Slim down your sweatshirt pile. Trim your t-shirt collection. HeckT whittle down that Zoom wardrobe.

Now that 2022 is here, it’s time to put your closet on a diet as you exercise your ability to organize!

Everyone knows the top New Year resolution is to get fit and lose weight. However, another and much more achievable reduction resolution involves ousting the extra weight in your wardrobe.

That’s right. If you can’t possibly part with carbs, try tossing a cardigan!

It’s no surprise January is known as Get Organized Month. There are lots of statistics to support the need for better organized spaces.

• We only wear 25 percent of the clothes in our closets. The rest of our clothes just hang there.

• We spend a year of our lives looking for lost or misplaced stuff, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers.

• 80 percent of the clutter in our homes is a result of disorganization, not lack of space.

• Getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association.

• 84 percent of Americans stress that their home isn’t organized enough.

Closets were designed to be a space for us to store our stuff, but most closets are a chaotic catch-all because they’re not designed properly. In fact, disorganized closets cost us money! Research suggests if you can’t find something in your disorganized closet – you’ll buy another one. In fact, we spend more than $2.7 billion a year replacing or duplicating missing possessions.

Closets by Design suggests these organizational ideas to slim down your bloat of blouses and handbags hidden behind the closet doors.

Out with the Old – As a famous ice queen once said, “Let it go!” If you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in over a year, then you probably won’t wear it again. Having trouble saying sayonara to that sweatshirt? Try this trick: Place items into a bin marked with the date. Give yourself 6 or 12 months. Any items that remain in the bin can be donated or tossed.

One In, One Out – For every new article of clothing you bring into your closet, get rid of a similar item. If you are feeling energized, up the ratio: one in, two out.

Optimize Your Space – The little things can really add up to a big mess. There are storage solutions for small items such as belts, scarfs, jewelry, ties, socks, etc. Sliding belt racks and jewelry drawers, provide simple opportunities to stash loose items and keep a closet organized. Adjustable shelves, cubbies and baskets make it easy to sock away articles of clothing, rather than allowing them to pile up on the floor.

Out of Sight – Stand-alone hampers are often unsightly and take up valuable space. Consider installing a tilt-out hamper built to stash away laundry or keep dry cleaning items separated and safe from the rest of the wash.

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