How to Clean and Organize Apartment Closets

That Cleaning Girl · Apartment Cleaning

Apartment closets work hard. In a small space, they hold your clothes, your coats, your cleaning supplies, your holiday decorations and probably the vacuum, too. When the closet gets messy, the mess spills out into the rest of the apartment. In How to Keep an Apartment Smelling Fresh with a Dog or Cat we talked about keeping your space fresh. Here we take on the spaces behind the doors.

Empty it completely

It is tempting to just straighten up. But a real closet clean starts with taking everything out. Pick one closet at a time and empty it onto the bed or the floor. It is the only way to clean the shelves and floor properly and see what you actually have.

Use three piles or bags as you go:

• Keep: things you use and love.
• Donate or sell: things in good shape that you do not use.
• Toss: broken, stained or worn-out things.

Be honest. If it has not been worn in a year and it does not fit your life, it is taking up valuable space in a small apartment.

Take the donate pile to the car right away, before you have a chance to change your mind. Many towns around Ellis County have donation drop-offs that are open most days, and some charities will even pick up larger loads.

Clean the empty closet

With everything out, clean it top to bottom.

• Dust or wipe the top shelf and the wall above it.
• Wipe the closet rod. It collects more dust than you think.
• Wipe the shelves and any built-in drawers.
• Wipe the door, the handle and the door track if it slides.
• Vacuum the floor and the corners, then wipe the baseboard.
• Check the corners for cobwebs, dust bunnies or signs of pests.

Closets in older apartments can get musty, especially if they share a wall with the bathroom. Leave the door open for a while after cleaning, and if a smell lingers or you see moisture, let maintenance know.

Bedroom closets

Put back only what you are keeping, and organize it so it is easy to put away later.

• Use matching slim hangers to fit more and make it look neater.
• Group clothes by type: shirts, pants, dresses, jackets.
• Put the things you wear most at eye level and in the middle.
• Store out-of-season clothes in bins on the top shelf or under the bed.
• Add a shoe rack on the floor or over the door.

The coat closet

The coat closet by the front door is often the most crowded closet in an apartment. Keep only the coats and jackets that are in season, and store the rest. Add hooks on the inside of the door for bags, umbrellas and leashes. A small basket on the shelf works for hats, gloves and sunglasses.

In North Texas, you might only need heavy coats a few weeks a year. Those can live in a vacuum bag under the bed most of the year.

The linen closet

Fold towels and sheets the same way so they stack neatly. Keep each sheet set together by folding everything inside one of the pillowcases. Store only two sets of sheets per bed and two to three towels per person. Anything beyond that takes up space you could use for something else.

Use the top shelf for things you need rarely, like the guest air mattress or a spare blanket, and keep everyday items between your waist and eye level. A small bin for first aid and medicine on one shelf keeps them out of the bathroom, where the humidity is not good for them anyway. Leave a little room between stacks so air can move and towels do not get a musty smell.

The utility or cleaning closet

If you have a closet for the vacuum, mop and cleaning supplies, give everything a spot. A hanging rack or hooks for the broom and mop keep them off the floor. A caddy on the shelf holds your sprays and cloths so you can grab it and go. Be careful not to store anything in the HVAC or water heater closet, since many leases do not allow it and maintenance needs clear access.

Keep it organized

Once your closet is clean, a few habits keep it that way:

• One in, one out. When you buy something new, let something old go.
• Do a five-minute straighten every Sunday.
• Do a full clean and declutter each season.

Clutter in the closet can make the whole apartment feel tight. Renters in Waxahachie, Midlothian and the south DFW area who keep their closets in shape find their whole place easier to clean.

Keep a donation bag on the closet floor so letting things go is always easy.

Learn more about our small-space cleans on our apartment cleaning services page. Next, we look at storage ideas that make the rest of your apartment easier to clean.