“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.”
— Joshua Becker, “The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life”
- Filter Through What Clothes to Keep and What Clothes to Toss
Over time, our closets can become filled to the brim with clothes. It can become a horrific sight that makes finding what you need impossible. The first step to tackle in cleaning out your closet is going to be the biggest task, filtering through your clothing. We know what you're thinking. “Why start with the most daunting task? I’ll quit before I’m finished. Shouldn’t we start with something easier?” you may ask. In the case of your closet, starting with the largest task is the most essential because it is the main thing many of us continue to put off. Filter through your clothing items to see what to keep and what to discard. Significantly reducing the amount of clothing you’ve collected over the years will open up the space in your closet and also make it easier to find a particular item you are looking for. Place clean unwanted items in a bag and donate it to your local Goodwill or give them to someone you know who will appreciate it. Once you are able to check this task from your list, your closet will be noticeably cleaner and more spacious. This will make cleaning up the smaller aspects an easier and less time consuming task to accomplish.
- Choose Your Storage Method
Figure out what clothes you wish to be hung and which would do better in a storage bin. For example, you may want to hang your jeans or fold them neatly and have them placed in a drawer. This can extend to scarfs, belts, loungewear, etc. You can purchase organizers from fan favorites such as The Container Store or you can search on Amazon for quality containers that are well priced. Determine what storage method works best for the clothing items and accessories you own. You also may want to invest in new hangers if the ones you currently own are of various colors, styles and perhaps a few are snapped. There are a variety of hangers you can choose from to fit your needs and also aesthetic. Some material options available are velvet, wooden, metal or plastic hangers. You can easily purchase these items in bulk for an affordable price on Amazon.
- Filter Through Your Shoes
Shoes are another item that can grow in strength over time. You may find yourself with countless pairs of flip flops and/or shoes that haven’t been worn for years. It’s time to filter through your shoes and decide what to keep and discard. It’s hard for many people to part ways with their shoes, but it’s in your best interest to be honest with yourself in efforts to give your closet the cleaning it needs and deserves. Reduce your sandals from 20 to 10 and get rid of those shoes that looked like they would spruce up your style, but ended up never being worn more than once. Keep the shoes you wear often and a few pairs that are for special occasions. Be sure to keep one pair of old sneakers that you don’t mind getting dirty for things such as yard work. Once finished, you will be amazed at how much floor space your shoes were taking up. You can also choose to invest in a shoe rack to stack your shoes neatly and to increase floor space.
- Throw Away Items That Don’t Belong in the Closet
At times, we can find ourselves storing unrelated items in our closets. Some examples can include mail you continue to pile on a top shelf or perhaps unwanted gifts from friends and family that you’ve been worried to throw away in fear they may ask where the gift is and how you’re liking it. It’s time to filter through these items and determine what needs to be kept or discarded. Sorting through mail isn’t anyone’s favorite, but it’s a task that must be done. Be sure to shred all unneeded mail to protect your information. For all the documents you need to keep, investing in an accordion folder is a great way to organize and store these pieces of information. Accordion folders are slim and can fit easily in a space, and allow you to locate important documents with ease. As far as unwanted gifts go, you can either toss them or relocate them to a more suiting area in your home to save you from the horrors of your sweet grandmother asking where the birdfeeder she gave you 2 years ago is.