It’s officially spring and we are all trapped in our homes for the foreseeable future, so now is the perfect time to get some spring cleaning done. I have a a 3.5 year old who needs my constant attention, but I’ve been getting her involved and tackling small manageable tasks.
Today I’m going to share some tips I swear by as well as few new organizational items I’ve recently purchased to help elevate and organize my space. All the tips below can be applied not only to your closet, but your kitchen, bathrooms, and any cabinet or closet that needs a good clean out. Let’s get started:
1. FOLLOW THE “ONE YEAR RULE”
When it comes to tackling any cabinet or closet, you need to obviously decide on what stays and what goes. It can get a little stressful at times (especially for me when it comes to clothes…), but if you haven’t used it or worn it in at least a year, then it’s time to say bye, There are obviously certain items or pieces that might have some sort f sentimental value, and I do understand that some of those might need to be kept, but following this rule in general is extremely helpful and I promise you will feel great once you purge and the clutter is gone for good.
2. CREATE THREE PILES: TOSS, DONATE, AND SELL
When it comes to getting rid of stuff, I try to always create three piles: toss, donate, and sell. The first pile includes everything that needs to be THROWN OUT. If it’s stained, ripped, chipped, unwearable, or broken, then it needs to go.
The next pile is everything that can be DONATED. this includes all the gently used items that are still in good shape, but not sellable. I usually like to donate to one of the nearby churches in my neighborhood.
The last pile includes everything I can SELL. There are so many ways to do this these days. A few of my favorites include Poshmark, Galore Chicago Consignment, and The RealReal. Poshmark is great if you want to do all the work yourself. It’s an app where you can upload photos and name your price. If you want someone else to do all the work for you, then I highly recommend the other two options above.
3. GROUP ITEMS BY CATEGORY
When it comes to organizing your closets and cabinets, I like to categorize EVERYTHING. For example in your closet: all the dresses go together, pants, skirts, jackets, shoes, etc. Not only is it all grouped perfectly, but extra points for color coordinating it as well. This always helps me find exactly what I’m looking for and I’m even able to see items that I might have forgotten about. It might take a bit more time to set up on the front end, but it makes a world of difference. For more specific tips, check out this post on organizing your dresser drawers.
4. INVEST IN ORGANIZATION
I LOVE finding items that can help me organize. We recently redid our kitchen (more on that soon!) and I bought all the things to help me arrange everything nicely. Amazon is usually my goto when it comes to finding exactly what I need, but I also love The Container Store, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Target.
For closets, I’ve invested in these slim hangers and let me tell you, LIFE CHANGING! Struggling to organize your shoes? I’m also a huge fan of this hanging shoe storage {also this larger one for shirts + sweaters} or a sturdy shoe rack (we use this one in our front hall closet). Also these shelf dividers are great for bags, sweaters, or shirts.
When it comes to the bathroom I love these organizers for under the sink and these for organizing my drawers and makeup. I also use these bathroom storage canisters on the counter for q-tips, cotton balls, and eye makeup remover pads.
For our new kitchen I got this to create a spice rack in one of my drawers (which I love) as well as these for organizing the utensils in my drawers and these for organizing my pantry.
Lastly, my daughter has way too many toys and I wanted to organize them so that they blended into our living room decor so I got these storage bins which are chic and hold a ton.
Shop everything below:
SHOP THE POST
1. Hanging Shoe Storage // 2. Spice Rack Drawer Organizer // 3. Shoe Rack
4. Toy Storage Bins // 5. Shelf Dividers // 6. Bamboo Utensil Organizer
7. Makeup Acrylic Drawer Organizer // 8. Food Storage Pantry Bins
9. 2-Tier Bathroom Organizer // 10. Bathroom Storage Canisters // 11. Slim Hangers
So as you can see, doing a little spring cleaning really isn’t that bad and once it’s over you will be so happy you took the time to do it. Start small and try tackling one new closet or cabinet a day. Good luck guys! You got this!