How to Spring Clean a Wardrobe

Spring clean a wardrobe to organize your closets.

When you're spring cleaning this year, don't stop with the tidying and dusting-continue the organizing and spring clean your wardrobe, too. Use a no mercy strategy to sift and sort your closets to make room for summer purchases and make the most of the wardrobe you've got. Follow these steps to spring clean a wardrobe.

Instructions

1. Remove every item from your closets, section by section. Remember you're going to spring clean the wardrobe, not just shuffle the items, so create three piles-one to keep, one to store for next winter and one to donate to charity.

2. Keep classic pieces that you wear all year long like white t-shirts, timeless shirts and skirts, cardigans or your favorite jeans. Evaluate trendy seasonal items to determine if their time has passed. Consider ways to make use of pieces before you reject them, however. Even outdated prints can be eye-catching when layered under solid, classic jackets, for example.

3. Stow bulky winter sweaters, scarves and boots in boxes that you can stack in the back of your closets. Ensure you've cleaned and neatly folded the clothes are so they're ready to wear next winter.

4. Consider the remaining items when you spring clean a wardrobe. If you haven't worn something in several months, donate it. If a dress or pair of pants no longer fit properly, have them altered or get rid of them. Avoid keeping items "just because" or simply because they're cute. If you won't wear them, they don't belong in your closet.

5. Check the accessories, too, when you spring clean a wardrobe. Organize scarves, belts, hats and gloves, for example, to remove damaged or outdated pieces.

6. Buy closet organizers to keep your wardrobe wrinkle free and easy to access. Have them in place before you put your clothes back in the closets after spring cleaning. If you have a tall closet, for example, add shelves to eliminate the three-foot high stack of sweaters that falls over whenever you retrieve the one on the bottom. Find hanging closet organizers or stacking units to make use of the space between hanging clothes and the floor. (See Resources below for storage solutions from Amazon.com.)

Tips & Warnings

• If you're unsure if you want to toss a specific item when you spring clean a wardrobe, stow the item in a box in another room. If you've gone several months without grabbing it, it's safe to donate to charity.

Resources

• Use vertical space with hanging closet organizers to maximize closets.
• Add shelving to tall closets to avoid messy wardrobe stacks.
• Use stacking closet organizers to optimize space after spring cleaning.