Do you have a closet in your house that has become a dumping ground for pretty much everything? Seriously... what is in there? 😂
I hear you. This was the fate of our guest bedroom closet. As you can see, it was a hot mess...
In this closet, was music equipment, clothes to donate, a stationary bike, workout equipment, decorations, fabric, projects to finish, extra boxes, and so much more!
If you have a similar space, this post is for you. No more digging through piles of random items just to find what you need. Get ready to transform your cluttered closet into a tidy and functional space with some simple tips and tricks. Let's dive in and make your storage closet a source of joy instead of stress!
1. Pull everything out of the closet
Yes. Everything.
I know. It's a lot! In order to declutter and organize, you need to know what's in the space.
Start pulling everything out where you can see it. You might find some surprising things that you didn't even know were in there, like that there was a wall hidden behind all that stuff! Who knew?!
2. Sort items into groups
Put all like items together. In my case, I grouped all the music equipment, workout supplies, etc. I didn't go through anything at this stage. It's more to get a picture of what all you have.
After all of the items are grouped, then you can start the decluttering! Oh what fun 😍
3. Decide what stays and what goes
This is where the real progress begins. Grab some empty bins/boxes or make space for piles on the floor. You're going to start sorting items into this sections:
Keep
Donate
Sell
Trash
Move to other room
Pick a group of items and start organizing. I started with my music equipment. I needed to keep everything necessary for playing live shows, such as the speakers, stands, cords, and microphone. I didn't need to keep some small toy instruments, old signs, and an extra tambourine. I was able to move all of the cords into one bag and get rid of two other very used tote bags.
Here are some other examples:
Keep: exercise bike
Donate: toy instruments
Sell: craft display
Trash: old tote bags and signs
Move to other room: sewing machine and fabric (craft room)
Work through each group of items until you've looked through everything.
4. Determine storage needs
I always try to use what I have on hand first before going out to buy new storage items. This closet already had a wire shelving unit and some plastic bins, so I worked with that.
If you don't have anything to organize your space, consider what would work best with your items. Do you need shelves, hanging space for extra clothes, stacking bins, or something else? Take measurements in the closet and see what solutions you can find.
5. Organize and fill the space!
Gather all of your "keep" items and make a home for them. Play around with different placements of bins or items to maximize space. By adjusting my shelf heights, I could put my speakers closer to the floor, yet off the ground. After having a closet flood before, I don't let anything valuable touch the floor. It gives me extra peace of mind.
There were many items on the back of the door organizer that were similar, such as packing tape. By placing all of these items in to a small bin, I didn't actually need this extra storage anymore!
Other items that got new homes include:
Workout equipment (now in an easy to access bin)
Music cords and other supplies (organized in one bag)
Paper, bubble wrap, and other shipping supplies (these weren't even in here before!)
6. Donate and sell items
Before these items get shoved back in the closet to "deal with later", take the donations out to your car. List some items on Facebook Marketplace. Let these items go and get them out of your home as soon as possible.
The final result...
Here it is. The big reveal...
Talk about a transformation! Not only can you see the bike now, but you can get to it! I can easily see what all is in this closet and access it when I need it. Also, there is unused room, which I love. This means that there is space for future items we may need to store.
Here is a before and after to show the HUGE difference.
Now that you know how to declutter and organize your storage closet, you can finally say goodbye to that overwhelming feeling of opening the door and being buried by a mountain of stuff.
With your newfound organization skills, you'll be able to easily access your belongings and have more space for the things that truly matter (like a dance party in your newly cleared out closet). Happy organizing!