How To Spring Clean Your Closet! Part I

Since working at Closet Factory I often get asked the question, “what’s the best way to clean out my closet?”

Well, since it’s that time of the year for Spring Cleaning I wanted to take it on. In my case it was actually a massive project and actually took me the last two weekends to complete my closet and wardrobe makeover. Upon completion I put together some closet clutter cleaning ideas based on my experience.

Let me tell you, my closet was full of clutter! It is pretty embarrassing how hard we tend to hold on to items that we have not worn in years, and frankly, have no intention of wearing ever again.

These are the first 3 steps I took to clean my closet and get rid of the all of my wardrobe clutter.

1.  Take Everything Out of Your Closet: This may seem like a daunting task, but really it’s the best way to see all your garments that are tattered, rarely used or unused, completely out of style or that no longer fit your current body type.

2.  Sort Items: I sort my clothing and accessories by:

• What I want to hold on to and still wear.
• What I don’t wear due to being out of fashion or being a super trending item.
• What I can’t stand to look at anymore.
• I also make a pile of clothing that is still in good condition but I will NOT be wearing again!
• I make a pile of the items that are so tattered that they should be thrown away.

I put my unwanted and tattered garments into extra large and sturdy trash bags. Make sure NOT to mix up the “throw way” items with the “give way” items!  I make sure to write “Donate” on at least one of the bags so I don’t accidentally give away unusable clothing.

3. Cleaning The Closet Space: Whether you have a basic closet or a custom closet system here are some examples of how to clean your closet space.

• Wood Shelves and Panels: There are two steps to cleaning wood properly. Typically there are wood cleaning products and oil based wood polishing products. First use a wood cleaning product to clean out any dust that has accumulated. The second step is to take a soft cloth and apply the wood polisher to bring out the shine.
• Melamine and Glass Doors: Windex or any glass cleaner works just fine.  I prefer to do this once I’ve pulled out all the clothing so I can get into the hard to reach corner spaces. If you have a very melamine, you may want to add the third process of using a shoe polish that is a similar color, to apply to the closet to bring out the shine and maintain the color.
• Lucite Doors and Drawer Fronts: Any plastic cleaner with a soft cloth works best for cleaning. Meguiars, Plexus and Blue Ribbon are good brands to consider for cleaning and polishing Lucite.

The next post will address the final parts of my spring cleaning closet project. The steps will include:

• Taking Inventory Your Clothing and Accessories
• Discarding Old Hangers
• Finding A Home For Everything
• Consider Installing A Closet System

For more information about maximizing your closet space check out these great posts from our Closet Organizers Blog:

• I Want More Closet Space! Part I of III
• I Want More Closet Space! Part II of III
• I Want More Closet Space! Part III