This week I was lucky enough to work with a lovely woman and we reorganized her closet. I usually give some kind of homework to prepare for our work day, and sometimes people are able to do the homework, and others times they just can’t get to it. No judgment here – I know that one reason they call me in the first place is it’s a commitment to themselves to work on their stuff.Anyway, her homework was to sort through her clothes to see what she did and did not want. During the consultation I mentioned that I have found that people who have a lot of dry cleaning tend to have a LOT of hangers in their closet, taking up valuable space. It wasn’t necessarily part of the homework, but that comment really stood out to her and as she sorted through her clothes, she made a point to pull out the dry cleaning hangers. Turns out, she had a huge trash bag full of hangers. She was surprised at how many she had, but I wasn’t. I see this in so many closets.
Tonight’s homework: purge! Hangers are actually a big space hogger in many closets. Dry cleaning hangers are the worst because it’s a never ending supply of hangers coming in, and few going out. The best solution I have found is a no brainer – pull out the hangers! Haha – but really that’s the solution.You may be asking, “But what do I do with them?” Good question. I think that might be the reason most people don’t pull out their hangers – that and it never really occurred to them to do so. So I am going to tell you what to do with your hangers!
Regular hangers.If you have mostly regular hangers, have a place in your closet where you collect them. For me that is the area of my closet near my belts. I do not have a “dead space” in my closet, but if I did that is where I would collect my hangers, and I often set up the dead space in other peoples closets as the hanger area. I usually can make it through 2 weeks before having to do the laundry. (I think that is awesome and I can make it that long because I have enough underwear to make it that far! Haha!) In the mean time, every few days, or sometimes when I am dressing, I move the hangers to their designated spot. I like to do this because somehow it helps me see what I’ve got left to wear. I’m not sifting through empty hangers to get a good view. That’s what works for me. Give it a try.
Dry Cleaning hangers. If you regularly get items dry cleaned, then you need to get a dry cleaning hanger recycling bag in your closet. (I got this one at the Container Store.) This is the best invention! (I wish I had thought of it!) It really fills a need. I also recommend having a regular place to put your clothes when you bring them home from the dry cleaner so you can process them! Yes, I said process them. That means all the plastic comes off, the twisty that holds the group of hangers together comes off, and any tissue can be pulled out and thrown away. A hearty yank from the bottom can get the plastic off in one swipe. This cuts out the irritation of having to do this each time you want to wear an item. As you wear an item, you will now have a free hanger, which will likely never be used again, so a few times a week, or as you are dressing, place the hanger in the hanger bag. When it is full, pull out the hangers and hand them back to the dry cleaner. If you want to be really clever – knot the bottom of a dry cleaning bag and insert the bag into the hanger holder. Just let the excess flow out of the holder (like lining a trash can). When the bag is full; hand the bag back to the dry cleaner. Easy peasy.
How do you manage your hangers?
Are they managed at all?!?
Share your ideas!
About the Author:
Maureen Guzman is a certified professional organizer who lives in Katy, TX and helps people all over the Houston area from Fulshear to Cypress to Memorial to West U. She and her team are passionate about gently helping people make choices to improve their lives through decluttering and organizing.