Spring Cleaning Your Wardrobe

If you haven’t started spring cleaning your wardrobe, now is the time. Take inventory of your wardrobe, clear out the old and make way for the new! These spring cleaning tips will make the task much easier.

I originally wrote this post in 2016 (see the original here) but much like our wardrobes, blog posts need spring cleaning too! I’ve picked up a few extra spring cleaning tips that are super valuable and make life much easier. If you have some extra time on your hands due to social distancing, now is a good time to start spring cleaning your wardrobe. Without further adieu, let’s jump into these tips, shall we?

1. Take everything out of your closet

This is important to do so no stone goes unturned. If you’re okay with taking your entire wardrobe out at once, that’s great; I prefer to work in sections so I don’t get overwhelmed. Taking everything out of the closet helps you truly see everything you have. Instead of skimming through your closet, you can look at each piece one by one.

2. Try things on

You don’t have to do this with every single item (that would make a long process much longer) but it’s helpful to try on the things that you haven’t worn in a while to find out why. Does it not fit properly? Can you never put together a good outfit with it? Do you not like the material? When you try things on it helps you answer questions like that and in turn you can actively decide if you want to keep or toss something.

3. Get rid of anything you haven’t worn in at least 2 years

This is one of the original tips from the 2016 post that I had to scratch my chin over. Recently, I’ve been a little more cutthroat with my wardrobe and I will exit pieces from my wardrobe that I haven’t worn in one year. I have some special occasion pieces that I know won’t get consistent wear but any every day clothing that hasn’t left my closet in a year will likely get the boot. You can be a little more forgiving but I wouldn’t go past two years.

4. Say goodbye to ill-fitting clothes

Spring cleaning your wardrobe is the best time to get rid of ill-fitting clothes whether they’re too tight, too large or don’t suit your body type. In our E-Book, we discuss the principle of dressing for your body type and buying clothes that align with the size you are right now. You feel the most comfortable and confident in clothes that fit you well and compliment your figure. You want to rid your closet of anything that does you a disservice in that arena.

5. Re-evaluate your “new with tags” pieces

Now is the time to take stock of everything you have that still has tags on it. Ask yourself why it’s been in your closet and you haven’t worn it yet. This may be something that you’re saving for a special occasion or you lost track of with all the clutter in your closet. On the other hand, it may be something you realized you didn’t like very much once you tried it on. If it falls in the latter category, let it go!

6. Organize

As you begin to put things back into your closet, make sure you’re organizing as you go. I often buy new hangers and storage containers before I start spring cleaning to ensure I can finish the job right. Keeping an organized closet is a great way to make sure you can actually see and wear everything you have. This also makes getting dressed on a daily basis much easier! You know where everything is so all you have to do is look in that section of your closet, grab and go! If you have a smaller closet, consider storage solutions that you can roll under your bed or keep bedside to keep your closet from getting crowded.

7. Throw away, Donate, Sell

As you’re cleaning out pieces you no longer need, separate them into three piles. Not everything you decide to get rid of has to be thrown away; consider selling and donating clothes to help the environment and those in need. I like to donate gently used every day and work clothes to either Goodwill or my church. Anything that’s a little more expensive or considered “occasion wear” I’ll post on my Poshmark closet to sell. I’ll also sell purses and gently worn shoes. If I have any clothing that got the boot because it’s been ruined, super dingy or has any other major issues I will throw them away. I try to make this my smallest pile so good clothes don’t go to waste. Pieces with loose hems, small rips, etc. can usually still be donated since those are easy fixes.

I hope you all found this post helpful! Download our spring cleaning checklist below to reference as you make space for what’s to come!