Summer Cleaning: 10 Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet

This last semester, I eagerly awaited summer. Probably not for the same reason many of you look forward to summer though. I wanted to deep clean my closet. Here is what I did, and a few tips for de-cluttering your most dreaded closet.

1) Take every thing out! As you take stuff out organize them into certain piles, so you have an idea where certain items are located.

2) Sort through your items and have trash bags ready. One for items to get rid of and one for trash. If your closet is as messy as mine was, you'll need way more than just two trash bags.

3) Be prepared for a mess! Slowly sort through items. Don't get too attached to things. Be willing to throw stuff out or get rid of it. Always ask yourself how often you use the item.

4) Clean out the empty closet with a dust cloth and Clorox wipes. Get rid of that dirt! Don't forget to vacuum too!

5) When sorting through clothes. Ask yourself the following questions: How often do you wear it? Would you buy it, again? Is it still in a good condition?

6) Use scarf hangers to organize belts, headbands, or ribbons.

7) Use the same kind of hangers to save space, reduce tangled hangers, and achieve a uniform look. Also, try hanging them backwards. After wearing clothes, hang them normally. After a few months, you will know what clothes to get rid of.

8) If you are a shoe lover like me, I highly suggest you invest in a shoe rack. I love mine! Also, keeping your shoe boxes is an easy way to store shoes.

9) Have two bins (one for light-colored clothes, and the other for dark-colored clothes) in your closet. Having these bins in the closet has helped me to put my dirty clothes in the correct spot instead of just leaving them around my room.

10) To save space, fold t-shirts like the photo below. I also folded the t-shirts that were too small for me and put them in a storage bin. Maybe someday I'll make one of those t-shirt quilts.

Don't get discouraged if you don't get this done in a short amount of time. I've spent a week on my closet, and still haven't found a home for all the items I've cleaned out. It's better to take your time and do a good job, than to do it quickly and sloppily. Don't forget to step back and look at all the work you've done! Look at the bags of stuff you cleaned out, and all the space in your closet! It can be an overwhelming task, but the outcome is rewarding.

I hope you are inspired to tackle the messiest closet in your home now. Have fun cleaning!