Many men will say in a joking way that they are “scared” to look in their wives or girlfriend’s purse. There is something about a purse that seems to intimidate or put them off. But what women truly know is that keeping your purse organized is a lot harder than it seems.

Sometimes your purse just seems like a cavernous black hole where things disappear, never to surface again. Your lipstick, keys, cell phone and other valued items all go missing. How do you truly keep your purse organized and the items in it labeled properly?

Begin by taking everything out of your purse and cleaning your purse thoroughly. A lot of women discover through this exercise that they are a) either carrying way too many things or b) truly need a larger purse for needed items. This little exercise is the best way to discover.

Once you’ve got everything in front of you, it’s time to sort. Make three piles: must-keep, recycle/refuse and reconsider. The first two are probably quite easy. You are going to want your car keys and cell phone with you at all times. But do you need to carry your allergy medicine – when it is not allergy season? Or what about the sixteen lip glosses? Make the tough choices and lighten your load.

Refill your purse now will ONLY your must-have items. It will be such a treat to see that your purse is surprisingly light. But are you truly being honest with yourself? There may be other items that you need to carry – that you aren’t including. This exercise only works when you are including everything you really need or don’t need. Sometimes you discover you need a larger purse, which is a better discovery than to have to reorganize your purse again.

Understand that organizing your purse is an ongoing process. The savvy woman does light organizing of her purse every couple of days. She’ll add and subtract items as she needs them. She may also occasionally add personal id labels to certain items in her purse.

Many of us get busy and okay, a little forgetful of exactly what we’ve put in there. But getting rid of seasonal items or things you only use on weekends can truly do you a favor.

As you organize your purse, make sure to ICE your telephone and include the same info in your purse. ICE is In Case of Emergency contacts you add to your telephone. If anything happens this means someone can easily contact someone on your behalf. Add the same information to your purse on an index card (remember cell phones sometimes don’t have power).

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No more squishing silky summer shirts between winter parka and wool slacks. Wools need to breathe. We need to make more room in your closet by stashing away your cottons and summer silks.

Not a good idea to store clothes in plastic garment bags or air-tight plastic boxes. Always discard the dry-cleaner bags as soon as you get home. Plastic keeps fabrics from breathing and can discolor and rot them. Whatever moisture remains in the fiber can help mold and mildew grow. Any gases emitted from the plastic can be absorbed by the fabric serving only to accelerate the aging process.

Empty the pockets of everything you’re putting away till spring. Launder or dry-clean everything before putting them away. This ensures that stains from sweat, perfume or spilled wine do not get set in the clothes. “Stains become a food source for carpet beetles and moths,” says Jonathan Scheer, president of J. Scheer & Co., a New York textile preservationist. “These bugs will eat through the fabric to get to the food.” That’s another reason putting away starched clothes is not a good idea. Starch will feed bugs and also weaken the fabric making it more brittle and can lead to permanent stains in humid environments.

Label storage boxes and trunks with their contents. It makes it easier all around come Spring.

Line your storage closet, trunk or drawer with cedar panels. Alternatively toss in a few cedar blocks. By sanding boards and block ever year or two you can effectively rejuvenate the cedar fragrance. The scent repels moths and discourages them from laying eggs.

Store fabric in a cool, dark and dry place. Garages, attics and unfinished basements is a poor place to store clothes.

Underutilized closets or chest of drawers in a spare room for instance is the ideal place to store your off-season clothes. You may consider offering to pay your cleaner $20 or $30 to store a season’s load of clothes for you just like expensive leathers and furs.