Once you get your rugs vacuumed and your bathroom floors scrubbed, there’s one big task on your cleaning to-do list left. It’s the task of tasks, the peak of the tidiness mountain: spring cleaning your closet.
In our opinion, it’s about the worst chore there is to do. It’s time-consuming, requires quite a bit of effort, and there’s no way to cut any corners—but the reward makes it all worth it. There’s nothing like opening your closet to a space that’s organized and has all of your clothes on full display, and nothing you don’t wear anymore in the way of what you want to grab.
Cleaning out the closet you have is the first step to creating the closet of your dreams. It’s go time.
Step 1: Get into the zone
Before you rush to get started, take the time and prepare yourself for success. You can start by making a playlist, lighting a candle, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee. Also, have whatever you’re planning on putting your “to be donated” and “to be tossed” clothes in handy and clearly labeled—be it a garbage bag or cardboard boxes. Also, keep storage handy so you can pack away your seasonal clothes that you won’t be wearing for a while.
Step 2: Begin purging
While there’s no perfect method for where to start with this since everything will eventually be purged, I’m partial to starting at the top of my closet and working my way down. You can start by making a cut by getting rid only of the most essential items.
Grab a stack of clothes and start sorting them. That pair of pants that you haven’t worn since 2016? Donate. The top with a red wine stain that you swore you’d get out eventually but never did? Toss.
When you’re in this phase of cleaning, it’s so important to actually try things on during the process—especially things you’re unsure about. It’s easy to tell the difference between jeans that fit like a glove and those that don’t. A try-on can help you make your final decision. The same goes for things you haven’t touched in a while. You could have every plan to wear that top that still has the tags on that you bought two summers ago, but could try it on and realize that it doesn’t even fit you anymore.
It’s also important to remove some sentiment here. I have a collection of crop tops that I cherish from college. But, am I going to ever wear them again. No. Donating things (many of which are passed down to my sister) helps ease the pain of getting rid of some things but keep yourself consistently asking the question, “Does this piece make me feel my best?” If it doesn’t, it has no room in your wardrobe.
Step 3: Store seasonal items
If you live somewhere with seasons, packing away the pieces that aren’t going to be seeing the light of day for a few months is half the battle. Put away your down parkas and pom hats.
It’s important to put your seasonal clothes into some perspective while you’re purging. Right now, you’re probably sick of all of your sweaters and jeans, but the ones you’re questioning now could feel exciting and new once you break them out again come fall. The same goes for your summer clothes. Everything probably looks exciting and wearable now since it’s been so long since we’ve seen them, so keep your head on straight and think about what you’ll actually be able to wear. If you have a skirt or shirt that you absolutely love but you’ve just never been able to make work, it’s time to bid adieu.
However you choose to store your seasonal clothes, wait until the very end to actually put them in storage—you never know what you’re going to decide to add or subtract from the pile until you’re actually done sorting through everything.
Step 4: Take into account the one-year rule
We have high hopes for many items in the wardrobe, but they never materialize. It’s painful to have to get rid of things that we feel haven’t lived up to their potential, but the reality is this: If you haven’t worn something in a year or more, you aren’t going to (save for special occasion wear, obviously).
Figure out which pieces those are for you—the ones that you’ve simply outgrown or just ended up not working for you. If they’re in good shape, put them aside to be taken to donate once we’re able.
To ensure your future, it is a good idea to hang all your clothes on a hanger facing you. Flip the hanger over every time you touch something. Then, it’ll be obvious which clothes you touched throughout the year and which you didn’t, because some hangers will be in their original position.
Step 5 Organize the Keepers
Once you’ve decided which pieces are staying and which are going, decide which method would be best for organizing them. Maybe you need to order some organization items to put them in later, and that’s OK. For now, fold everything neatly and hang things in a logical order. Since you now have less to deal with, organizing everything in a way that’s accessible and easy to see will make you feel like you have a whole new wardrobe.
Step 6: Decide where your “donation” bin should go
This step is more difficult than usual due to current circumstances. However, you can still prepare them and have them ready for when they can be dropped off. If you have old workwear that can be donated, consider setting them aside to be given to an organization like Dress for Success. Once you have separated your workwear, search for local shelters and thrift shops that accept donations. Then, organize it according to guidelines and store them in a closet until they are taken.
Step 7: Fill in any gaps
Now that the grunt-work is over, it’s time to take a step back and assess your situation.
Maybe you noticed a hole at the toe of all your socks while cleaning. Perhaps you realized that you only have one pair or jeans that fits you. Make a list and divide it in two columns.
- Your hero pieces: The items you’d never consider getting rid of because you reach for them time and time again
- Pieces you feel like you need:These are the pieces you think you should purchase first
Writing down your hero products can help you see how much you already have—if a leather jacket made it onto your list, you don’t need to consider buying another one the next time you see one on sale.
It can help you prioritize your future shopping by noting what pieces you need. If you know you want to invest in a good pair of white denim since your old pair didn’t make the cut, you’ll be less tempted to buy a trendy item that shows up in your email inbox next week. This doesn’t mean you need to replace All the things you got rid of—it just means that once you get around to wanting to shop, that you have a mental picture of the things you should snag first.
Source: The Every Girl
