The date is insignificant if you want to start a long-overdue task. However, if it helps, this is a reminder that 2022 will roll in. You can take that as a cue to finally do the closet overhaul you promised you would do eight months ago.
Or maybe there is no more space left in your closet after you spend weeks shopping for new clothes for the holidays. Whether you are a firm believer of the “new year, new me: movement or not, take a few hours, and you’ll be done. Well, a day if you have a lot of stuff.
If reminding you of the new year to come is effective, start stretching your body because you’re up for quite a tedious task. It’s going to be both physically and emotionally tiring. You’ll have to say goodbye to some of your closet residents. Here’s what you need to do before you declutter your closet:
- Prepare Huge Boxes
Before you touch anything or cause quite a stir inside your room, make sure to be as organized as you can. Get a few big carton boxes or some sturdy shopping bags. This is where you will put your used clothes according to categories.
Actually, before that, you might need to look into possible places where you can donate used clothes and some stuff that other people can still use. If you already have prospects, that might change how you categorize your things. You can give out some of them to friends or your siblings if you like.
- Take Everything Out
Yes, take everything out until all you see in front of you are your closet’s walls. Dump everything on the floor or your bed. Start picking out all the clothes that you 100 percent like to keep.
While you are at it, clean your closet. Give it a close inspection. How many months did you go without checking or cleaning it? Did you know that molds love growing in space like a closet?
If you also use wooden cabinets for storage, termites love them. If you suspect there might be a pest problem in your storage spaces, don’t hesitate to get them inspected. You don’t want to organize your clothes only to lose them to pests months later.
- Fit and Categorize Your Clothes
Next, pick out all the items that still fit you. You will need a few solid hours to try all of them on to see which ones you can still keep. You don’t have to keep everything that still fits you, which should bring you to the next point.
You have to categorize all the clothes you don’t want to keep anymore. Look for stuff that a friend or anyone you know might want to have. Once you finish those, investigate if you can still all your training clothes.
You shouldn’t donate all your old clothes. Check if they are still usable. If not, there goes your box number one. You should put all clothes that you can no longer use into this box. However, don’t throw these away. Remember that clothes are in the top ten of the worst Earth polluters. Find an organization that accepts used clothes so that they can repurpose them. You can also keep some to be used around your house as rags.
Box number two should have all the clothes that you can donate. Once you finish with this, you can keep all the boxes away to deal with them later on.
You can also identify clothes which you can sell. Yes, why not make money out of old clothes. Some stores take in name brands, so it’s your chance to get some cash if you have some.
- Organize All Remaining Clothes and Items
Now, you are left with a heap of your newest and favorite clothing items. Start putting them away by using categories yet again. One, you can organize them by color. If it helps you decide what to wear every day if your same color clothes are together, go ahead.
One way you can also do this is by season. Put all your light clothes are on one side and clothes on the colder days are on another side.
Invest in organizing appliances to help you maintain tidiness throughout the following year. For example, double hangs can help you maximize your closet space. Make sure to keep heavy and bulky clothing in separate boxes or luggage. They take up too much closet space.
You can also get organizers for other items in your closet that are not clothes. Get a box for your accessories. Get a rack for your shoes. Many of these racks and packages are designed to be both aesthetic, functional, and space-saving.
If you think these steps will help welcome the new year with literally less baggage and clutter, go ahead. By sparing a whole day, you gift yourself some peace of mind. In fact, clean physical spaces contribute to mental clarity. You deserve that in 2022.