the closet near the front door or entryway. Space under the bed, or in the garage or basement, works best for seasonal and long-term storage of sentimental items.
MONITOR YOUR HABITS
If you have a hard time deciding what to get rid of when it comes time for seasonal closet cleaning, simply turn all of your hangers the opposite direction at the start of the season — when you wear an item, flip your hanger. At the end of the season you will know what to keep and what to donate, making space for next season’s purchases.