We’ve been spending a lot of time at home… a lot of time. Over the last year, you’ve likely learned a lot about the home you live in and you’ve probably done a lot of organizing as well. Cleaning out cabinets, storage closets, drawers, basements, and attics is somewhat of a national past-time these days. But… have you cleaned out your main wardrobe closet yet?

If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Did you know that the clothes closet is usually the very last place people organize when cleaning or de-cluttering their homes? Why is that? It’s because our clothes are the hardest things for us to let go of, and they hold a sentimental place in our hearts. Every shirt, dress, pair of pants, sweater, and jacket can be linked to an event in your life or memory. This year, before spring hits, vow to tackle your closet head-on. Clean it out, get rid of things, and make room for new beautiful items.

We’ve got some tips to make the process as painless as possible. So make a pot of coffee, put on your comfy pajamas, and let’s go!

Who gets what? To begin with, decide what’s going to happen with the things you’re going to get rid of. You may for instance have family or friends who need or want your hand-me-downs. There will also likely be things that you can donate to your local thrift shop, shelter, or charity. Keep them separate as you put them in bags or boxes.

Start at one side. It’s very easy to become distracted when you’re cleaning out your closet. Pick a starting point and follow the flow. Move through each section one by one. Whatever you encounter, don’t allow yourself to stray from the game plan or you’ll end up with a bigger mess than you know what to do with.

Let go. As stated earlier, clothes have many sentimental memories and we all have those few items that we’ll keep forever, but you can’t keep everything. The rule of thumb is if you’ve gone two seasons and haven’t worn an article of clothing, chances are you will never wear it again. Get rid of it. It’s only taking up space and adding to your clutter.

Check the fit. Make sure to try things on. If you’re like many people, you’re holding on to a lot of clothes that don’t fit anymore. If something is too big, chances are you’ll never wear it again. If too small, and your plan is to lose weight so it will fit again, ask yourself if you’d actually wear it. If not, it’s much more fun to buy new clothes once you shed the weight.

Look the clothes over. Many times people have clothes in the closet that have a tear, a button missing, or a broken zipper and the intention was to fix them. If you haven’t done it by now, you probably aren’t going to. Send them on to greener pastures.

Think about your current style. Are you holding on to those stirrup pants from 1984 because you’re hoping they’re going to come back in style? Even if something like that were to become trendy again, chances are the look will be slightly different. Let go of the past.

Clean everything. It’s just common courtesy to make sure that whatever you’re giving to someone or donating to charity is clean and smells fresh.

Recycle. Most people have t-shirts, sweatshirts, or other items that are too worn to donate or give away, but you don’t want them either. Don’t just throw them away immediately. Reuse them by turning them into rags for cleaning (old sweatshirts are great for cleaning your car) and once they have served their purpose, then you can toss them.

Out of sight.  Once you are done, get those bags and boxes out of your house. We cannot stress this enough. Load them in the car and drive them to their new homes. If you keep them you’ll start thinking “well maybe I should keep that one sweater because…” and they will without a doubt start working their way out of the bags and back into the closet. You must relocate them at once.

And that’s it. Now you have a closet with lots of room to be refilled with cute, fresh new outfits. Go shopping and have fun. May we suggest you start with pajamas?