Tag Archives: closet

Smart Ways to Get Rid of Clothes After You Do a Closet Purge

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Sure, we’ve all donated clothes at some point, or had a garage sale and parted ways with old garments for a few bucks. If you’ve recently cleaned out your closet you might have discovered that many of the items you no longer want still have a lot of life left in them. Perhaps you even paid a lot of money for them and you can’t stand the thought of them ending up in a garage sale box. If so, consider these great suggestions.

Donate

“Old-reliables” such as Goodwill and Salvation Army* are always a great place to start. But there are some more specific organizations out there that would find women’s clothing especially beneficial. Look for career development organizations that empower underprivileged women to find stable, well-paying jobs. They need career wear to help these women look their best on interviews and at work.

If you have beautiful gowns or dresses hanging around, look for organizations that serve underprivileged teens who have hopes of attending formal dances in high schools. Even if the dress isn’t the exact style they have in mind, it might be a great starting piece that can be reinvented at the hand of a crafty seamstress who donates her time.

Also, consider women’s shelters in general. They often provide a haven for women and children who had to flee without the opportunity to bring along personal belongings. If you’re not sure where to find these organizations try online resources such as Charity Watch or Charity Navigator. Not only will you feel great about taking the time to find someone truly deserving, but you can also keep a record and report them as a write-off at tax time!

Host a fabulous swap party at your home or a local restaurant

The only imperative part of this is that you give everyone plenty of notice. Think about how much work it is to clean out your closet! Your guest will need enough time to get their closet purge project done before attending your party. Other than that, this is a super easy and fun way to de-clutter your closet. Simply invite everyone and serve a few goodies and beverages. Devise a basic system for the trade process and let the fun begin!

*Fulton Homes is not affiliated with or suggesting any particular organization. These are ideas to inspire you to do the most good.

Creating a Functional Closet Space

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When it comes to keeping your home organized, there’s a long list of items to take care of. While you may have a handle on all of the obvious spaces a guest will see when they enter your home, the closet may be a little neglected. It’s easy to understand why this part of your home would be put on the bottom of the priority list: no one is coming over to snoop around your storage space. That’s also why it’s so easy to just throw items in there when you’re cleaning up and just need to get on with your day. It’s time to stop hiding the mess and get it organized!

There are multiple reasons your closet may look the way it does: its size is too small, there is insufficient space for special occasion or seasonal items or you may just not have a good system for the items you currently own. No matter what the case is, take everything out and assess the empty space in front of you. You will be unable to visualize what is best for your closet space if you cannot see what you are working with.

Your first step is to de-clutter your current items. Create different piles for items you need to access often, special occasion items, seasonal items and items you no longer use but haven’t gotten around to removing from the space. You know what to do with your out-of-rotation items: can you say donation bag? Whether it’s clothing, shoes or assorted accessories, there is always someone in need who can benefit from your contribution, so delay no further! If you don’t love it, leave it out! For your remaining items, it’s time to come up with a game plan.

This is where your creativity comes in. Look at your remaining items and think about whether you would like them to be hung up, folded, placed on open shelving or racks. Now make the space work for the items you have. This may mean going to a home improvement store and purchasing closet organization units or removing and adding racks and shelves to customize the space to your specific needs. Or get creative and look around your home for small furniture pieces that could be used in your closet for storage and decoration. Why not make your closet look like a boutique that you get to shop in for free every day!

Your closet might not seem like an important space, but you generally start and sometimes end your day in your closet. If the space feels clean and organized, perhaps you might start out your day a little less frustrated because you can quickly and easily find what you’re looking for.

Be sure to place your heavily used items in the most easily accessed part of the closet and the rarely used pieces more out of your way. If you find that some things still do not fit the space, relocate some of the lesser used items into a different closet space or purchase storage bags to be used under the bed. Once finished, enjoy your beautifully organized closet and keep the space clean!

Tips for Cleaning Your Closet

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Closets can easily become the melting pot of clutter in our homes. From clothes to storage, these spaces can quickly get out of hand. They are convenient because they are out of sight, out of mind. However, they can become a nightmare if they go unattended for too long. Cleaning out your closet can be a daunting task that is easily procrastinated. However, with a little bit of time and effort, you can once again have your closet feeling functional. Here are the steps you need to get your closet back to normal:

Remove Everything 

Starting the project is the hardest part. By removing everything from your closet, you are in too deep. If you know the project needs to be broken into several days, make categories of what you will remove and when. You can start from the ground up or start with clothes. Just be sure to pull clothes you want to donate, and use large boxes or trash bags to help sort them. You can even pull seasonal clothes from your closet to separate as well. Remember that finding everything in your closet, “a home” can take time.  

Donate 

While cleaning your closet, you will find that it is the perfect time to donate. Create three piles: one to donate, one to keep, and one undecided. Only put back your ones to keep. If you need to grab anything from your undecided pile in the next year, you needed it. If you never think about it again, you can donate it. These are easy tricks minimalist use to help eliminate clutter.

Manage 

You may want to make some small investments in storage management. Buy shoe organizers and storage shelves for your closet. You can buy bins and baskets to help keep your closet organized. When putting your clothes back into your closet, have a purpose. Sort them by casual and formal. Giving your closet a sense of organization can help you manage and keep the space clean longer. 

The closet can be intimidating to clean, but worth the time invested. These simple tactics can go a long way. Stop letting your closet manage your life and learn to manage the mess. For more tips and tricks on cleaning, make sure to subscribe.

Attack Closet Clutter

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closet_montage_Ironwood-webAre you finding it hard to keep even the most generous closet you’ve ever had under control? Even if your master closet is as spacious as this one from Ironwood Crossing, it may be time for a serious attack on your clothes clutter. Let’s take this step-by-step so you can take back your closet and stop going crazy every time you step into it.

Step 1: Empty your closet. This may seem foolish, overwhelming, or unnecessary, but you need to start this way to truly make a difference. There are several reasons for this. One is you may find that once your closet is empty, it could do with a cleaning. Clothes can hide a multitude of sins. Vacuum the floor and wipe down the shelves and clothes poles. You’ll start feeling better immediately. Pile your clothes on the bed and put shoes, purses and anything else you find in there on the floor.

Step 2: Remove anything that doesn’t belong in your closet from the room. Did you discover where you hid that birthday present for your daughter that you couldn’t find when you wanted to? Maybe your closet has become a catch-all for books, papers or other items you wanted to stash quickly before company came. Whatever it is, if you don’t want it in your finished closet, get it out of the bedroom.

Step 3: Take each clothing item and honestly decide whether it belongs in your wardrobe. You’ll hear people say that if you haven’t worn something in a year, then it should go. Instead, take a look and decide if you feel attractive and comfortable in it. If the answer is yes, it stays. No and it goes. Try on any clothes or shoes you’re not sure about and take the time to look in the mirror. Would you buy each item again if you saw it in the store? If the answer is no, get rid of it. Check the look of purses, scarves or other accessories. Let go of items that are worn, out of style, or that you’re simply tired of wearing.

Step 4: Create a plan before rehanging your clothes. Do you like to have work clothes in one section and weekend clothes in another? Maybe you want to sort by color or type of fabric. Have you been hanging clothes that would do better folded in a drawer? Figure it out and replace accordingly.

Step 5: Use bins and baskets to sort shelves. Keeping smaller things contained by category will make it easier to stay organized. Shop your own home for likely boxes and other containers before rushing off to the store. You may find some solutions that work well and add a decorative touch to your closet.

Step 6: Add some hooks to the door or a free wall. These can be used for clothes you’ve worn once but that aren’t yet ready for laundering. They’re also handy for scarves and belts. Hooks can help you keep everything off the floor, which makes a closet feel more spacious and workable.

Step 7: Pack up the give-away clothes and get them out of the house immediately. Otherwise you may be tempted to dive in and rescue some items later. Don’t let that happen.

Step 8: Step back and admire your handiwork! This has been quite a job but you now have a closet filled with clothes you love. Be sure to reward yourself for your hard work – maybe by going shopping???

Dream Closet

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From the Fulton Homes Starlight Plan

From the Fulton Homes Starlight Plan

What would your dream closet be like? First, it needs to be more than a walk in. Ideally it would be large enough to use as a dressing room. Next, you want to have the space to allow you to see everything so you can plan your outfit for the day.

The idea of a place for everything and everything in its place fits your dream closet. Look for racks to hold shoes, hooks for scarves and purses and plenty of drawer space for underthings and sweaters. Shelves, hooks and drawers in abundance leave you plenty of room to assign each type of clothing its own area.

Finally, hanging space – longer areas for dresses and slacks, shorter spaces for shirts, shorts and tops. Maybe one section for professional garb, ready for selection, and another area for casual and weekend wear.

Do you sort your clothes by color? By type? Or do you sort by purpose? In your dream closet, you could use any sorting method you like, you’d have the space. One other thing you might want to add to this closet – a nice full-length mirror to make sure you’re well put together before you step out the door.

One last thing – this closet is all yours – you don’t have to share. Everyone has their own dream closet in this dream house. Maybe add a comfy chair or ottoman to sit on for slipping on shoes and socks or hose.

Fulton Homes Design Online – Closets

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heirloom collectionWhat could you use more of in your closets? How about drawer space? Are you looking for a special spot for accessories? For some great ideas, visit Fulton Homes Design Online and investigate the many options offered through the Rubbermaid selection of closet organizers.

This option above, from the Rubbermaid Heirloom Collection, comes in your choice of three luscious finishes – white as shown here, cherry or mahogany.

In addition to drawers and shelves, checkout these interesting options:

hamperHamper: Keep clothes ready for laundering in Rubbermaid’s 24 inch wide hamper. With a cover that coordinates with the other closet elements, it’s easy to hide your dirty laundry. You may want to consider two hampers if you bring clothes to the dry cleaners frequently.belt rack

Belt Rack: Keep easy track of your accessories in one place. The belt rack has five spaces, all capable of holding two-to-three belts.

tie rackTie Rack: Ties stay tidy and organized with the Rubbermaid tie rack. This can also be used to hold scarves and other accessories.valet rod

Valet Rod: Do you like to plan your clothes for the next day the evening before? With this valet rack, you can easily organize your clothes for any event or reason.

Your style, your life, your space and everything in its place! Take advantage of the opportunity to make your closet truly work for you every day. Visit Fulton Homes Design Online for more information on the variety of closet options available in your new Fulton home.