How to deal with a floordrobe

Floor-drobe (noun)

A collection of clothes that, realistically, should be hung or folded and put away in drawers, but instead reside at the bottom of one’s wardrobe or simply scattered on the floor.

Deal with (verb)

Finding a way to get it done that works for you!

Here are my 5 SUPER simple tips to deal with a floordrobe!

1-

Ditch trying to be a Domestic Goddess and get a chair

If you are someone who is never going to be that person who comes home, changes into their comfy clothes, and then hangs up your work clothes, getting a chair or having a blanquette at the end of your bed is the next best thing. Having a chair handy in your bedroom means that you can at least pop all of your clothes in one spot with the intention of hanging it up at the end of the week (more on that below!). I personally will never be someone who hangs up their clothes every day (although I have created my dream job of wearing activewear every day which only needs a container to dump it all in!). If the idea of hanging up your clothes every day makes you roll your eyes and wonder who the people are who actually do that, don’t choose to fight a losing battle. 

Pop a chair in the corner of your room or a seat at the end of your bed and dedicate it to the not-ready-to-wash clothes pile. There is no shame in creating a system that WORKS for you. 

I tend to pop my clothes away either at the end of the week or a few times throughout the week to keep it all ticking along. Allowing a pile to get larger than the chair itself is a no-no though, as you are simply creating another problem. Agree with yourself that you will clear out the chair at least once a week, or if you rampage through the wardrobe trying to find that perfect outfit. 

 

2-

Invest in flocked or hangers with grips (so everything doesn’t fall off all the time)

I have seen so many floordrobes that have been created due to clothing not staying on hangers. It really isn’t your fault if your floordrobe is due to hangers that no longer serve you. Donate your current hangers and invest in a set that work for you.

Flocked hangers are those coathangers that have a velvety texture to them. Floaty tops, tops or dresses with broad shoulder cuts and slips are notorious for falling off your standard grooved coat hanger. Flocked hangers are perfect for the modern-day wardrobe as they hold even the most delicate materials in place. You can pick up flocked hangers super cheap at your local homeware store (in Australia, Kmart is a great option). Count out how many tops, dresses, pants, t-shirts you want to hang to get an idea of how many hangers you need to purchase. I think the record number I have purchased for one home is close to 400!

An alternative option to flocked hangers is wire hangers covered in a rubber grip. Although not as effective as flocked hangers, wire hangers covered in some sort of grip-like material (think soft rubber) are perfect for heavy fabrics and winter coats. I also recommend wire hangers for people who are more likely to pull down on hangers than carefully take the clothing item off the hanger. Wire hangers are much sturdier than flocked hangers but can be a heftier investment.

3-

Accept that you will never “feel” like putting away or washing your clothes

But you WILL appreciate the outcome. Creating a little system of either what day you put away your clothes (eg. every Thursday night) or when the chair/designated holding area gets full will take the effort out of knowing when you should give your room a quick spruce. having a handy washing basket in your bedroom also means you can easily dump the clothes that need washing. 

If you are waiting for a time when you “feel” like putting stuff away, doing the washing, or some sort of divine intervention, rest assured you will be waiting for the better part of a year. If you end up waiting weeks to put stuff away, you essentially create another problem - you need half a day to put away and sort out your clothes. Opt for the eye-rolling, 15 minutes every week over the hours every few months.

It won’t ever get more interesting, but it WILL get easier. Create a few mini-systems that work for you!

4-

Only fill the space you HAVE

If you are fighting a losing battle with space, it may be time to do a thorough cull of the stuff you own.

If you have one wardrobe and one set of drawers, that is the space you can fill with your clothes. Avoid taking over the 2nd bedroom and half of your kid’s wardrobe - you are only postponing decisions by moving stuff around. Set a limit on how much clothing you own at any given time by the amount of available storage you have. If you have ended up in a situation of waaaay too many clothes, a proper declutter session will give you clarity in terms of what you own as well as preventing you from buying more!  Once you know what you already own, you are far less likely to repurchase the same or a similar item. 

5-

Reduce the clutter and donate clothes you don’t wear to people who need them

Having clothing sit in your wardrobe that you never wear (including the clothes that still have the tags on them!) simply creates both mental and physical clutter in your life. You can start a campaign to sell your stuff, but if you are way too busy, just donate the clothing. There are plenty of people around the globe who need low-cost clothing. By donating, the clothing you no longer love or use is helping out another human rather than collecting dust in a dark corner!

And there you have it: create systems that work for you, get some quality hangers so you aren't pushing a cart uphill, JFDI the putting away and washing of the clothes (it's always a pain!), don't drown your room with clothing, and be thoughtful about getting rid of stuff you don't need!