It’s that time of year, spring cleaning! Some of us love the yearly reminder to purge and organize, while others need some motivation and guidance to take on such a large task. Today we’re going to tackle YOUR closet! It’s easy to do the kid’s closet, linen closet, and pretty much any other closet in the house, but there are a few key reasons why it’s important to spring clean YOUR closet:

To get started, you’ll want to make sure you have a nice block of uninterrupted time. If the thought of uninterrupted time makes you giggle, just cut out 30 minutes and take baby steps. Next, put on some great music to get you going. Finally, here’s our handy list to help you through the process:

Get started by pulling out everything that you haven’t worn in a year. Then ask yourself these questions:

• Are there items that need mending? If you haven’t mended it or taken it to the tailor in a year … odds are it’s not going to happen. It’s time to get rid of it.
• Does it fit? If not, have an honest conversation with yourself and move on.
• Are the tags still on it? Did you buy it on sale thinking it was too good of a deal to pass up? It’s not a good deal if it’s been sitting in your closet for a year with tags on it. Toss it.

Make the most of your spring cleaning by donating or reselling your clothes. Or, plan a swap party with your girlfriends and trade with one other.

If you are tight on space, you’ll need to create a rotating closet. Pack away your winter wardrobe and make room for spring and summer fashion. This includes everything from your coats, sweaters, scarfs, and shoes. There are excellent storage options available that you can keep under your bed or in your garage. Be sure to invest in quality storage to protect your garments. One option we love is Ziploc space bags.

Try arranging your closet either by color or by casual vs. dressy. Sorting by color is not only visually appealing, but also enables your eye to scan and discover new outfit options.

Organizing by color or occasion also gets you out of the rut of wearing the same thing all the time. Now that your closet is cleaned up, you can identify the best way to store your clothing, accessories, and shoes. A trip to The Container Store or Ikea will help maintain order to your newly cleaned out closet.

Cleaning out your closet can be overwhelming and even emotionally draining. Be prepared to take some deep breaths, but you’ll feel better when it’s done and you’ve overcome the hurdle. The best part is you now have clarity and space.

Are you ready to spring clean your closet? Let’s start a motivation chain … name three things in your closet that are getting tossed out in the comments below.