Isolation to do list: 7 steps to an organised closet

If you’ve already slept in today, have gone for an isolated neighbourhood stroll, made a couple of House Party video calls and are now pacing aimlessly around the house, it’s time to pick a task.

If the thought of deep cleaning the entire house for entertainment’s sake makes you want to reach for pyjamas, think smaller.

The closet is an area that gets an overhaul once a year if it’s lucky, and it can be tackled in stages.

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That makes it the prime candidate for beginning your quarantine deep clean.

1. Pull everything out 

To start fresh you need a blank canvas. Empty out all the balled up sweaters, forgotten outfits and baskets of accessories.

If you have a lot of things, this could take more time than anticipated so it’s not a chore to tackle before bed.

Empty shelves will give you a clear idea of what space you have.

2. Sort into keep, sell, and donate piles

Vogue fashion writer Liana Satenstein has tackled many designer-laden closets, but her de-cluttering maths can be applied by anyone.

“Whenever I shrink someone’s closet, I ask them when the last time they wore a piece was. I give them a 30-day limit, and if they haven’t worn it in 30 days, it’s time to say goodbye,” she writes.

With the exception of items that are out of season, or for special occasions.

Items that don’t fit, have been worn once, that you no longer love, or are holding onto for sentimental reasons alone can go.

If you have hoarding tendencies, phone in a friend to assist with the decision making.

While in lockdown you won’t be able to donate or sell your items, so pack up those piles into boxes for storage.

3. Mend, stain-remove, de-pile and iron

If the things in the “to keep” pile includes clothes you don’t wear because they’re stained, damaged or covered in piling, put those aside to mend another day this week.

If they go back in the closet as is, they’ll continue to gather dust. Online tutorials provide plenty of advice on how to remove marks and care for different materials with common household products.

Taking piling off old sweaters and cardigans before winter will make them look new again and can be done with a pair of sharp scissors or razor.

Didn’t have time to properly iron your work shirts? Well you do now, even if the only people that see them for now are on Zoom. Otherwise stockpiling freshly pressed clothing goes against no one’s rules.

4. Organise by type/colour

Now that you’ve sorted out the things you want to keep, it’s time to arrange and store them neatly.

Separate the clothes according to their purpose: work wear, casual clothes, at home/WFH clothes, sleep wear, jackets, coats, gym clothes, and so on. If you have a smaller space, it might pay to store heavy knits and occasional wear right at the back, or underneath your bed.

Bring your everyday items to the front.

5. Undies and socks ​

Part with the unmentionables that have too many holes to deserve a place in the drawer and try to pair up all the odd socks. Under normal circumstances you might part with these, but no one is going to see mismatched socks at home – so embrace them.

Stack bras on top of each other rather than folding them and they’ll last longer.

6. Squeaky clean shoes 

We can’t buy new things for some time, so it’s important to take care of the things we do have and to make them look their best. While time is on your side, make a plan to polish the winter boots that need some love and to wash and brighten up sad-looking sneakers.

Supermarkets do stock shoe polish if you don’t already have it in your arsenal.

Pull out sneaker laces out and put them through the washing machine with stain remover, or a dash of bleach if they’re particularly old. Canvas shoes can be hand washed with laundry products and left to dry in the sun.

7. Make it smell fresh

Baking soda often gets used to remove stains, but it’s also an excellent odour absorbent. Add two-three tablespoons of the pantry staple to a breathable container and find a spot where it won’t be knocked. A full opened box of baking soda will keep a closet space smelling fresh for up to a year.

Likewise, sprinkling baking soda into shoes or laundry hampers will also help to absorb any sweat, mould, or unfriendly-smell causing mildew.

This story originally appeared on stuff.co.nz