Closet clean out
By JENNIFER VOGELSONG for Smart
The stuffed animals, Barney VHS tapes and baby board books hiding behind 12-year-old Sophie Grove’s bedroom closet doors were keeping her firmly rooted in childhood. But Sophie wanted to project a more grown-up image when she invited friends for sleepovers.
Editors of Smart chose Sophie’s messy closet from entries in a contest to win $150 of organizing products and a free closet makeover from D&R Custom Organizers of York.
By the time organizing professionals Debbie Jordan Kravitz and Rachelle Beach arrived at the Grove’s West Manchester Township home in mid-October, Sophie and her mother, Linda, had already purged many outgrown and outdated outfits. Still, the white shelving units overflowed with piles of books, purses, athletic wear and dolls.
“Everything is just so cluttered,” Sophie said. “I can’t find anything I need.”
Kravitz and Beach brought colored plastic storage bins to the bedroom and labeled them “Donate to others,” “Donate to charity,” “Long-term storage” and “Trash.” They sorted books into one pile, purses and bags in another, movies in a third.
For a couple of hours, they sorted, piled and debated.
Should she keep that photograph taken during a ride at HersheyPark?
“We can just throw that away,” Sophie voted.
“No, I’ll keep it,” Linda Grove vetoed.
A diary from long ago? Her Joy Bear?
At first, it was difficult. Who wants to get rid of relics that bring back warm memories?
But then Sophie got in a groove that her mom feared might leave the closet without much left to organize.
“The sentimental stuff is going to take over the house unless we’re ruthless, but you need to keep some stuff,” Linda Grove said. “You did live the past 12 years.”
Kravitz and Beach assessed what Sophie wanted to keep and determined the best way to store it. A set of flexible hanging shelves for her jeans, sweatshirts and other foldable clothing. A large pink box for memorabilia. A set of inexpensive clear plastic drawers for her basketball and soccer clothes.
Because Sophie wants to change the color scheme of her entire room to pink and black, the organizers started in the closet, with plastic bins and cardboard organizers to keep magazines and miscellaneous knickknacks under control.
“I think now it’s more of a teenager-type closet that will last her several years,” Kravitz said. “We’ve also been able to get her some empty spaces so there’s some room to grow into.”
Kravitz said closet organization isn’t so much about cute containers as simplifying your living and storage space to streamline routine tasks.
Linda Grove said the new closet has helped Sophie speed through her morning routine. “It saves her a lot of time hunting for stuff.”
To get organizedD&R Custom Organizers can organize more than just your closet. Co-owners Debbie Jordan Kravitz and Rachelle Beach also create paper-flow systems and filing systems, and they come up with ways to make every room in your home easier to manage.
For a consultation, call 873-2726, or click here
Closet tips• Use all available space and think outside the box. For instance, over-the-door hanging shoe organizers don’t have to be just for shoes.
• Keep similar items together. For some people, this means color coordinating their wardrobe. Others prefer to keep short sleeves separate from long sleeves. Come up with a system that works for you, and stick to it.
Step-by-stepStaring at years of accumulated stuff is enough to overwhelm even the most organized of folks.
If necessary, spread the steps out over several days so you’re not tempted to quit partway through.• Remove all items from the closet. Be objective as you take inventory. Ask yourself: “Do I use it?” “Do I need it?” “Do I love it?” Items that don’t get at least one “Yes” should go. Trash items in poor condition. Give others away, or donate them to charity.
• Sort items into bins or piles labeled “keep” “donate” and “store”.
• Measure your closet. For instance, if you have a lot of long, hanging clothes, incorporate plenty of vertical space into the design.
• Ditch the wire hangers in favor of tubular plastic or wooden ones that will extend the life of your clothes and give your closet a cohesive, organized look.
• For every item you add to your closet, you must get rid of something.
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