10 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Closet

Spring is the season of new beginnings. And for many folks, that means it’s time to tackle one of the most daunting tasks of the year: spring cleaning. While cleaning your entire home can be overwhelming, working on just one small area at a time makes the process much more manageable.

One area that is often in need of some serious decluttering and organizing is your closet. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the mess in your closet, don’t worry! With these spring cleaning tips, you’ll be able to tackle your closet with confidence and ditch things that no longer serve you.

 

1 — Remove Everything from the Closet and Sort It Into Piles

Take all your clothes and accessories out of your closet and sort them into three categories: keep, donate and discard. If you have any items that are still in good condition but no longer fit well, donate them to a local charity.

After sorting through all your clothes, only keep the items you love and wear regularly. If some pieces are hanging around after this step — and there probably will be — it’s time to go through them again with another question: Do I absolutely need this? If not, toss it in a box or bag and give it away.

 

2 — Organize Your Shoes in Shoe Boxes

Shoes are tough to keep organized, so try using shoe boxes to keep them in storage until you need them again. Label the box with the shoe type, size and color. Organize the boxes by style. For example, keep all of your comfortable sandals in one place and your athletic shoes in another. Make sure your comfortable heels for women are easily accessible for work.

Keep shoes in a dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight or heat sources. Avoid storing them in bathrooms or kitchens where humidity levels fluctuate wildly throughout the day. These fluctuations will damage leather and other materials over time.

 

3 — Ditch Anything You Haven’t Worn in 12+ Months

The most important step to creating a clean closet is removing clothes and accessories you don’t need. If you haven’t worn it in at least a year, you probably don’t need it — unless it’s a special outfit you reserve for certain occasions like funerals or weddings. Hang on to your favorite vacation shoes, too! Remember: It’s better to have fewer pieces that suit all occasions than to have lots of outfits with only one or two uses for each.

 

4 — Donate Anything That Doesn’t Fit

There is no reason to hang onto clothes that don’t fit. Even if they fit okay but just aren’t comfortable, get rid of them. Permit yourself to purge things that are too small. If you return to a former size, you’ll want to celebrate by buying new clothes anyway, so donate too-small clothing to charity.

 

5 — Trash Items with Holes or Stains

If you have items with holes or stains, throw them away. It doesn’t hurt to keep a holey shirt and an older pair of jeans to wear when working around the house but don’t go overboard. Ditch most everything you can no longer wear due to damage.

 

6 — Organize Your Clothes by Category

When organizing your clothes by category, keep like items together. For example, all your shirts should be in one place, and all your pants should be in another. Divide your clothes into categories like «work wear» and «casual wear,» too. This makes it easy to locate exactly what you need when getting ready and reduces the chance of getting something mixed up when trying on an outfit.

Store items you wear often at eye level so they are easy to grab. It’s also helpful to store seasonal items in the back of your closet so that they don’t get lost among other things.

 

7 — Maximize Space with Closet Organizers or Shelving Units

To make the most of the space in your closet, consider investing in shelving units or closet organizers. These can be installed on the floor and hung from the ceiling, giving you extra storage without taking up any extra room. There are countless organizers and shelving units on the market — from simple wire baskets on wheels to more elaborate wooden structures with drawers.

If you decide to install a new closet system, make sure that it’s sturdy enough for whatever items you plan on storing on it. Remember that things like winter coats and sweaters are heavier than flowy blouses and t-shirts.

 

8 — Use Hooks or Hanging Organizers to Store Belts and Accessories

If you have a lot of belts, scarves and jewelry, use hooks on the wall instead of putting them in drawers. You can also use hooks to hang shoes or purses (especially if they’re too bulky for a shelf). Hanging organizers are another good way to keep things tidy.

Consider hanging hats on the inside of a closet door. This way, they won’t take up any room on shelves or in drawers. You can use hooks or an organizer for this purpose.

 

9 — Avoid Overcrowding Your Closet

Avoiding overcrowding is hard, especially when you have a lot of clothes. But it’s important not just because it keeps your closet tidy, but because it makes things easier to find.

If you have too many garments in one section of your closet, take some time out during spring cleaning season to purge or move things around so that they’re spaced out more evenly throughout the space.

 

10 — Make a List of What You Have

When you go through your closet after cleaning it, take some time to list the things that you kept and love. This will help you remember what you already own when shopping for new clothes.

 

Conclusion

Spring cleaning your closet may seem daunting, but with these tips, you can tackle it like a pro. Remember to take your time, break the task into manageable steps and stay focused on your goal of creating a more organized and functional space. By decluttering and donating or trashing things that no longer serve you, you can make room for the items you love and actually wear. And once your closet is in tip-top shape, it will be easier to get ready in the morning and feel confident and put-together all season long. So why not take a few hours this weekend to spring clean your closet and start the season off on the right foot? Your future self will thank you!