Spring Cleaning - and Organizing

By Andreas Messis and Stuart Reisch, co-founders of Transform in New Rochelle

One of the most popular New Year resolutions is tried-and-true: “I’m going to get organized.” After all, we’ve got more and more stuff that we keep packing into our homes, hoping that, against all odds, it’ll expand at the seems like Spandex pants at Thanksgiving. If you haven’t done it already, don’t let the passing of a few months deter you; spring is the perfect season to get started.

Where to start when there are so many areas of the house to attack? Perhaps best place to begin is with a prioritized list of all the chaotic spots you want to get organized. Our suggestion is to start with the bedroom closet, which always needs a spring cleaning, not only to clear out a wardrobe that hasn’t seen the light of day in years, but to banish heavy sweaters and snow boots that you won’t need to for many months. Once you are finished, you’ll not only have a sense of accomplishment, but the heartening ability to find your outfit quickly in the morning without a flashlight and a search party.

Change into something comfortable and get ready for two hours of immense productivity. You’re going to create three piles: one to keep, another to donate, and a third for garments to try on for fit (steel yourself) and style. The “keeper” pile includes all of the clothes you consistently wear—your favorite black slacks, the blazers that have become old staples. The charity pile will be home to items that you haven’t worn in the last year. Usually, these garments are no longer in style, are either too large or small (funny how these things shrink without washing), or just plain worn out. The third heap requires you to produce a fashion show to see how clothes fit and work with your current life. Those 20 designer suits taking up half your closet may just not suit the life of a former attorney turned stay-at-home-mom. Keep three; toss the other 17.

There’s often an emotional attachment to some of those pieces heading for donation: that great sweater you wore on vacation in 2005, those fantastic jeans you loved before you had kids, or the pair of to-die-for designer stilettos that pinch your toes. But here’s a harbinger of hope: in purging these pieces, not only will you give yourself some much-needed storage space, but you’ll also give someone less fortunate a great wardrobe. If you need some help, invite a (brutally honest) friend to help. Slowly you’ll lose track of time and start seeing progress.

Here’s another handy hint: contact your local charity before you begin the job to ask about their hours of operation. Once you’re done in the closet, it’s off to the charity. Don’t let items planned for donation linger in the house any longer than required. (You may be tempted to rehang them.) After the drop off, reward yourself at the local Starbucks or nail salon for a job well done.

Then it’s back to what stays. Pieces that return to the closet should be grouped together in a way that makes sense to you. You may want blouses separated from skirts, which might be apart from your pants. Or you may opt to keep formal wear away from casual clothes. Or you may choose to group by color. Think about how you select your outfits in the a.m., which can help come up with an organization strategy you can live with.

Once your closet is neat and ordered, remember to return all things to their designated area. There are great closet systems available that can help you maximize your closet space and wonderful accessories that can make life much easier, but culling through your closet is the first step. It’s a great way to spring ahead!

Andreas Messis and Stuart Reisch are co-founders of TransFORM, a custom storage solutions company based in New Rochelle, serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.