Fibber McGee's closet, from the 1940s radio show
"Fibber McGee and Molly," was famous for containing an
overwhelming amount of stuff. Each episode required that
Fibber retrieve something critical to the show's plot
from the infamous closet. With great trepidation, Molly
would ask if he was sure it was in the closet and not
somewhere else. He was sure, because in this closet he
kept all the stuff that was either "too good to throw
away" or that he "might need someday." And then he would
open the closet door. After 30 seconds of the clattering
sound of lots of stuff falling out of the closet, he
would proudly announce his find, usually accompanied by
his becoming distracted over something unrelated that he
discovered at the same time. "I gotta get that closet
cleaned out one of these days" was the usual statement he
would make once the racket subsided. And so, Fibber
McGee's closet entered the American vernacular as an
expression synonymous with household clutter.
If you're the owner of a Fibber McGee closet and are
fed up with the clutter, now is the perfect time to do
something about it.
Whether your closet is the size of someone else's
bedroom or minuscule, having it be well-organized is a
feeling everyone can appreciate.
Let's work with the premise that it's a clothing
closet, as this is usually the most overwhelming.
First, approach this process by deciding if you just
need new dividers in the drawers, a whole new closet
system or something in between. However much or little
you want to spend achieving a well-organized closest, the
choice is yours. There are a number of stores that
provide everything from custom-designed closet systems to
storage bags, all so you can make your closet worthy of
inviting guests to view how beautiful it is.
Once you decide which route to follow, the next step
is to decide what you're going to put into your newly
organized closet.
This is the hardest part of the process, because
making decisions about what to release from your life can
be difficult. Like Fibber McGee, you probably think it's
either too good to throw away or you might need it
someday.
This is also the time to express the ruthless side of
your personality, to make decisions without hesitation
and to let go of "stuff."
The easiest way to approach this process is by taking
items out of the closet and examining each piece of
clothing to determine if: (a) it still fits you, (b) you
feel good wearing it, (c) it's still in style and (d) you
need it. If it meets all four criteria, you keep it. If
it meets the obvious three, keep it. If it meets only
two, it's debatable; if it meets just one, it's gone.
Start a "gone" pile. Have another pile and call it
"maybe." There are several ways to dispose of these
items.
FORGET FIBBER = CLOSETS AREN'T HARD TO ORGANIZE!
A well-organized closet makes good use of
shelves, drawers and cubbies, as well as hanging rods.
But culling the contents is key.
Neatly put each item you're keeping back in the
closet. "A place for everything and everything in its
place" is an expression attributed to Isabella Beeton,
British writer on "domestic science" from the mid-1800s
and considered to be the Martha Stewart of her time. The
expression has lasted this long for good reason, so hold
it as your mantra as you decide where to put things.
After everything you've decided is worthy of keeping
is put in its proper place, you should have two piles to
deal with: the "gone" and the "maybe." The "gone" pile is
easy: You're going to give it away.
The "maybe" pile may be harder to deal with, so this
is where your ruthless side can kick in. "If in doubt,
throw it out" is an expression my mother-in-law taught me
about questionable food items, but it's also applicable
to stuff. If you're hesitating over it, someone less
fortunate will be grateful for it, so add it to the
"gone" pile.
Many charities gladly take used clothing, so bundle
everything up neatly. Your charitable donation may garner
you a tax deduction, so get a receipt. Check with your
tax adviser when you prepare your taxes to see if you can
take the deduction. Or you can take it to a clothing
consignment shop; if it's still fashionable and in good
condition, you'll get a few dollars for it after it's
sold.
It's extremely cathartic to let go of stuff, to pare
down to the best of what you have and share the rest. And
to easily find what you want, when you want it, without a
closetful of stuff falling down when you go looking for
something, is one of the best feelings in the world.
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