Tag: closet organizing

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Closets Professional-Organizer Tips

Minimalism and the 80/20 rule

Imagine having a wardrobe closet, kitchen cabinets, or a garage so un-stuffed that it’s as if you walked into a department store window display to live.

A small handful of clients out of thousands I’ve worked with actually live that kind of minimalist lifestyle. Case in point: many people have too much clothing and not enough closet space to use wooden hangers as they do in magazines and advertisements. Wooden hangers take up lots of space. Lack of closet space is why slim hangers are so popular now.

Minimalism: A dream only obtainable through curated lifestyle magazines and Instagram posts?

The photo in this post depicts minimalism, but it hasn’t been curated to obscure reality. It is how the closet I organized truly looks. There really is that much space between clothes, and it’s because this person chooses to own very little. It reflects the simple lifestyle of a client I recently worked with for the second time. She’s called on me twice for help when moving homes. She’s done all the decluttering herself.

How can someone live so simply? Here are a few excellent ways to start:

  • Restrain yourself – we don’t need to buy a ton of organizing supplies to get organized. Most people I work with need very few or nothing at all.
  • Say “so long!” to magazines – they are primarily ads for things to buy and these ads work on the subconscious more than we realize.
  • Go offline – cut down on personal time spent on social media and the web (including Amazon). Facebook and Instagram exist today only because corporations are making big money through this new form of marketing. And “free shipping” is a drug to start weening yourself off. Take a few months hiatus a couple times a year. You won’t miss anything important, trust me.

Take action TODAY:

  • Declutter, Declutter, Declutter – Set up a donation bag or box that lives year around in your home and toss into it anything your heart, mind, and soul tells you. Place it somewhere you see it every day. Over time, this box will fill and refill, and you and your home will begin to feel lighter and free.

Do you want to live the minimalist lifestyle you see in magazines and on Instagram? It’s possible!

The Pareto Principle

Research shows that people use 20% of what they own 80% of the time. The rest takes up space, mostly untouched. Consider the things in your home, the clothes on your body, and even what you take in your luggage on vacation. This is an example of the Pareto Principle, also known as ‘the law of the vital few’ and the 80/20 rule. In life, it means that 80% of all effects result from 20% of all possible causes. Does the 80/20 rule apply to you and your stuff?

Imagine the money you’ll save, how easy it will be to clean, and how quickly you’ll find what you need living a life of minimalism. What would you do with the free time and space created by owning only what you truly love and use?

If it’s a minimalist lifestyle you want to live, you can do it. YOU can make it happen. Start TODAY.

San Francisco Bay Area Professional Organizer Isabella Guajardo works with clients to downsize, minimalize, and organize their wardrobe closets, offices, paperwork, kitchens, garages, and any challenging area of the home. Call her today at (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary 20-minute conversation about downsizing and minimalism.

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Professional-Organizer

Week 17 | Jackets & Sweaters | 52 Weeks to Downsize & Minimalize

jackets-sweaters-downsize-minimalize-bella-organizing-professional-organizer-san-francisco-oakland-berkeley

Join me this week to downsize & minimalize the amount of jackets and sweaters taking up closet and drawer space.

Who has TONS of jackets and sweaters they hardly wear? EVERYONE. These things are big, they are bulky, and they take up too much space. Make room in your closet and chest of drawers this week and let go of the excess jackets and sweaters you didn’t wear during the past fall and winter.

Clothing declutter tips very much apply to Jackets and Sweaters!
https://bellaorganizing.com/how-to-declutter-clothes/

Imagine the free, open space you will create…

Bella_Organizing_Best_Professional_Organizers_San_Francisco_Oakland_Berkeley_silicon_valley_montereyIsabella Guajardo, founder and owner of Bella Organizing, is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer offering home organizing, interior redesign, and residential move management services throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Call (510) 229-7321 or email info@bellaorganizing.com for more information. Gift certificates are available.

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Professional-Organizer

Keep Tights, Leggings, and Long Socks Organized

Socks rolled into their own compartments.

When cold weather arrives, winter clothing and accessories need to be ready and within reach. Do you have a handful of tights, leggings, long socks, or thermal underwear you depend on for warmth and comfort this time of year? It’s easy for them to get lost and tangled, especially deep inside drawers. Here are simple steps to keep them together, organized, and accessible using hair ties or rubber bands. This idea works well for kids rooms and adults always on the go.

Step One

Gather and roll them up! Use a thick rubber band to keep in place. Extra hair ties and the thick rubber bands that hold fresh broccoli stalks together at the grocery store work great.

Organize socks tights 1

Step Two

Place the rolled and banded tights, leggings, or long socks upright in a drawer, basket or bin. I call this the “Cinnamon Roll.” In this view you see exactly what you have, how many, then pick and choose as you please without having to dig through a tangled and mis-matched mess. Rubber bands hold things together, so in the midst of the morning rush when changing your mind as to what color to wear, simply toss back what you don’t want without fear of unraveling…then grab another.

Organize socks tights 3

Step Three

As you grab to wear, toss the rubber bands back in to use again when laundry is done.

Organize socks tights 2

Read more cold weather closet organizing tips.

The fold and file method for thicker leggings and slim-fitting yoga pants.
“Filing” folded clothes allows you to see everything you have in a glance.

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and accessory organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Professional-Organizer

How To Let Go of Clothes That Clutter Your Closet & Your Life

When I acquire new clothing, I have a rule to let go of as many as I bring in to make room for the new and stay uncluttered. I reinforce this rule by only owning a certain amount of hangers (I hang up EVERYTHING.) How to decide what to let go? Here are tips I use myself.

I let go of clothing when:

  1. I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing.
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year.
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style.

 

skirts on hangers
Two of these five skirts have recently gone bye bye because they are no longer my style.

To elaborate…

I let go of clothing when:

  1. I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing. Why stroll around in public with a shirt that’s old and raggedy? The only old T to own should be for events such as gardening or changing the oil. And if there’s something waiting to be mended and it’s been waiting a LONG time, I need to either GET IT DONE or GET RID OF IT.
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year. If I have not bedazzled my body with a certain piece of clothing during the last winter, spring, summer, nor fall, I likely never will. This includes my “skinny” clothes…the things I keep telling myself one day I will fit into.
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style. Why wear something I get annoyed with every time I put it on? Not my color? Not tailored for my body? Just a little too tight or baggy? If it doesn’t make me feel fabulous nor fit just right, I get rid of it.

 

Common Questions from Clients

I cannot throw away things that mean a lot to me. What should I do about sentimental clothes I don’t wear?

Take a picture to preserve the memory or limit yourself to one or two pieces for the memorabilia box.

All my clothes look great and I’ve paid a lot for them. Why should I get rid of them?

Try everything on. Do not look at something and keep it because it’s cute. It must be cute on YOU, not the hanger. You also should be absolutely comfortable in it…which means you should be wearing it often enough to make it worth what you paid.

We’re thinking about having another baby and want to hold onto our child’s old clothes until we do. Should we just get rid of them?

Good for you for thinking about reusing and recycling! Go ahead and hold onto the best of it for now (be sure to box and label) and donate the rest to charity.

Thinking about letting go of clothes that are still in new or near new condition? It’s possible to make money back by consigning. Read up on some of my favorite north and east bay furniture and clothing consignment shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Are your clothes being rejected by consignors? Simply Google “Places to donate clothes in [your city]” and plenty will pop up.  My recent favorite online clothing, shoes, and accessory consignment resources are Thredup.com (low to medium-end) and TheRealReal.com (high-end).

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet downsize & organize goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Professional-Organizer

Getting Ready for Winter: Wardrobe Organizing Tips for Cold Weather

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Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

When it’s time to get organized for the changing season…

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

If you’re like most of us and have limited closet space, you may need to store seasonal clothing. In preparation for cold weather, you might consider storing away the summery things and bringing out what you’ll need to stay warm and comfortable. It’s also a good time to purge.

Purging Tips

Say “goodbye” to clothing, shoes, and accessories when:

  • You have worn or used it to the point of fading, pilling, stains, stretching, or tearing
  • You have not worn or used it for an entire year or two
  • It is no longer your color, size, or style

 How to store off-season items.

  • Use containers with lids or large storage bags; cover to protect from dust, dirt, fluctuating temperatures, and little critters.
  • Treat them well. Clean, de-wrinkle, and fold or nicely hang before storing. Cared for clothing lasts longer, takes up less space, and can be worn immediately when it’s time.
  • Store items in a temperature-controlled environment, particularly natural materials such as leather, wool, and silk. Never store clothing in damp places that tend to breed mold or mildew, nor in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
  • Label bins or bags with a description of contents and store under the bed, high on a top shelf, in the guest room closet, on a garage shelf, or on a covered rolling rack.

Keep sweaters, jackets, scarves, warm hats & socks, cozy boots, gloves, and an umbrella within reach.

  • Sweaters keep their shape best when folded and stacked in dresser drawers or on reachable shelves. Lightweight sweaters do well hung as long as you wear often enough to retain their shape.
  • Roll winter scarves and place in a slim hanging canvas organizer  in the entry closet (which I also like for small purses, hats & beanies, gloves, compact umbrellas, and other accessories,) or stack them in a dresser drawer or bin on a shelf.
  • Keep gloves close to scarves or within coat pockets. I buy several sets of $1 gloves at CVS or Target and store a pair in the pocket of each jacket. They’re always there when I need them.
  • Keep long socks, thermal underwear, and cold-weather leggings together. More tips to organize tights, leggings, and long socks here.

Take the time to organize your closet and wardrobe for the changing season, and you’ll have what you need in a cold-weather flash.

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Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.