6 Easy Steps To Cleaning Out Your Closet For Summer
Keep these in mind when you switch out your wardrobe.
Getty Summer is finally upon us, granted a bit weirdly because of the pandemic. But the Earth still rotates and the sun still shines brighter!
"So what?" you say.
So, it’s time to do the summer clothing switch!
If you’ve never done this before and your summer clothes from last year are still in your closet next to your heavy sweaters, then it's time to take a step back and learn how to clean out your closet.
You need the "less is more" conversation so you can see why this is a must for your pre-season routine.
Do you know that feeling when you’re certain you have something, but looking for it is so much of a pain that you just go straight out and buy a new one?
Yep, having more clothes in your immediate field of view will make it so you can’t even see what you have.
Having less to look at, on the other hand, will allow you to see what you’ve got so you can actually use what you have.
Save time, save money, feel good. Got it? ‘Nuff said.
Here are 6 easy steps to cleaning out your closet for the summer season.
1. Set it up.
Get yourself a cool beverage and put some music on — you're creating an atmosphere here, folks!
Now, select a drawer, closet, or shelf where you store your current clothing. And yes, a pile on the floor counts, too.
2. The quick-sort.
Go through each item in your chosen area one by one and decide if it’s more a spring/summer or fall/winter item.
When in doubt, consider it for the current season. Don’t worry about what to keep or not keep — we’re not getting rid of anything yet, so it all stays for now.
3. The second sort.
Now, sit yourself in front of the fall/winter items and, again, go through each item, one by one.
Ask yourself if you wore it at all last season. If the answer is "yes," then it goes into an area for next fall.
If the answer is "no," then think long and hard about why you have it and whether you can handle getting rid of it. It’s OK to keep things, just make sure you have a good reason.
4. The third sort.
This is the same as step three, but with your spring/summer clothes.
Go through them one by one. Keep items you still like if you wore them last summer, and think hard if you didn’t.
5. Put the fall/winter things away from immediate access.
This can be in an attic or basement, but can also be on a less-accessible shelf in your closet.
Just get it out of immediate reach — you need those areas for your current clothes.
6. Put the spring/summer clothes back — with a twist.
If you’re hanging things back up in your closet, then do the "reverse hanger trick." This is where you hang everything up backwards.
Then when you wear it, hang it up correctly. If you’re doing this in drawers, then put each item in folded differently than you usually do.
Once you wear it, put it back the usual way. If you chose a pile on the floor, this is your chance to actually put the clothes away — you know, like grownups do.
Within a month or two of using this system, you’ll see what you’re not wearing and can decide if it’s worth keeping. Again, save time, save money.
Aubrei Krummert is a Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant in Athens, Ohio. She holds certificates in residential organizing, household management, life transitions, team productivity, and workplace productivity. She is currently booking virtual organizing and goal setting sessions for the summer. Contact her now to learn about her 6 Steps for Decluttering any Space!