BroBean.com
Information that really helps

Myth: "I need more rooms, more closets, and more storage space before I can get organized."

Fact: By organizing the space you have, you gain the extra room, closet, or storage area you're seeking.

Analysis: If you don't learn how to store your belongings and possessions wisely and conscientiously you'll soon outgrow a house even the size of Buckingham Palace. It isn't the amount of space you have, but how you use it that counts. Although some homes can't supply even a meager place to begin the organizing process, you can still create your own storage area from scratch.

Myth: "I just did my spring-cleaning so I'm in good shape for another year or until it's so messy again I can't stand it."

Fact: Organizing is not synonymous with spring-cleaning or with periodic endeavors to straighten up.

Analysis: Proper organizing is a one-time project. With careful planning, you'll never restack, refold, or rearrange again. Good organizing creates a maintenance-free system that uses your daily routines to keep it in the same pristine condition as the day you finished organizing it. A beneficial by-product of organizing is that it counteracts and controls the bad habits that contributed to the clutter you now face.

Myth: "I just paid a small fortune to have my closet organized, so why is it a mess again?"

Fact: The closet wasn't "organized," it was remodeled. New shelves and closet rods can fall victim to the same disorder and disarray as readily as the old ones.

Analysis: Once the installation was complete, probably no one explained how to place your garments and accessories in the newly modeled closet. If you did the remodeling yourself, new hardware won't change the difficulties you've been facing with clutter. Learning the principles of organizing will lay the groundwork for using your newly modeled closet to meet your needs. 

Myth: "I must have too many clothes and not enough closet space because I waste time every day trying to find what I'm looking for. I spend far too much money on my wardrobe and my dry-cleaning bill is exorbitant, but every day I have to iron my outfit because it's so wrinkled when I take it out of the closet. I just don't have the time to do anything about it."   

Fact: Organizing arranges clothing evenly along the clothes rod, eliminating the crowded, crammed conditions that cause wrinkles. Organizing positions clothes and accessories for instant visibility and accessibility.

Analysis: Once you can see the clothes you own, future purchases will probably be more effective. You're more likely to buy a piece that blends with your existing wardrobe rather than buying a whole new outfit. That bargain buy won't seem like a bargain when you realize you already own three similar articles. Organizing shows the same old clothes in a new light, increasing versatility and wearability It also saves time. There will be no more needless trips to the cleaners and the ironing board, no more standing in front of the closet trying to remember what was supposed to go to the cleaners, no more relentless searching of the closet and the dresser drawer for the desired item.

Myth: "It's easier to buy another one of what I need than to spend half the day searching for the one that is out in the garage somewhere."

Fact: Repeatedly purchasing the same items and products is a common occurrence when you're disorganized. It is an admission of defeat, since you've allowed the clutter to control you rather than taking control of the clutter. Repeated purchases also perpetuate the original problem of too much clutter.

Analysis: Organizing systematically and methodically assigns a specific place for everything. You then know exactly and precisely where everything is: It will be easy to find a given item, and you'll put it away in the same place.

Myth: "I really do want to get organized, but it's just too much of a disaster after 15 years in the same house."

Fact: You've allowed yourself to be intimidated by the very prospect of organizing. Years of procrastination haven't helped; instead, take a little more time and read every page of this book.

Analysis: You're understandably overwhelmed, but that's because you've been viewing the chaotic conditions in their entirety. Break down the whole into smaller and more manageable parts. Then evaluate each smaller area of clutter and determine how to conquer it effectively Gradually, every section of the house -- taking one closet, one cabinet, one corner at a time -- will come under control.

Now that we've separated myth from fact, it's time to get started organizing that closet! In the next section, we will give you some tips that will help you on your path of organization.

Debra K. Melchior.  "How to Organize Your Closet".  March 29, 2006  http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-organize-your-closet.htm  (January 18, 2007)