Summer closet clean out

Summer is here and while the world is slowly reopening, many of us are still spending a lot of time at home. Seems like a great time to organize your closet.

Attack your closet, one section at a time

This is going to take a while, so be prepared. In order to really get your closet organized, you’ll eventually have to remove everything – but you don’t want to remove ALL of it and risk getting overwhelmed and quitting in the middle. Think about what section you can remove and put back within an hour or two. This way, you’ll have energy and motivation to return to your closet for another section soon after.

As you uncover more sections, clean as you go – the shelves, sweep the floor and wipe down anything else that needs it. You will want to put your clothing back into a clean closet.

Sorting

Sort the clothing into categories: keep, sell, donate and throw out.

Really consider what you are keeping and why you are keeping it. Don’t hold onto things simply because they were a gift or you feel guilty that you spent a lot of money on it and barely wore it. If you don’t use something, it’s time to let it go.

For sure, keep the things that fit well and that you love.

You might not have anything worth selling, but if you have clothing, shoes, purses or other accessories that are designer, an unusual size or vintage, you might have something of value. Contact my husband Howard if you would like us to sell some things for you on eBay. Or, you can try online selling sites where you mail in your clothes and they sell them for you.

If you switch over closets for each season, sort off-season items into a box or plastic container. Make sure to label the container. Clear containers work best, but label them anyway. And move them to where they will be stored. Adding a dryer sheet to the container will have your clothes smelling fresh when you take them out later.

If the clothing is damaged or stained, consider tossing it. It’s hard to throw away clothing and shoes, but if they are of no value to anyone, it’s the easiest option unless you have access to recycling places that can responsibly reuse or recycle your items.

Donating

It’s certainly wonderful if you can donate some pieces of clothing and accessories to a worthwhile organization. 

The coronavirus forced most of the charities to shut down their donation centers. Things have been changing in the past couple weeks. Some non-profits have reopened, but call and make sure your favorite charity is open to receive your donation. You might have to donate somewhere else this time.

Take your time

You can’t spend 10 minutes deciding on each item, but you do need to think about your options for each item in the closet. Consider what you do, where you go and what kinds of clothing you need this summer.

Put it all back

After you have sorted everything, it’s time to put the keepers back in the closet. You might like to organize your closet by color going from dark to light. Organize them however it makes sense to you. It might work for you to put shirts on the left, slacks on the right. Others like to put casual clothing together and dressy clothing together. It’s your closet and there is no correct answer.

Get help if you need it

If you are having trouble getting the closets organized, I’m here to help. Contact me for time to talk or for a virtual appointment. I’d love to see the finished product. Post your “after” picture on my Facebook page. (No “before” pictures are required.) I’d love to see what you accomplish!