Happy happy Wednesday, friends!
It’s the first edition of LET’S LOOK for 2024!
If you don’t know what this is, once a month, Erika and I do a little link up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives (and then if you blog, you share and link up too!). We have been doing this little linky party for years now, and it’s always one of my favorite posts each month because most of the topics are YOUR suggestions!
Just as a reminder, in 2023, here’s we “looked at”…
In January, we looked at HOW WE ORGANIZE FOR THE NEW YEAR.
In February, we looked inside OUR MEDICINE CABINETS.
In March, we looked at ourALL TIME FAVE AMAZON FINDS .
In April, we looked at MY PET PEEVES.
In May, we looked at MY MORNING ROUTINE.
In June, we looked at MY BEST TRAVEL TIPS.
In July, we looked at MY FAVORITE SUMMER FINDS.
In August, we looked atOUR WORST HABITS.
In September, we looked at OUR EVENING ROUTINES.
In October, we looked at OUR BIGGEST FEARS.
In November, we looked at STOCKING STUFFERS.
In December, we looked at OUR TOP COMFORTS IN LIFE.
And today, we’re LOOKING AT HOW WE CLEAN OUR CLOSETS.
Now, this was one of your suggestions, but I’m going to assume you didn’t mean “clean” but more how we organize/clean out our closets, right? Because honestly, other than running a vacuum, my closet doesn’t really get “cleaned” that much.
As far as how I organize/clean out/donate and purge my closet, that’s something I do quite frequently!
If you’ve read my blog from the beginning, then you know that over the last 16½ years, I’ve lived in three homes with three very different closet situations.
For me, no matter the size of my closet, I’m super particular about it being orderly, neat, organized and only including items I really love. I’ve never been a super sentimental person, so I don’t have a hard time letting go of things which makes it probably easier for me to edit and clean out my closet than some people. For me though, I always, always love walking into/opening the door to a very tidy closet and being able to easily see what I have, and even now on Nantucket where we share a tiny closet, I enjoy the neatness so much that it’s easy for me to part with things.
That being said, yeah, I have a big closet now, so it’s easy for me to talk about how “easy” it is because I have space. I do think though that sometimes, the more space you have, the more room you have to add clutter/junk, so there’s that side of the coin too. Either way, here are some of my favorite tips/what I do because you asked, and I want to share. None of these are crazy original, they’re just the honest things I thought of when I sat here and looked back on my “system” for keeping my closet tidy.
Here we go:
#1: PURGE FREQUENTLY & SET A TIMER
I personally think the longer you put off cleaning out the closet not only does the build up of items become more, but the “I need to clean my closet” thing hangs over your head longer. It’s never as bad as we think it will be, so in my opinion, it’s easier to rip the band aid off and just get to work. I know I’ve mentioned this a million times, but there is a reason that I keep…
…the timer on my Apple Watch at all times. I use this little timer all day long! I use it for so many things including setting a timer to clean/purge. You guys would be so surprised by how much one can actually clean in five minutes if they’re really focused. Sometimes, I’ll do big overhaul cleanings of my closet, but more often than not, I’ll just set the time for 5 or 10 minutes, clean out as much as I can and move on. The smaller chunks of time just seem more manageable, and I stay on task/get distracted less when I know my timer is ticking down.
#2: DON’T PUT IT BACK IF IT DOESN’T WORK
I have adopted a rule (thanks to reading so many Francophile books) that if I put something on, and it just doesn’t look right/doesn’t fit/doesn’t work on me any longer, I do not hang it back in my closet. I put it in my “donation bag”…
#3: KEEP A DONATE BAG ON HAND
I keep a large shopping sack in my closet for items that I would like to donate. If I see something that doesn’t work/take off a piece of clothing that no longer works (as in #2 above), I immediately place it in this bag. When the bag is full, I take a peek inside, double check that indeed I haven’t missed the items or needed them and then I donate. Not only does this immediately remove items from my closet that no longer work, but it neatly and in an organized way, keeps them out of my vision so that I’m not distracted by them when I am trying to get ready in the morning. Now, all I see are the actual items that work for me in my closet.
#4: KNOW WHERE/WHO YOU’RE DONATING TO
I think it’s so key to know where you’re donating your items, so that when that bag is full, you can immediately give them a better home. We do have several great options here in McKinney for donations of clothing that I sometimes use, but more often than not, there is this one family in particular that I have now met and love where both the mom and the teen daughters can wear my clothing, so I will reach out to her and happily share my finds.
#5: OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND PLACE
Occasionally, I will put items in a “out of sight, out of mind” place in our garage if I think that maybe the following season I will need it. For instance, if it’s a coat that I just haven’t worn in two years, but I *might* wear it again next year, I’ll tuck it away and then when that space gets a little full and I’ve yet to wear it (even though it’s been a year), I will donate it immediately. This is a good place to put things should you be afraid you’ll have remorse about purging certain pieces. That being said…
#6: BUT MAKE SURE THINGS YOU LOVE AREN’T OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
I had to really change how I thought about this one! Sometimes, items I really love, get folded and put into a drawer and then, even though I genuinely love them, I don’t see them, so I forget to wear them. I think if it’s an item you love, make sure it’s in a location (and not cluttered by things you don’t love) so that you don’t forget about it and can really use and enjoy it.
#7: BE REALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF
I have to work on this one too. Sometimes, you know you spent $100 on that sweater last year, but every time you put it on, it just doesn’t look flattering on your at all/it itches/it’s a little too short/etc and so you take it off, don’t wear it and put it back. Be honest with yourself. Even though you did invest in that piece, you don’t love it, it’s not something you’re going to ever wear, and it’s only taking up valuable space. Donate it to someone better suited for it and move on.
#8: PUT ITEMS IN YOUR CLOSET BASED ON WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU
I know a lot of people have certain systems about how you should organize your closet (by color, by season, by sleeve length, by style), I personally say to throw all of that nonsense out and just organize it based on what works for YOU. If color works for you, do it! If occasion works for you, do that. Do what you actually need in your life and then you will maintain it easier because it works for you. Don’t do what some silly book or influencer (like me!) tells you to do 😉 .
And those are my tips for cleaning out your closet 😉 .
Coming up this year on Let’s Look…
…I am VERY excited about next month’s topic too!
Okay, I’m sure I missed many, many things today, so please comment and share, so that we can all help each other clean out our closets.
If you also blogged Let’s Look today, make sure you link up below.
Have a wonderful Wednesday! xx
Laura says
Thanks to you I have kept a donation bag in the bottom of my closet for years! Last year I also added a For Days recycle bag. I put in it anything that is ripped, stained, etc so that I feel good about where it is going when I know that no one else is going to want it. https://fordays.com/products/take-back-bag?nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ag%3A20163848110%3A153015773887%3A659157787562&nb_adtype=&nb_kwd=for%20days%20take%20back%20bag&nb_ti=kwd-969643189377&nb_mi=&nb_pc=&nb_pi=&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=e&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAkp6tBhB5EiwANTCx1LWp0eACNOJFsf-_nSkAcpbwZjKu_8h-Ibp-Z_SKbbHF5su8-6ju-RoC5l8QAvD_BwE
Jessica Tribbett says
I have never heard of this, thank you so much for posting, Laura! I’m always looking for opportunities to be more sustainable and this is something I struggle with.
Denise says
Thank you for sharing this link, Laura! I’m always looking for businesses and options that support sustainable practices and products. This is the first I’ve heard of For Days & Trashie and their Take Back Bag, but what an awesome option for true reuse and recycling of clothing items not fit for donation!
Karen Musser Ruybal says
Thank you so much for posting this information.
Elspeth says
Such a great idea about keeping a donation bag on hand!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Erika Slaughter says
Listen I need you and your list of organizational ideas to head over
this afternoon. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Kim says
and to my house next please!
Jennibell says
How do you organize your shoes? That is the one thing that gets me every time, especially boots.
Mix and Match Mama says
I answered this above in the comment section!! 🙂
Sheaffer says
Every single time I’ve seen your closet it has been PRISTINE. Every single thing in it’s place. It’s a thing of wonder.
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I’m just trying to keep up with your closet 😉 !
Kay says
Shoes. I’m always confused by shoes? We have a ton of them in our mudroom off the garage. (Make sense right?). But then, I have dress shoes in my closet…and there’s a basket by one of my side doors that has “outdoor shoes, i.e. GROSS” in it…
Do you keep all shoes in one place? Or “active” shoes by the door but all dress shoes in your closet?
I should add, we don’t wear them in the house so that helps (a bit!) keep them organized.
Mix and Match Mama says
Shoes are Andrew’s biggest pet peeve. Let’s be clear, my kids keep their shoes scattered all around the house and then never know where they are when they need them/we trip over them constantly. We added little shoe racks from Amazon out in our garage, and that is supposed to be where they keep all of their shoes (because they never go upstairs and get different shoes, they just wore the same pair over and over, so now, we keep them in the garage so they have them all and can wear them all). I keep my running shoes in the closet by the front door (to put on before I run out the door), I have a little basket where I keep all of my flip flops and then another bin where I keep extra slippers/athletic shoes. I have space to put my other shoes in the built-ins in my closet in McKinney, but on Nantucket, I use the shoe racks that you hang up like a hanger in your closet and that works really well.
Brooke says
This is a great list! One thing I do is if I can’t find a hanger that means something needs to go. I never buy new hangers unless I am replacing old hangers. If I bought 5 new shirts and now I am short on hangers, I am throwing out a few items.
Alison says
Thanks for sharing your list, Shay! This was great! I need to find a local place to donate. I’m tired of my purge items just sitting upstairs in a closet. Haha!
K.K. says
I love the timer strategy! That is imperative for me to stay focused, or I turn small projects into – “Let’s just pull everything out of the closet, and put everything in a better spot as I choose if it stays or goes.” ha ha… And it’s a two week overhaul. 🙂
I have started using timers for lots of cleaning, and it helps me stay motivated because I know a break is coming to do something else.
Catherine says
Thanks for doing this post! Great ideas! I’ve been waiting for years for you to do this!😂
Faith says
Thank you for always encouraging us to be ourselves! (Organizing our closets the way it works for us!)
Just this morning I saw threee sweaters…..two I have almost never worn but are a good neutral taupe/tan or whatever color to have and one that for some reason isn’t with my normal sweaters and I forgot about. I also have a donation bag in the closet. I also have a bin of items that I don’t “think” I want anymore but put out of sight just in case. It’s hard for me to get rid of some stuff but ugh I hate unnecessary stuff!! We have a thrift store that benefits women and children in need (affected by abuse) so I love helping their cause. Thank you for sharing your insights as always!
Courtney C says
I will frequently tackle it by “subject”. For example, last weekend, I went through all my sweatshirts and purged. Next up are jeans! And then when I put those back on the shelves they’ll be organized by style: skinny, straight leg, flare/wide leg, cropped, etc.
Carole says
Such great tips! Especially the timer, since thinking of a full closet clean out is so overwhelming! I keep a donation bag as well but also for those items I might feel bad about paying for and then never wearing, I will at least try our local resale shops to see if I can get a little cash for them. We have Clothes Mentor that pays up front so no waiting on it to sell. It’s usually not a lot but even a little bit helps me not feel guilty about getting it out of my closet!
Andrea Conrad says
If you have shoes that are not suitable to donate or give away, you use an organization called “Got Sneakers”. You mail them your shoes (in a bag they provide) and they either recycle them or use them somehow. It’s a great option for those shoes that have really been “loved” and keeps tons of shoes out of landfills!
Stacey M. says
I really like tip #1. The timer! I feel like if I don’t have time to get the whole project done I shouldn’t start but then it gets put off. I think the idea that I could do a little at a time and just be ok with that amount at that time!
Thank you!
Becky Rasdall says
Great tips, I love an organized closet! What I really want to know though, what watch face is that?! I don’t see one like that in the gallery, is it from an app? Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
It is from the app! On your Watch App you can build any sort of face you want. I’ve had this particular face since my very first Apple Watch. Once you make it, it will save so you can use it over and over again.
Ashley says
These are such great tips, Shay! I need to put them to good use and get started on my closet next week. 🙂 I am excited for next month’s link up, I think I’m going to try to work on a post and participate!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Make Life Marvelous