5 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Closet

Spring is right around the corner and I have started mapping out a plan to madness of spring cleaning.

Every year I like to get things really organized and cleaned around the house and one of the areas that I like to get done first is my closet.

The reason why I believe it is so important to spring clean your closet is to see what exactly you have for the upcoming warmer months and any pieces that you may need.

I like to shop on a budget so once I have organized and purged the old clothes, shoes, and accessories I make a list of must-have items so I can do my research and look out for some good sales on these items.

Some people get overwhelmed when it comes to cleaning out their closet or have a hard time parting with clothes. If you are one of those people, I have 5 simple tips for you to get your closet cleaned and organized for spring and summer this year.

Take it from me, who has done this closet cleaning thing every spring for the past 5+ years, you will be thanking me because you will find pieces you forget you had and be able to quickly put together a cute outfit in about 2 minutes because everything will have it's proper place.

Get Rid of Anything You Haven't Worn In the Past 12-16 Months

If you haven't worn the item in over a year, it is very doubtful that you will wear it anytime soon.

Now, there are some exceptions for things like a little black dress that you may not have had the occasion to wear it to yet or some other formal wear that you may need to keep around for important events like weddings.

Otherwise, pitch the item or give it away to charity. It is most likely just taking up space and is not something you need to keep around.

If you are having a hard time getting rid of it, choose 1 or 2 of your favorite items from this pile and only keep those but get rid of the rest.

Toss Any Clothes or Accessories That Are Damaged or Stained

Unless you are going to invest some money into the item to get it repaired, you need to toss any damaged or stained pieces into the garbage pile.

This includes items that may have holes, zippers that are broke, stains that won't come out, and are pilling so bad it looks like you have worn the item at least 1,000 times.

If something is really that sentimental to you, consider putting it away in storage or somewhere else in your home like the attic or basement to keep as a memento but not in your closet taking up space.

If It Doesn't Fit It Doesn't Belong In Your Closet

Unless you are in the process of losing weight or you are pregnant or was recently pregnant, get rid of items in your closet that don't fit.

This is especially true for items that may not fit your body type as well. For example, if a shirt fits your body but is too tight in the arms, you are never going to be able to wear it no matter how much you like the shirt. You need to let it go.

Unless the clothing is worth getting altered you need to get rid of it now.

Utilize Every Single Space In Your Closet for Organization

If you are short on room in your closer or you simply have a hard time finding what you need, you are going to have to adjust the layout of your closet to utilize every free space.

This could mean getting some organizational items like storage cubes and boxes or getting a closet organizer at least some sort of shelving.

A lot of people have wasted space in their closet and many other women tend to just hang their clothes instead of actually organizing and making the most out of the space.

For example, you could get a few stackable storage cubes so that you can fold your sweaters so that they retain their proper shape and don't get "hanger shoulders". You could also use a double closet rod for smaller items such as tops so that you don't waste any room below the normal closet rod.

There really are all sorts of ideas for organizing your closet and utilizing it properly.

Check out this article by Real Simple on how to make over your closet for more organizing tips.

Choose How You Want to Organize your Clothing

There are several ways that you can organize your clothing and it all depends on your creativity and how you pick out your outfits.

I organize my closet by separating the clothing into different categories. For example, I will put all my cardigan sweaters together and then hang all my sleeveless shirts together. Within those categories I will pair the same colors together. So going even further with my sleeveless shirts I would have all the white ones first then black, then blue and then so on.

I like doing it this way because it can literally take me 20 seconds to pull a shirt and a pair of pants that match and have an outfit ready to go.

I know other people who like to simply pair all of the same colors together or even make outfits with their clothes and hang them like that in their closet. These options don't work well with me, but they may be an option for you.

Once you are all done, you should have a garbage pile of items that are damaged or worn out and then a donate or sell pile. There are places that you can make a few extra dollars from selling gently used or even new clothing items or you could always try selling them on eBay. This can be a great way to fund your new shopping trip to get some new clothes in your closet that you may need to have this spring.