Is your closet a big mess? Use these 8 tips to clean out your closet like a pro:
1. Pull everything out of the closet
To start with, take all your clothes out of the closet and divide them into categories. Start with the hanging clothes and continue with all the folded clothes. Try to distinguish between what you wear often, what you wear less often, what you never wear and what you want to wear more often. Also look at the season.
2. Sort by type, color, length
Don’t just divide your clothes into categories, but also sort them by type. Jeans with jeans, dresses with dresses, T-shirts with T-shirts and so on. If you want to go a step further, sort by color and length as well.
3. Pile up all your folded clothes
Pants, sweaters and T-shirts are easy to fold and stack. Underwear and socks are also easy to fold. This saves space and your clothes will last longer. Clothing with a thin fabric is best hung up.
4. The clothes you want to wear more often …
… just need to wear them more often. You haven’t put the clothes in this category for nothing. Put those outfits on, you might be happier with them than you were a few months ago.
5. Time to throw clothes away
“Does it spark joy?” is the question you should ask yourself with every piece of clothing – says cleaning guru Marie Kondo. All the clothes that don’t make you happy can – or no, must – go. Clothes you never wear anymore, clothes you don’t feel comfortable in, broken clothes: a waste of closet space. Did you have a crazy hawaii period? Then you know it’s not coming back. Let go of the weird items like a hawaii skirt or shirt. (in Dutch: hawaii shirt, hawaii rokje)
Everything you’ve worn between the last three and twelve months can go on the ‘maybe’-pile and clothes you haven’t worn in over a year (except seasonal clothes) can go. You may still be able to make some money by selling the clothes that have basically nothing wrong with them later.
6. Be honest about items you have too much of
Everyone has one of those items: the white T-shirt or a blue blouse for example. But be honest with yourself: there are always only one or two favorites, and ten look-a-likes. Why keep them all? Pick out your favorite items and give the rest to someone who can use it.
7. Store your clothes efficiently
Do you have any shoeboxes left? You can use them as storage boxes for socks or underwear, for example. It is also useful to use multi-hangers, drawer dividers and baskets.
8. Write along while tidying up
It’s handy to keep a pen and paper handy when you’re cleaning out your closet. Make a list of items that need to be replaced and a list of items that you really do NOT need to buy in the near future (that white T-shirt for example). This will also save money in your wallet.
Completed all eight steps? Good riddance!
