When the flowers bloom, the weather warms, and the colors are vibrant, it only means one thing: spring is here! Any other person would be ecstatic over this change of scenery, and I am, but to me, there is only one thing spring is known for, CLEANING! Since I was a kid, I've always been a little bit of a neat freak. My pencils need to all be sharpened at the same length, my bed always needs to be made, and dishes should either be cleaned or in the dishwasher. I’m that person that will walk past an unfolded blanket and then turn right back around to fold it and set it nicely in a basket. Even when it comes to work and school, I am always writing everything down and turning every assignment in on time. Even my phone apps are organized by category and color! In short, organization is just my thing. Thus, spring cleaning and I are the best of friends. However, the only thing that haunts me is my closet. It’s not that it’s not organized per se, it’s just that I seem to have a personal connection with each and every piece located within the confines of the sacred place. I love everything I buy, so why get rid of it?  

If you feel the same way, today, we are tackling our fears together. Join me on this journey of cleansing (my closet), rediscovery (of my love for my clothes), and loss (of some of my past favs) in order to grow and welcome in a new season! Let’s get started, shall we! 

Step 1: Set the vibes! 

Cleaning your closet can be a day-long affair, so get the tunes flowing, pour yourself a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine, no one is judging), and get in the mindset of letting go! One thing that I like to do is put on something comfy and easy to remove because trying on what you’re iffy about will help you make that final decision of keeping it or moving on. Lastly, have designated areas set up for clothes you are going to donate, toss, or give to a friend or family member. It is also important to have storage bins to place your seasonal wear that you won’t be touching for months on end. Bulky winter clothing tends to take up a lot of space! 

Step 2: De-Clutter! 

Before you can even begin sifting, it is important to remove any things that shouldn’t be in your closet. That could mean trash, a dirty clothes pile, etc. You need to work with a space that is clean to be able to best spring clean! I began by removing any random costumes, a volleyball (for some reason), and visible awkward things like a lint remover and a posterboard from class. Everything on my floor had to go as well! 

Before: 

After: 

Step 3: Begin the cleansing! 

Now begins the toughest part of this whole journey: parting ways with some loved items. I started working my way from left to right. Tackling my jackets, jeans, tops, dresses, then bottoms. My goal was to reduce my amount of clothing by a third, as realistically I don’t touch that amount of clothing day-to-day. Another goal was to organize my clothes by length to clear room for the surface of my cabinet. I want to be able to use the top of my cabinet for decorations, jewelry, etc.  

After my personal goals were set, it was on to cleansing! Things that I wore day-to-day were not considered; it was the lesser touched items that I really had to decide on. My philosophy – or more so Marie Condo’s philosophy – was to keep whatever sparks joy. If I picked something up and smiled, I kept it. If I didn’t, I tried it on and decided from there. This process was tedious and took about two hours, because I had so many clothes, but finally, I got there! Tip: once you’ve decided something, don’t think twice; trust your gut reaction! Some criteria for letting go of items could be: it doesn’t fit anymore (both too small or too big), there’s a huge stain that you’ve been meaning to get out but haven’t or couldn’t, it’s broken or ripped, or maybe it’s simply no longer your style anymore. Don't get rid of things you think are “out of style” because if you love it, I promise everyone else will, too.  

Step 4: Organize what’s left! 

Now on to my favorite part! I love organizing my clothes; I even do it for fun randomly. By organizing I mean by color and by style/type. If you don’t currently have your closet organized this way, try it! I promise it will make getting dressed that much easier and more efficient. My new order was tops, then jackets, then jeans/pants. I kept the dresses and shorts/skirts in the same location as they were before because it made the most sense. The ultimate goal: make sure every article of clothing can be seen. You don’t want to have to dig through to find what you want, because it’ll make more of a mess in the end. Try to maximize the space you have without cluttering it. I like to leave a good amount of space between each article of clothing to give the illusion of an uncluttered space.  

Step 5: Decorate with Decocrated! 

Lastly, spice up the space! Your closet should be your happy place. If you have a shelf, island, or cabinet, use it as counter space to decorate. Throw in some cute Decocrated Spring 2022 box items like the flower vase with lamb ears and some tulips for Spring, or add a pop of color with the blue ceramic birds! I love using the Fall 2022 moon mirror to check my jewelry out before I leave the house.