Time For Spring Cleaning – 5 Point Guide To Clean Out The Closet

Spring is here! It’s finally time to get out of your joggers and sweatshirts, and put on something fabulous. Look and feel great as you enjoy more of the outdoors. But that might be more difficult to do with a cluttered and disorganized closet. Luckily, expert Gilles Couvreur is here to give us a guide to spring cleaning and clearing out the closet.

In a survey of 1,000 women, 44% expressed that they can’t find items in their closet, and 47% actually find it a constant struggle to find an outfit before heading off to work.

Don’t be a part of the statistics and tackle that pile of clothes for a fresh start. Spring is a season of rejuvenation after all. Just as much as your house needs to get cleaned and refreshed during the spring, the closet also needs some major TLC.

Here’s a 5-point guide to getting cleaner, and feeling lighter for spring

Find your tune as you begin the whole clean-up. Let some things go. Tidy up your closet and categorize your clothes, shoes, and accessories strategically.

1. Find Your Tune

In everything you do, you must start with the right mindset – it will make you more effective in the decluttering process. And how exactly can that be done?

Make a mental note of what you want to accomplish

Be specific in what you want to be done after the spring cleaning process. Your goal should inspire you to do the difficult task at hand. The goal could be as simple as being able to make mornings less stressful by having an organized closet, getting rid of all unwearable clothes, and finding items to resell so you don’t have to feel so guilty about spending money buying new items.

There are great opportunities to earn if you go by some wise reselling tips. It’s best if you start with a solid plan for all the clothes you will be taking out of the closet.

Set the time and date

More than just being a task to be tackled, make this spring cleaning an event! And for that, you need to be able to devote all your time, focus, and energy to what you want to accomplish.

Start prepared, having all the things that you need

Have those boxes ready and marked for the clothes you will be selling, donating, storing and even clothes you will need to throw away. Have cleaning supplies and materials handy.

Set the mood

Have your favourite music or podcast playing as you clean. According to a survey conducted by a cleaning product manufacturer, 94 percent of those who clean while listening to music experienced positive feelings. Two-thirds of 66 percent even said listening to music made the whole cleaning activity more enjoyable.

2. Let Some Things GO

Take everything out of your closet so you can go through each item and decide which items to keep, sell, toss or donate. Group them by categories so you can see how many you have of every type of clothes so you can best decide which to keep.

Ask the hard questions and be honest with your responses

When deciding whether or not you are going to keep some clothing or an item, one of the things Marie Kondo suggests is asking yourself, “Is this something I want to take with me into my future?

Do the clothes fit you? Does it still match your style? If you haven’t worn something for a year then it’s probably time to let it go. Be honest with every single dress when sorting them out if they are worth keeping, selling, donating or it really has nowhere to go but the trash.

The pieces you’ve bought for the past 2 years have a good resell chance. Old clothes, however, unless it’s vintage, better be donated. Damaged clothes beyond repair should simply be thrown away.

Familiarize yourself with different reselling apps and compare, like Vendoo vs List Perfectly

Find out what will work best for you. Sell the items quickly before you become tempted to go through them again or worst they stay boxed up for a long time – meaning you simply moved your clutter.

3. Tidy Up and Update

• With all things set aside, it’s the best time to dust and polish all the nooks and crannies of your closet.

Wipe away the dust that might have built upon those shelves and bins. Don’t forget to clean those hanging rods. Sweep and polish those floorboards.

• Take the opportunity to take measurements while the shelves are still empty. This will help you choose organizing products or closet systems that will fit best.
• Fix what needs fixing.

Check your closet doors. Are you still able to close and open them with ease? Check if any of your shelves or closet poles are already sagging. Fix them before they become even more damaged. You can do the repairs if you are a DIY person but professional help is also available.

• Freshen up paint or update the closet as needed.

Make your closet look brighter. Freshen it up by repainting. You can also update your closet to make the most out of your space. You can create more functional space in your closet and it can be done cheap. You just need to know the right products and techniques for affordable closet updates.

4. Categorize and Store Items Strategically

Find the best-categorizing strategy that will work for you

Not everyone will benefit from arranging clothes by colour. Some would rather organize by function and by length. The best way to place clothes is the ease of how you can find them and get to them.

Putting most worn pieces at eye level helps you get quicker to them in the morning rush and will leave all other clothes minimally disturbed. Thin and pliable items like leggings and cotton shirts are best rolled and stored to save space.

Use open boxes (for sliding drawers) or wire baskets or acrylic containers (for shelves) to store your rolled garments. Items that are thicker and sturdier, like denim and bulky sweatshirts best be stacked on pile per category as they do not easily lose shape.

Not all trendy organizing or storage products will work for you

Boho style or woven baskets may look good and trendy but for a visual person, it may not work. People with the personality type “out of sight, out of mind” should always select storage choices that are clear or have windows. This design makes it simple to see what’s within, ensuring that your belongings are never out of mind.

Also, make sure that the storage bins you are buying will help you organize instead of giving you more excuses to keep things because you have the storage to put them into.

5. Spring Cleaning Doesn’t Need To Be Done Only In Spring

Make a plan to keep your closet organized so it doesn’t become a clutter breeding ground again.

Establish cleaning habits like a thorough clean once a month or once a week if you can. You can commit to cleaning up a drawer a day. Even tidying up for 10 to 15 minutes a day can do wonders.

According to the American Cleaning Institute in their National Cleaning Survey done last year, 55% of the respondents found themselves cleaning and organizing more than usual throughout the year due to COVID-19. That’s a habit that needs to be continued and adopted.

Now and then you must let go of your old things to make room for new items you are buying all throughout the year.

Next time you find yourself having nothing to wear, the place to go is not just the shopping mall or the thrift store. It could just be time to do some major spring cleaning of your closet. You will be surprised with the number of clothes you haven’t worn, and only because you haven’t seen them underneath all that mess! With spring cleaning done, you will not only feel cleaner, and lighter – dressing in style for spring will also be much more exciting.