In our great city of Chicago, there is so much to do, see, and experience that you could easily spend all your time out of the house. Still, there’s no feeling quite like walking into the door of your own home sweet home. As we head into Spring, it’s the perfect time to spring clean your closet and make your space much more inviting. Here are five steps to clean and organize your closet like a pro.
Prepare
Set aside a few hours so you can tackle the task without interruptions. Get ready with bins or bags for sorting and put away your phone so you don’t get distracted. If it’s been a while since you organized, you may need to prepare yourself too mentally. It can be a bit overwhelming to go through what you own, and the process will likely stir up emotions and memories. Know that the memories stay with you even if the items do not.
Separate
Pull everything out of your closet at once. When items are already hanging or put away, it’s too easy to keep them even if they no longer suit your lifestyle. Separating your stuff from the space helps you view it in a different light. Removing everything at once is also eye-opening – seeing the giant piles of stuff will motivate you to de-clutter.
Sort
Begin sorting the piles into “keep, donate, or discard” bins. Organizing guru, Marie Kondo, advises people to sit silently, handle each item separately, and ask if it still “sparks joy” in your life. Whether or not you follow this method, you’re likely to find that some items are easier to get rid of than others. You can add a fourth “maybe” bin to keep the process moving and re-visit that pile later. Once you have everything sorted, aim to donate or discard everything you’re not keeping as soon as possible.
Organize
Before putting your “keep” items back, wipe down the closet and all its surfaces, so it’s fresh and free of dust. You can invest in closet organizers to create an efficient system, but you can create a DIY system with items you already have around the house. For example, shoe boxes and old Tupperware are great for organizing smaller pieces like socks and jewelry. The organizing process should be fun and will be much easier to do with fewer possessions to put back.
Celebrate
Pick something small but meaningful to reward yourself for your hard work. This time investment of a few hours will yield dividends every day as you open your closet and are greeted with an organized space holding only what you truly use. As the saying goes, getting rid of the old makes room for the new, and you’ll have more space (literally and metaphorically) to welcome the new into your life.
Happy Spring, and Happy Spring Cleaning!
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