How to Spring Clean Your Closet

The beginning of spring means a lot of new things.  Things such as new classes, weather, and events are the firsts to round out your schedule.  It is important to not forget about your essential spring cleaning and the best place to start is your closet!  Read on to learn how to get a beautifully organized closet, at school or at home, step-by-step.

Step 1: Clean your room (or at least make your bed)!  This step is essential because it is nearly impossible to organize your closet if the rest of your room is a mess.  A surface like a bed is perfect for getting a start on step 2…

Step 2: Take out everything from your closet, even if it means digging to the very back to those clothes from middle school.  Place each item in an organized pile according to its category, such as “shirts”, “dresses”, etc.

Step 3: Now is your chance to reinvent your wardrobe- just in time for spring!  Separate everything into three piles: “Keep”, “Store”, “Giveaway”.  The items in your “Keep” pile should be things you would wear any day and feel totally comfortable in.  The “Store” pile should consist of seasonal items, such as shorts during colder months or items you do not want to part with just yet.  You have a couple options with your giveaway pile.  One fun idea is to plan a swap party with your friends.  Everyone brings a couple items that they do not see themselves wearing anymore, but that a friend might love!  Another option is to donate your gently-used clothing to an organization, such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill.  If you want to make some cash for your clothes, check out a consignment store such as Plato’s Closet or Uptown Cheapskate.  These stores will your clothes and shoes for money in order to sell to their customers.

Step 4: It is time to pick out your organizational tools.  I prefer a shoe rack to hang on the back of my closet door.  This leaves floor space on your closet floor for a laundry basket or boots.  To make your closet look perfectly organized, professionals recommend hangers that are all one color or style.  If you own a lot of skirts, it is best to invest in a skirt hanger.  With a skirt hanger, you can stack many skirts in one compact space.    

Step 5:  Organize all of your items in your keep pile either by style or color.  For easy accessibility in picking outfits, I recommend organizing by style.  If you want your closet to have a fun, boutique feel, order your clothes by color.

Step 6:  Move on to all of those t-shirts you have acquired from college and other events. Here, you should apply the same method of the 3 piles.  For the t-shirts you are keeping, I recommend folding t-shirts and stacking them by sleeve length. Organization by length can also be applied to workout clothes, sweatpants, and shorts.    

Step 7: It is time to work out all of the odds and ends in your closet.  Stackable organizers are perfect for items such as bras, underwear, socks, and tights. They are easily storable and leave space in your dresser for larger items. You may also find that extra units in the organizers that you do not use can be used to store photos, office supplies, old school work, or anything else that does not already have a home in your room.
 

Now that you know all the secrets to organizing your wardrobe, get started!  Cleaning out your closet for spring is a great fresh start and is the perfect excuse to go shopping!