Have you ever had that awful moment when you’re just staring at a closet so full of clothes and clutter that you can’t even bear to sift through the mess? And even though you know you have a ton of great pieces somewhere, you’re too overwhelmed to to deal so you end up wearing the same few outfits day after day and week after week?

If your closet has taken on a life of its own, it’s time to streamline, de-clutter and assess what you have and what you need. In order to do this, you’ll need some basic closet cleaning supplies:

 

Closet Organization Checklist

– Bins or laundry baskets for sorting.

– Tons of additional hangers.

– Storage baskets.

– A bag for alterations.

Once your supplies are in order, you’re ready to clear out the clutter! Your main goal is to decide what to keep and what to toss. A general rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn it in two years, it’s time to go. The “keepers” are the clothes you always put on right away because you LOVE how they make you look and feel.

Now that you know what you’re keeping and what you’re donating or selling, it’s time to clean and organize. Dust and vacuum your entire closet from top to bottom for a clean slate, and put the clothes back in a maintainable way that makes it easy for you to see what you have. Deciding how to organize your things is a personal choice, but most people group clothes according to item type (e.g., all skirts in one place, pants in another), color coordination (e.g. all yellows here, blues over there) or by activity (e.g., mommy clothes on the right, corporate clothes on the left).

Once your closet is cleaned and organized and you can actually see what you have, it’s time to learn how to put outfits together. Having a ton of different outfits you can grab at a moment’s notice is really important to your self-image, so take your time and have fun with this process. Find out which pants look best with which jackets, which shirts you can layer for a fun new look, and which accessories can totally change an outfit and take it from day to night. I recommend taking pictures of the outfits you create so you can reference them the next time you’re getting dressed.

If you’ve cleaned, de-cluttered and organized your entire closet only to come to the conclusion that you don’t have a single thing to wear, it’s time to go shopping! Click here to see how I can help you put together a full-blown, super simple shopping plan that will guarantee you never again find yourself standing in front of your closet agonizing over what to wear!