A Quick Guide to a Closet Cleanup
You always say you’ll get to it, but something always seems to take over those free weekend minutes. Make your closet cleanup less of a time drain with this two-hour plan. And let’s admit it, 30 minutes at a time also feels much less daunting!
To start, some stylists suggest emptying your closet… not us! That’s a strategy that will leave mounds of clothes on the floor when you’re called back downstairs to help with the science project.
Use the 4 P rules:
First you Purge, then you Prep, next you Plan, so you can Play!
PURGE: (set timer for 30 minutes)
Quickly go piece-by-piece to determine if it’s a keeper, nice enough to consign or worthy of a donation.
You know the ol’ “if you haven’t worn it in a year” rule, yet give yourself some exceptions: Keep animal prints, polka dots, leather and fur since they constantly go in and out of vogue. As for the clothing that “will fit again in 5 pounds”, keep a favorite piece out for inspiration, but put the others in a bin, out of site. Use this list of Trend Proof Clothing as a guide.
Get rid of any clothes that have lost its shape or has a stain. Put any pieces that need alteration directly into a reusable grocery bag and throw down the stairs to put right into your car.
Remember, this is not a Closet Edit where we must try on and analyze the fit, form and value of each piece, but instead a quick clean out and organization session.
PREP (second half hour)
Switch the seasons. Take out all winter clothing and heavy sweaters, clean, and place directly in an airtight container (with a nice smelling sachet) and store in basement. Make sure everything is clean or it will attract moths. While down there, bring up all summer wardrobe pieces.
Step back. Where are the trouble spots that are causing the chaos? Is it shoes, bags, belts, scarves? Is there not enough space for shoes or handbags? Not enough hanging space or drawer space? No space for long pieces or accessories? Simply too many clothes? We’ll deal with trouble spots after a bit of organization.
PLAN (three quarters of the way done)
Group items by type, for example hang dresses next to skirts, hang pants next to tops and jackets at the end. On the opposite side next to dresses, hang those special occasion pieces. Be sure to group tops by blouses, tunics and button-down shirts. Then color coordinate each section from lightest (left) to darkest (right).
Cotton shirts, t-shirts and tops work better when folded. Stack by color. Lightweight sweaters get folded into another pile, ideally separated by some sort of divider. I use shoe shelving to divide sweaters and handbags.
PLAY (last 30 minutes)
Now’s the time to rearrange things to maximize space and lose those trouble spots. Is there wasted space at the top of the closet, but you have a pile of shoes on the floor? Buy a shelf and put those fancy dancy shoes up there.
Don’t hop on the computer to purchase storage pieces until you take measurements. Buy shelf dividers (all in the same color) for shoes, buy baskets for scarves and a loop for belts. The goal is to make it simple to stay organized and have fun playing in that chaos-free closet of yours!
Do you know you have a closet full of clothes that you never wear, unsure of how to style or whether you should keep them?