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As the seasons change and you have to pull out your sweaters, heavier pants and coats, now is the perfect time to release some clothes you no longer want or need. Follow these tips for a clutter-free closet.
Cory and I have reduced our clutter before during our move. But the closet seems to gather daily clutter!
Before you dig out the winter clothes, think about what you want to keep from last seasons clothing. Be sure you have enough time to complete the task of cleaning and clearing out your closet before you get started. There is nothing more frustrating than starting a big project like this, having your clothes all over your bed, and then having to stop for some reason. Not only do you have to put your clothes back into your closet quickly so you can sleep that night, but you also lose the momentum and desire to work on the task at all.
Get a couple of empty boxes. Mark each of the boxes with one of these words-
Swap, Sell, Store and Scrap.
* Swap Items in the Swap box are those you will give or swap with a friend who wears your size. You can also donate them to Salvation Army or Goodwill. These are clothes you do not wear any longer but are usable.
* Sell Items in this box are those you will sell at a consignment store or online. These clothes are still in good repair but no longer fit.
* Store Items in this box are those you will store for next year’s use or something that has sentimental value to it.
* Scrap Items in this box are stained or torn and therefore no longer usable.
All of your clothes (cleaned and pressed) and accessories for this season should go into one of these boxes. Of course, depending upon the number of clothes you have, you may need more than one ‘store’ box. Be sure to set the store boxes aside out of the way. Leave the remaining boxes open so you can place other items in them as you take out the clothes for this season.
A Clutter-Free Closet for Changing Seasons
Now that you have cleaned out your closet, it is time to start putting this seasons clothes and accessories into the closet.
- Pick out the things you know you will use most often and place them in a prominent place in your closet.
- Consider whether you want to keep the rest of the clothes that are not your favorites.
- Get rid of clothes you no longer like or you know will not fit any longer.
- Take the remaining boxes out to the car so they are not cluttering your room.
You may want to use this trick to help you learn which clothes you can purge once the season starts. As you place items into your closet, turn the hangers around backwards. At the end of the month, look through your closet and see how many hangers face the wrong way. Take those items out and re-evaluate whether you want to keep them or if they can find a new home with someone else.
Choose How You Organize Your Closet
Some like to place clothes in the closet by colors, others by length and still others by whether you wear them together. You will know the best way to organize them based on your own personal needs. When you are done, you can step back with satisfaction and breathe a sigh of relief that you now have a clutter-free closet and think about organizing to other areas of your home.
I hope these tips will help you as it has helped me for each season.
So, how are you living5x5 today with a clutter-free closet?
Share with me your clutter-free closet tips in the comment section below.
On your way out, don’t forget to GRAB my FREE Manifesto Guide for everyday inspiration.
your four S boxes are a worthy goal. I just got a marketing email from my real estate agent (we’re trying to sell our house) letting me know that the latest trend in closets is open closets or see through doors–so you can show off your clothes. OMG. If I ever got as close to uncluttered as the 4 S boxes and as organized as the turned-around hangars, I would hand myself a big fizzy champagne and toast myself. Going door free–that’s formidable.
I recently cleaned my “winter” closet in preparation for moving it into the closet I dress from, but one thing I have not tackled yet is boots/shoes. We have a long winter in upstate New York and the winter closet is my closet for the majority of the year. Not looking forward to the shoe clean out.
Great way to get organized. Thank you!
These are great tips! I absolutely HATE clutter and seem to be constantly trying to empty out my entire house! I need to tackle the closets again and will need to reference this post for sure!
In Australia the closets do not have doors. What a strange idea to me from the US. I was in the guest room and stared at the closet…….