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ABC's for Cleaning out Your Closet

Spring inspires many of us to tackle the dreaded task of cleaning out our closet.  If you have vowed to make your closet part of this year's "spring cleaning" project, here are the ABC's you need to know to make it happen.

A - Assemble all the tools you will need to get the job done.  Large plastic garbage bags, dust rags, vacuum, proper hangers, proper sized storage bins.

B - Block-off an appropriate amount of time to get the job done.  At least 2 to 4 hours for the average closet.

C - Clear the closet floor of everything.  This will allow you to move freely inside the closet and work more efficiently.

D - Decide quickly, what will stay, go or what needs fixing.  Your gut reaction towards a garment is often your best.

E - Enlist the help of a friend to be both brutally honest and help with all the physical labor.  Maybe you can do her closet next.

F - Finish one task before moving on to the next.  If you start by going through your shoes, finish that before starting your clothes or accessories.

G - Give your discards to a favorite charity or non-profit organization.  You will be doing something good for yourself and others at the same time.

H - Hydrate yourself often.  Cleaning a closet is hard work make sure you have some water near by.

I - Inventory and tally your discards as you bag them up.  This will make it easier to calculate your tax deduction on the items you give to charity.

J - Judge items with a critical eye.  Just because something was a great buy, or the opposite is true and you spent hundreds of dollars on it - it is not worth keeping if it doesn't make you feel good when you wear it.

K - Keep trying things on.  It can get tiresome, but it is important to be willing to try on garments throughout the process to determine if they are "keepers" or not.  Wear clothing that you can easily slip on and off for quick changes.

L - Loose threads and snags.  Have a scissors and snag repair needle nearby to take care of these quick mends immediately.

M - Motivate yourself to stick with the task.  Make a promise to yourself to indulge in some type of reward or treat once the closet is finished.  Maybe it will be a great silk blouse or a fun spring accessory.

N - Never store garments in the plastic they come in from the cleaners.  Remove the plastic, so your clothing can "breathe".

O - Organize your closet by garment type.  Short sleeve t-shirts together, long sleeve t-shirts together, skirts together, pants together, blouses together, special occasion together

P - Present day living please!  Leave garments in your closet that you can currently wear, not ten pounds from now.

Q - Quickly remove items to donate from your sight.  Allowing a garbage bag of former "favorites" to hang around too long may cause you to waiver.

R - Remember the love, and let go of the item.  Sentimental attachment is not a good reason to hang on to an item, the love and thought it came with will still remain even after you have gotten rid of the item.

S - Start a shopping list.  As you work make a list of garments you need to replace or could use to complete an outfit.

T - Tag each item that needs mending.  As you find items that need repair develop a system to designate what needs to be taken care of, so you will not need to sort through the pile a second time.

U - Utilize all your available space by investigating all the creative storage containers and systems available at home and lumber stores.

V - Value your closet space.  Remember that your closet should not become a catch all for everyone else's junk.  Figure out other places to store items that are not clothes, shoes or accessories.

W - Wire hangers should be replaced with plastic dress hangers.  Pants are best hung on special pant hangers and skirts on skirt hangers with clips.

X - Examine each garment for wear and tear.  If an old favorite has seen its' best days add it to your shopping list of items to be replaced.

Y - Yellow stains under the arms are never in style.  If you find any garment with sweat stains, it is time to let it go.

Z - Zip it up.  If you plan to store out of season clothes in a zip up garment bag, make sure it is made of canvas.  Canvas bags are better for your clothes, but still protect them from dust.

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Need advice? Ask us.

~Certified image consultant Cheri Bertelsen works with individuals and groups to help them discover their own unique beauty and make the most of it! You can visit her web-site at www.cbcolorandimage.com.