I think we can all agree that cleaning out your closet is a huge and overwhelming task. It can even be unexpectedly emotional; you might have items you know you don’t need or want but feel you should keep because of their history. We’re here to help you tackle this major chore with confidence. We’ve rounded up eight tried-and-true closet cleaning tips.
1. Get in the zone.
Before you dive in, take a few minutes to set yourself up for success. Queue that feel good playlist (or check out our Ash + Aspen Shop Playlist), slip into some comfortable clothes, grab yourself a coffee and some water, and roll up your sleeves. This isn't always a quick process and requires quite a bit of effort, but well worth the feeling of being at the peak of the tidiness mountain.
2. Take it all out
A great way to clean out your closet is by taking everything out. Yes. Everything. You may hate us to start but I know you forgot about that dress. It's just great to start with a clean slate and go through all your items. That's a super easy way to reorganize your closet too when you are adding things back in, one by one! It also could be a money saver, taking inventory of items you already have so you don't accidently double up. When you take it all out, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of to deep clean. Take a few minutes to vacuum, launder any dirty clothes to put clean ones back in.
3. The Marie Kondo Method
Another way to determine which items should go in your closet is using the Marie Kondo Method - "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up". Marie's method is to go through every item in your closet and really ask yourself "Does this item give me joy?" or furthermore, does this make me feel good when I wear it? Does it fit like a dream? Kondo explains that we can be grateful to items for the meaning they brought into our lives without feeling guilty for parting with them when they no longer serve us. From there, determine yes or no. The yes pile will stay, and the no pile can be separated into two piles - Sell & Donate. If you decide to sell, consider using apps like Curtesy, Mercari, or Poshmark. You can also go to a local consignment store (not Plato's closet, we all know how that one goes! LOL) to sell your gently used items. If you decide to donate, research local places such as salvation armies, churches, etc.! If you can, it feels great to help out the community!
4. Flip your hangers!
Do you know which items in your closet you actually wear? I'm sure you answered yes but when was the last time you actually wore that sweater? Let's get some clarity! This process isn't always super quick, but one of the easiest ways to determine how often you wear an item. When adding your items back into your closet, flip the hanger the opposite way. Once you wear an item, flip the hanger in the correct direction. Wait 3 months, 6 months, or even a year depending how seasonally you use the entirety of your closet. At the end of your chosen time, get rid of the items that are still hanging in the opposite direction! Yes, it's a slow burn, but this provides clarity as to which pieces are just taking up real estate in your closet.
5. Organize by Color
Organizing your closet my color is one of the most loved closet cleaning tips and we can see why! First- it helps you see where you have duplicates. You may not realize you have six white shirts until you see them hanging next to each other. Once the similarities become clear, you can make more educated decisions about what to keep. Sure, one white shirt is a tee, one is a pullover, and one is an athletic shirt. It makes sense to keep all of those. Those three white blouses, however, may not all be necessary. Organizing by color has an ongoing benefit, too. When you open up your closet and it looks nice, you’re more motivated to keep it that way.
6. Organize by Season
7. Your box of Maybe's
If you don't know if you should keep or let go of a certain item, it's ok to make a maybe box! Keep all of your maybe's in one box, and pack them up and put them in storage for a while (could be 3 mos, 6 mos, a year if you want). If you find yourself regretting pulling an item from your closet, you’ll be able to retrieve it. Odds are, though, you’ll like the feel of an organized closet filled only with clothes you love and you’ll want to keep it cleared out.
8. Time to Fill in the Gaps
- Your hero pieces: the items you’d never consider getting rid of because you reach for them time and time again
- Pieces you feel like you need: the pieces you think you should prioritize purchasing next
Anyway - we know a place if you need a few pieces to fill in your wardrobe! ;) Stay tuned as we start to introduce transitional season items as we slowly waltz into the autumn season.
Happy closet clean out!
XOXO- Morgan
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