Closet Cleaning Tips

Spring cleaning has come and gone. The summer has been a steady flow of visitors, travel, play dates and backyard adventures, but I can’t say that there’s been too many summer organizational projects. With the transition to that back-to-school mindset in late August, however, a certain part of me flips into organizational mode.

In my house, before we do school supply or early fall clothing shopping we do a closet cleanse. We take stock of what we have, what we can give away, and what we want to put on our shopping wish lists. It’s a cathartic process that leaves me feeling a bit more ready to jump into a new school year.

I’ve gathered a few tips for you to kick your closet cleanse into high gear! Go for it and I promise you’ll get out on the other side feeling lighter, cleaner, and motivated for the tasks ahead…

Closet Cleaning Tips

• Go through your clothing closets and get ride of everything that doesn’t fit or you haven’t worn in the past year. Donate clothing or host an exchange party with friends, where you each bring an unwanted article of clothing to swap.
• Clean out the closet: dust shelves, sweep or vacuum the floor, wipe down glass surfaces, etc.
• Organize your closet for the season. Place bulky sweaters in zippered under-the-bed storage boxes for summer and summer dresses in hanging bags in the back of the closet.
• Take this time to wash, dry clean, repair or send to the seamstress those items that are dirty or damaged. Take advantage of all that you do have!
• Put items you use infrequently in bins on the top shelf of closets. Put everyday clothing and items toward the front, where you’ll be more likely to hang them up or fold them back in place.
• Use every inch of the closet, including the back of the door! Install shallow shelves for accessories, paint a chalkboard reminder board, or hang hooks for hats, scarves and belts.

• Put things in bins or boxes, and then take a photo of what’s inside and attach as a label on the outside. This works great for shoes or those boxes on the tip-top shelf!

Photo by: Cat Morley

Instead of being greeted by falling boxes when you open your closet, now you’ll be rewarded with a neat and tidy window into your wardrobe. So take a deep breath and dig in…