2 Big Tips For Cleaning Out Your Closet

  We all know about Spring Cleaning, but why wait? The Winter season makes for the perfect weather to stay indoors and clean out your closets. You may have a closet upgrade in mind, are looking for closet organizer ideas, or just want tips for closet cleaning to help motivate you and breathe life into this annual closet cleanout chore, so we have two big tips to help you achieve a clean and organized closet.    
  1. How To Start Cleaning Out My Closet
Take a look inside and see what you have the most of, and/or what might be in the way. For the linen closet, you might notice an abundance of sheets wadded up on several shelves, whereas in the bedroom you might have too many clothes, or you may have entirely too many bottles of lotion you don’t use in your closet in the bathroom.   To start cleaning out a messy closet, pull out the biggest offender first and sort through it all before emptying the rest of the closet. You’ve probably been told many times before to pull absolutely everything out first. But by focusing on the one thing you have the most of before anything else, you’re able to sort through the items while continuing to peer inside your cramped closet to gauge how much room you’re likely to have when it’s time to put it all back.   So pull those 20 bottles of lotion you never use, cull your 40 shirts down to a much more manageable number, keep 10 towels instead of 20, and only 2 sets of sheets for each bed may be needed. Do you really need 10 scrub brushes? And get rid of things that no longer fit or have not been worn in a couple of years that you previously couldn’t part with before – because you’re serious this time, these closets need major help.   You’ll be proud of yourself the next time you straighten your closet and realize how much easier it is, how much better you feel looking at it every day, and how you don’t miss anything you tossed. But one more thing, we don’t like waste either, so “toss” things in a box and donate everything you no longer want!   Don’t be tempted to put everything in storage “just in case” either, or you’ll end up doing this sorting and organizing all over again in the garage. If you absolutely can’t convince yourself to donate everything immediately, and you can’t give it to a friend to take it away for you that day, then try this cleaning hack:   Clearly label the box so you don’t need to look inside when you go to retrieve it. Simply put “Linen Closet To Donate” or something similar and add the date. In 6-12 months, anything left in the box that you have not retrieved something you tossed in there, leave the box closed and donate it immediately because the things inside are obviously not needed or missed.    
  1. Closet Ideas & Organizing Solutions I May Need
Take a look at your available closet hardware and organizers and decide what your main closet goals so you can start searching for any closet storage ideas you may need. Some things to think about in closet solutions are:   Closet hanging rod Closet hooks Closet shelving Closet jewelry drawers Closet shoe organizer or shoe rack Other types of closet organizer   Check online and local sales for unique solutions and products you think you won’t be able to live without any longer. Be open-minded and creative! A closet shoe rack can often be used for more than shoes, like holding rolled towels. Likewise, other types of shelving may make for a better closet shoe organizer than the actual ones marketed for shoes.   You can use closet shelving in the bedroom and may not have thought of that before. Add a few baskets to hold scarves and hats, belts and shoes, t-shirts or light sweaters too. Fold those heavier items that get stretched on hangers and stack them on shelves instead. If your closet is big enough, you may be able to empty out a dresser and free up some floor space in your bedroom.   Always try to creatively hang things from easy-to-use closet hooks and hanging bars and easy to reach open-front closet organizers to fill in every usable inch of your space with an organizing solution. You can also use a closet hanging rod in the linen closet to put fresh, folded sheets on hangers. Don’t forget the backs of your doors if there’s space, it’s the perfect place to hang mops, jewelry, or belts. Also try to replace your existing hangers with some that are sturdy but slim and matching. This breathes new life and cleaning motivation into your space and frame of mind, as well as saves space.   No matter what you choose, keep it simple and easy and try to find the most useful closet hacks you can that come recommended by others online who have used them and found them ingenious.   Remember that having to pull a box out from under another box and then balance it while you open the lid and pull something out, replace the lid and put it back (whew!) may eventually leave you frustrated and you won’t be motivated to put things back exactly where they belong after each use. Instead, using large glass jars, a variety of lightweight baskets, and some colorful buckets might be better options.     So What Should I Do Now? Go clean! Be proud of your efforts and your new closet update. Keep motivated to put things away immediately and where they belong after each use.   Oh, and don’t forget, when looking for help with cleaning around your home, check us out at the Mighty Maids of Durham and Chapel Hill. We are a locally owned, award-winning maid service for all of your housekeeping needs in the Durham, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Apex and surrounding areas of North Carolina. We can’t wait to work with you and make your home sparkle!