wardrobe organisation

worriedtoo

soooo, time to fess up, I'm a messy, and struggle to part with clothes(my own that is-easy when they are others! )

every so often the wardrobe becomes an manageable mess, I have a mammoth tidy/clear/sort.
the problem is sustaining the tidyness. I need to do something so that my bedroom is more organised so I dont get to this point again. I've been putting it off for a while by googling ideas for storage/organising and have realised this is the area I'm failing in. Overall, I doubt I'm lacking space but I am lacking a proper system for organising things in my bedroom. Also, my parents were the same so I never really learned to declutter/tidy/organise properly.
I'm now slightly overwhelmed by the different possibilities for being more organised (or havent seen something that really resonates with me) so I'm hoping for guidance from the kind people on here.

I have 3 double wardrobes. 2 have a top shelf and full length/width rail, the 3rd has a double rail.
Shoes are in a muddle at the bottom of 2, bags in the third. Jumpers, jeans etc on the top shelves are also in a muddled jumble.
i have this http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90106506/ with jewellery, tops, scarves, gym kit etc in and something like this for undies/pjs/sundries.

I'm thinking some storage boxes would be useful for the top wardrobe shelves but not sure what to do about the shoes. I also dont seem to have space anywhere for a laundry basket and currently have a bag stashed under the bed, which encourages piling and clutter {{{sigh}}}
I waiver between feeling a bit overwhelmed (and doing nothing) and thinking whatever I do must be better but still not being sure of what it is I want to do. I'm sitting wishing I could afford to get a professional in to help

tessasmum

This is going to sound really blunt, but it is meant in the best way - if you have three double wardrobes, I kind of think you might have too much stuff. I am always tempted to buy organisation systems, but in the long run, I'm afraid, that the easiest way to be tidier is to have less to keep tidy - and I am learning this the hard way myself. Good luck

worriedtoo

Hi Tessasmum,

blunt is ok- you're more than likely right
but even when I've had major declutters in the past, I havent managed to be/stay organised. Like I said, this time, I'm hoping to put something a bit more sustainable in place so that when I do declutter I can keep things more organised and not get into this pickle again( sounds good in theory!! :rotfl:)

bearcub

THREE double wardrobes??!! :eek: As Tessasmum says, you must have far too many clothes. I have one small wardrobe, a smallish chest of drawers and a small bedside table. The rooms in our bungalow are far too small to keep unnecessary clothing but, at the same time, we no longer work and our lifestyle now doesn't need a lot of clothes.

Imagine that you have to move out of your current home, into somewhere that just doesn't have space for more than one double wardrobe, plus you could have a decent sized chest of drawers. What clothes could you not do without? Assuming you work, clothes for that would need to be considered first then, what are your absolute favourite clothes that you wear often and couldn't think of being without? Easy for me - we downsized radically, deliberately, but we live in a rural area, and my main clothes are jeans, jeggings, and jods! But what about you?

iammumtoone

I have the same problem too many clothes for the storage sapce and have just ordered one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adult-Clothes-Tshirts-Folder-Organizer/dp/B003W490U2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377199548&sr=8-1&keywords=flip+fold they claim that you can fit more clothes in the space if they are folded correctly

I don't know if it works as I haven't received it yet but I hoping it will.

FairyPrincessk

First,

I agree. You have two much stuff. I have two single wardrobes with three drawers each on them and a large chest of drawers. And two boxes under the bed. I have nowhere near three doubles full of clothes and I have two much stuff.

However, I think maybe you need to think about what is tripping you up. Is it the putting clean clothes away stage? Or is it that you change clothes several times in the morning and don't hang up the rejected ones? Or is it that everything is put away but you can't actually find anything? I think until you figure out which stage is tripping you up, you aren't going to really find a sustainable way to keep it organised.

I would suggest you start with a clean out. I do this about three times a year and I don't even really buy clothes---they're like rabbits;)
Then, try to figure out what is causing the mess. It might be something simple--like you need more hangers. Or, it might be that you need to make it a point to spend 20 minutes every week hanging up your clean clothes. Or, it might be that some of your clothes slip off the hangers. You might already know what is causing the issues..in which case, let us know! Until you know what is causing the problem, buying something won't help.

Linda32

Okay, this is what I do. (I love the ikea thing btw, green with envy)

We have a built in wardrobe/cupboard which is over the stairs so abit like a double wardrobe but deep rather than wide.

At the back are our coats and OH's work tee-shirts.

At the front on the left are my lazing about clothes (two pairs of very well worn trousers and vest tops) these stay here all year around. I use the vest tops as extra layers in the winter. Then my work clothes. Basic tee shirts and trousers. Then my summer clothes, which I wear in rotation. Always take from the left and put back on the right. So you wear everything. Don't save anything for best (I know you didn't say that you do) or you never wear half your stuff.

Then OH's best tee shirts and trousers.

I put our winter clothes in the loft and swap around when the weather changes.

We also have a set of drawers. Undies in the two top drawers.

Then OH's at home work clothes and my other job work clothes (I have two jobs which requires quite different clothing)

My other work clothes are basically very old tee shirts and jeans just folded up in the drawers.

So maybe you could seperate your clothes accordingly. You know, going out clothes, slobbing around clothes, work clothes etc.

HTH

bluebag

I have a few of those stout reusable sooopermarket shopping bags in the bottom of my wardrobe. One for posh shoes, one for sandals and one for trainers and walking shoes.

It means I can just chuck them in when I'm done ( the posh shoes are still in boxes as they cost me a small mortgage ) and I just pull out the relevant bag and dig for what I want.

Semi-organised, because if it's too much faff then I won't do it.

I also use them on higher shelves for thick hoodies and big jumpers that seem to need a whole drawer each!

pigpen

I have 5 drawers of clothes.. well, 4 technically with 1 more drawer filled with underwear.. and a box of maternity stuff but that doesn't count..

Just get rid of at least 2/3rds of that lot.. how much is unworn??

You shouldn't save things 'for best' or 'for a special occasion' which might never happen.. wear it before it is outdated or moth lunch! If it makes you feel good.. wear it.. the dresses and shoes etc that lurk within!!

I went through mine and EVERYTHING I hadn't worn in the last 6-12 month went.. season dependant.. I went through at the end of winter so winter stuff 6 months summer stuff 12 months.. I filled several binbags then realised I hardly had anything left.. it is quite liberating actually.. though packing today for a weekend away I realised I have absolutely nothing at all that fits.. not even a pair of knickers!! lol..

I found this reduced the amount on the floor in the bedroom to nothing as everything I possess now fits in somewhere.

I have a box of shoes and one of handbags I need to sort through next.. I swear I keep the charity shop stocked on my own!!!

Miss_Mulberry

I'd have a massive clear out. If you're wardrobe is a mess it means you've got those staple items you wear all the time, and a whole load of clothes that just hang there. And they're getting mixed in together.

Also, when you say it's a mess, is it just organisation (as in you you've jumpers next to trousers next to coats) or more about where dirty clothes, ironed clothes, worn once clothes go?

If you have rails, organise everything by type. Jumpers hanging from thick to thin. T-shirts hanging from long sleeved to short sleeved. Coats and jackets should all be in one. Skirts going from short to long. I bet you can give away a good half of your shoes, and organise the rest (buy a over the door shoe hanger. Ugly but great for storage)

The lack of laundry is your issue I think. You need a place to put dirty clothes so you know when to put a load of washing on and so they don't get muddled. Even a box in the bathroom is better than a pile on the floor. Same with ironing.

hot.chick

I have a similar problem & the volume of clothes is the main issue, if you had less clothes you would have to wash more & there would be less in the worn/needs washing/washed needs putting away rotation.

Have a clear out and scale down the volume of clothes to a more manageable situation

Good luck, might be a gradual thing, keep a charity/eBay bag somewhere so when you come across something that's faded, worn, doesn't fit quite right just bung it in