Oct 20

Cleaning Out My Closet

You’ll see the chore of cleaning out the kids closets/dressers often on my monthly to do list. I don’t always get the task done, and it gets bumped into the next month. While James was on vacation, I was catching up on the mountain of laundry from upstairs, when I looked at my own horrible cramped closet… Something needed done. Agnes was happily hanging out with Dad downstairs, and I decided to dig everything out of my closet and start from scratch.

It sounds silly, but here is what I tell myself when I’m doing a deep clean-out:

  • Do I love it? If I don’t, then it goes
  • Do I actually wear this? Again if I don’t, it goes
  • Just when did I wear this last? If I can’t remember, then it’s gone
  • Does it actually fit my body now? If it doesn’t, be it to big or a’hem way too small, then it is gone
  • Is it beyond repair? I have a slew of vintage goodies hiding away in my closet, if they are too far gone, then they go
  • Is is age appropriate for me right now? Again, this is one that I am coming to grips now that I am in my 30’s. I want to dress what is right for me now, not what was o.k. for me a decade ago
  • Does it fit in the space that I have? I have one (small) closet. It is home to my entire Summer/Winter wardrobe, a whole bunch of bags, and a library of books, and shoes too. I don’t have a lot of space, so I have to use it wisely. I also have an antique vanity in there. Seriously, cramped quarters in the closet.

Once everything has been sorted to either toss, or donate. I put the remaining clothing back up in order. Yes, OCD has a hold on me. My closet goes from left to right, and is in this order: Dresses, Skirts, Pants, Tops, Sweaters, and Jackets. All in R.O.Y.G.B.I.V. arrangement too, by section of clothing. It is a bit obsessive, but I can literally get dressed in the dark .

  • Another thing that helps me… I don’t have an emotional attachment to clothes… It is strange, but I just don’t. That really helps when cleaning out the goods.
  • Also, bag it up, and get it out of the house. I get everything that is going to be donated into my car. That way it is ready to go when I run next batch of errands. Anything that is in the trash bins gets taken out right away, no second chances.

This last clean out helped my space issue drastically. I cleaned out four grocery sized bags of clothing, and felt great when it was donated. I took the time to organize my handbags by season, and they neatly fit on the top shelf by the books. I ditched a lot of shoes too… I can no longer wear sky-high platforms, and that is o.k.

The closet still needs some work. The bookshelves need tended too, and reorganized badly. One step at a time though…

What about you… Do you love cleaning out the closet, or do you dread the task?