We’re well into spring now and that means… spring cleaning! Out with the old, in with the new. I actually used to love cleaning out my closet, but now that I live in a small NYC apartment, instead of my parents house, I find it to be a much bigger, yet much more necessary chore. With very limited space you have to be smart about your wardrobe — which is pretty difficult for me.
I will be the first to admit that I am a clothing hoarder! I am a “more is more” kinda girl. I don’t like repeating outfits and I’d rather buy 20 pieces from Forever 21 than 1 nice thing that would definitely last me a whole lot longer. I know this isn’t great for space, for the environment, or for my adult wardrobe in general, but it’s a pretty difficult habit to break! And that’s also why spring cleaning my closet is such a big — and super important — process.
Here is how I spring clean my closet. If you’re still putting off cleaning out your wardrobe, I hope these tips are helpful!
1. Start with one big closet sweep
First, I go through every item in my closet and pull out anything that I’m not 100% in love with. In the words of Marie Kondo, if it doesn’t spark joy, pull it out!
2. Divide into piles
As I am pulling things out of the closet, I’m sorting them into three piles on my bed:
- Sell: It’s still in great condition, but it either doesn’t fit or I just never wear it.
- Donate or toss: It’s out of style, has a stain, or just has to go.
- Unsure: I want to keep this, but I should probably try it on first.
3. Don’t forget your dresser
Don’t forget to clean out your dresser too, if you have one. I use the same method with my drawers as I do with my closet.
4. Try stuff on
Take everything that you were unsure about and try it on. Take a look in the mirror and maybe do a few bend and snaps. Make sure that if you’re going to keep something that you will actually wear it and feel good in it. Put the stuff you still want back in the closet and everything else in the sell/donate/toss piles.
5. Bag it up and make a plan
Now, I’ll usually put everything I want to donate into a trash bag and plan a day to take it to the Salvation Army or my local thrift store. You can also schedule pick ups with Purple Heart or other organizations. This is important because you do not want bags of clothes sitting on your floor for weeks (I’ve been there).
6. Organize everything you kept
Personally, I love to keep my closet color coordinated. I have my dresses at one end, then all my tops, then my sweaters and other layering pieces. Each section is then in rainbow order. It sounds a little extra, I know, but it’s so much easier to find things when they’re organized.
Don’t hold on to things that don’t fit
We all feel pressure to keep things that we hope to fit eventually, but in my experience it’s more depressing than it is encouraging. Plus, it’s a waste of space to hold on to a bunch of stuff that isn’t being used. It’s much more important to focus on the things that make you feel confident and fabulous in your current body.
How to sell items that are in good shape
Back when I lived in Michigan, I used to load up my car with the stuff that was in good shape and try to get some money from Plato’s Closet. Now that I live in NYC without a car, it’s a bit more difficult to do that. But there are still thrift stores that will pay you for good items, like Buffalo Exchange. I sold there last time I cleaned out my closet and it was a very similar experience to Plato’s. I also started selling some items online through Poshmark — so make sure you follow me on there! Some people also like to use Depop.
Blogger Closet Sale
I also participated in a Blogger Closet Sale one time to make some extra money. It was a really fun way to meet other bloggers, get rid of some clothes, and talk to other NYC fashion lovers. You can check out my photos from the even below!
I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any spring cleaning tips!
