5 Steps to a Clean Closet

There’s nothing more frustrating than a messy closet. Instead of reaching in, grabbing what you need, and getting on with your day, you might find yourself sifting through out-dated items, searching for what you need, and wasting far too much time in a messy, overcrowded closet. If you are on the hunt for simple ways to whip your closet into shape, check out the ideas below and head into the new year with a sparkling, organized closet.

Take it all out. All of it.

As a first step to cleaning out your closet, you’re going to want to remove everything from within it and spread it out on a flat surface, like your bed, to see what you’re working with. Getting everything out of your closet will make putting things back in neatly possible and will allow you to make sure you’re using your space in the best way you can.

Donate what you don’t use.

After getting everything out of the closet, you’ll want to start sorting your items into categories. Your 3 main categories should be:

• Keep in the closet.
• Keep, but not in the closet.
• Donate.

A good rule of thumb is to donate anything you have not worn or that has not fit within the last year.

Get things out of the closet that don’t belong in the closet.

After sorting your items and donating the things that you don’t want or need to keep, you’ll have two piles left, “keep in the closet” and “keep, but not in the closet.” Before you start putting things back in the closet, you’ll want to find a place for everything that was formerly in the closet but really does not belong there. Common items that end up in clothing closets that really don’t belong include pillows, blankets and sentimental items like wedding dresses and never-to-be-worn-again bridesmaids dresses.

Give everything a place.

Now that you have one pile left, “keep in the closet”, you’ll want to be careful about how you place things back in the closet. Don’t simply put things back where they were, take your time to carefully evaluate your hanging space and your shelf space to optimize the space you have. Look for storage ideas online, make a plan that will work for your space and then carefully put everything back into a designated space.

Keep it neat and make it nice.

The final step toward organizing your closet is keeping it organized. You’ll want to be sure that you’re putting things back where they go after every use, and instead of waiting until the end of the year or springtime to do a cleanout, removing items you don’t use or need throughout the year.

Good luck to all those working towards a cleaner, more organized closet this year. With a little luck and a little hard work, you’ll have a space you love in no time!