Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet

As with the seasons, your closet needs updating, rearranging and cleaning. Some call it 'closet maintenance'.

The biggest thing to keep telling yourself- if you haven't touched it in 5 years, get rid of it. Some people say one year, some say 10. Five is good because it probably isn't in style, or it won't fit or there is some other logical reason why you will not wear it.

Make your piles. One for donation, one for garbage and one for returns. Some people would say a forth pile for alterations but, what is the reality that you'll get that done? You decide.

Be organized. Your life will be so much easier.
Start by first grouping shirts, then pants, then jeans, then skirts, then dresses.
Then within those groups divide by color. Then within color, divide by length. You'll be so much happier when the perfect outfit calls for a short sleeved navy shirt. You'll quickly know where to go and get to see all of the available options.

Got stuff with tags?
Some stores will still take them back! I have a friend who sent three boxes of these back to a certain well-known womens clothing store and got over $400 back! Some of the stuff was as much as 10 years old. But, since they all still had their tags on them, they took them- no questions asked.

Pitch anything that is obviously well worn or seriously out of style. Nobody wants these even for free.

Return borrowed items to people. They will love you even more.