We’ve all tidied a closet, but then over time it descends into chaos. It’s frustrating.

So how do you organize your closet so it stays organized? How do you make it fit your daily habits and routines?

Staying organized starts with a key principle: Every item must be easy to find AND easy to put away. When you apply this principle, you’ll always find what you’re looking for, you’ll put things back where they belong, and, most importantly, you’ll enjoy an organized closet.

7 Steps to the Easy-to-Find, Easy-to-Put-Away Closet

1. Give yourself room to work This project takes a lot of clutter-free staging space—an area to sort through all your closet items. As necessary, make space on the floor, the bed, or a table. You could temporarily throw clutter into a container or on the other side of the bed.
2. Categorize Place four laundry baskets in the staging area. Remove everything from the closet and put each item into one of the four baskets:Basket #1: Throw away
   Basket #2: Donate
   Basket #3: Keep, but store somewhere besides the closet Basket #4: Keep in the closet
3. Subdivide closet items Deal with the first three baskets—throw away, donate, and find new storage places. Then tackle the last basket—items going back into the closet. Subdivide these items into groups based on function, size, and frequency of use. In a bathroom closet, for example, create groups like cleaning supplies, toiletries, skin-care products, hair-care items, medications, first-aid solutions, towels, and paper products.
4. Get the right containers Find open-top containers that are the right size for each group of items going back into the closet. Yes, don’t use lids. Open containers are more functional—your family will use them easily and quickly. Consider using baskets, wire bins, cardboard boxes, plastic milk crates, or clear plastic tubs. Always select and adapt containers that functional.
5. Plan Grab a paper and pen to map out the layout of your closet. Measure the size of existing shelves. Do your open-lid storage containers fit? Or do you need to buy right-sized

containers? Do you need to add or adapt shelves? Do you want to add hooks? Make a list of needed tools and shelving materials. And, if you’re going to the store, you may also want to buy a label-maker.

1. Label everything Now that you have the right containers, label them! Use large, easy-to-read labels. If you don’t have a label maker, you might use masking tape and a marker or a sheet of paper and tape, or a label maker. Whatever your method, make it easy to read. If you have young kids, add a picture to the label. Studies show that you’ll be more likely to put things away if the storage container is clearly labeled. This is especially true if you have family members or roommates who will also be putting things away.
2. Reassemble your closet. Now the fun part! Place your groupings into their freshly labeled containers, put them back into the closet, and admire your organized, easy-to-use space.

Use this method for any space that needs to be organized—drawers, cupboards, bookshelves, and kids’ toys. You might even want to make a list of future spaces to be organized. And then, if you’re ambitious, try tackling one space per week (or month).

Always remember that many organizing attempts fail over time because they’re not sustainable—it’s too complicated and too hard. It’s easier to just throw something on top of the pile with an I’ll-get-to-it-later attitude. Try this seven-step method and you’ll be amazed at how easy and fun it is to stay organized for good!

Top Mops offers regular house cleaning services to help you save even more time for what really matters. Whether you need regular maintenance cleaning, single deep-cleaning, or seasonal cleaning, we’d love to help you out. Let us take care of your least favorite chores so you can do the more important things on your list.

To request a free estimate for professional house cleaning services in Lexington, KY, call us at 859-276- 2222.