The Do's and Don'ts of a Spring Closet Cleanout
I have some time to myself this coming weekend and I plan to spend a good portion of that time Spring Cleaning my closet (and all my clothes in storage). Since closet cleanouts are part of my business (hire me here-and yes, we can do it over zoom!), I thought I would share some of the tips that I use whenever I’m helping someone. Let me know if you have any questions or if you want some one-on-one advice!
Pre-Cleanout
Do: Take everything out of your closet and drawers. You need to know EVERYTHING that you’re working with.
Don’t: Buy new things before you’ve cleaned out your closet. What if you buy things you didn’t realize that you already own?
Do: Have vacuum seal bags ready for your off-season clothes if your closet can’t hold everything at once. It’s a great space-saving way to store things. (This is my only exception to the no buying organizers first rule.)
Don’t: Buy things to organize your closet before you’ve gone through everything. You’ll waste money on products you don’t need. (Once you are ready to buy things, these are my favorite items!)
During the Cleanout
Do: Try everything on. You need to know what still fits, what doesn’t, and what needs to go to the tailor!
Don’t: Toss out things without trying them on. You never know what may fit now that didn’t before!
Don’t: (Most of the items) Hold on to items that don’t fit. The exception to this rule? Are you pregnant? Are you actively trying to lose weight?
Do: Keep items that you wear all of the time. Even if it’s not “trendy,” you should keep things you love.
Don’t: Hold on to things you won’t wear just because they’re “trendy.” If you aren’t going to wear it, it shouldn’t take up space.
Do: Hold on to items with sentimental value. I have a dress in my closet from almost 15 years ago and it’ll never fit again, but every time I see it, it reminds me of shopping with my grandma and how much I loved the dress.
Don’t: Be afraid to get rid of something that you don’t like anymore. You need to make space in your closet for things that you love!
Post-Cleanout
Do: Sort items you’re getting rid of into “sell,” “donate,” and “toss” piles. And then actually follow through on those piles.
Don’t: Donate items with holes or stains on them. If you wouldn’t wear them because of the holes or stains, why would you expected someone else to?
Do: Look for replacement pieces to items you love that are fully worn out (if you love it, but wouldn’t wear it in public, it’s probably worn out). Poshmark is a great place to find those items again!
Do: Wash anything that needs to be washed before you store it.
Do: Put everything you’re keeping away once you’re done.
Don’t: Forget to take anything that needs to be tailored to the tailor!
Hopefully these tips can have you have a successful closet cleanout! And if you feel like you need to bring in the big guns, reply to this email and we can talk about working together.
xo,
Dana