It’s time for a closet clean out! A few months ago, I did a pantry clean out and it totally improved our time management. Because it went so well, I wanted to share another organization post.

I love doing a closet clean out because it’s always so fun. You get to see what’s hiding in the back, donate a decent amount of clothes and shoes, and even make room for new items. Here’s how I do it.

First, I start with the easiest task-taking everything out. Yes, I literally remove everything from my closet. All the shoes, the clothes, the accessories-everything! I leave everything on hangers and just lay it all on the couch I have in my bedroom. Everything just gets piled up until the closet is empty. Removing everything from your closet lets you start with a clear space and gives you a fresh start on your wardrobe.

Next, I touch every piece. I know it sounds weird, but hear me out. Initially once the closet is cleared out, you’re going to look at the piles and get overwhelmed. Don’t! You’re going to take each item, hold it, and decide what to do with it. You might even have to try it on. Go slow and literally handle one piece at a time. If you go too fast, this whole process will be for nothing. The reason you take this step is so you can feel each garment and examine how worn the fabric is. Even more importantly are the emotions that come up for you when you hold it. This process allows you to determine if that piece deserves space in your life.

The last step is to put pieces back in the closet. As you go through the previous step, if you want to keep the item, you’re immediately going to put it back in the closet. Simple! But you aren’t done yet. Hang everything as you normally would and as you wear pieces, (after washing them) hang everything up with the hanger backwards on the rack. This will be a visual display of how often you’ve worn things. If you need a walkthrough, you can check out the tutorial video I did a few years ago.

Doing a closet clean out just once is good, but take it up a notch. I want you to do this once or twice a year. It will not only keep your wardrobe fresh, it will also allow you to help others by donating clothes you don’t want to keep. But remember, if the items are damaged, ripped, or torn, it’s time to toss them. One of my favorite places to donate clothes is ThredUp*. They will send you a clean out bag, you fill it and send it back, they do the rest! If any of your items sell on their site, you even get a credit to help you save the next time you update your wardrobe.

Going through this process will not only help you feel refreshed, it will give you a fresh start on your closet, and help your heart feel good too.