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Five Steps to the Perfectly Purged Closet

The vast majority of us have a hidden closet somewhere in our home where we stuff everything we are unsure about. Some have entire rooms, but for the sake of staying focused, we will concentrate on closets here. (You know who you are)

These closets are usually there for a very long time, constantly avoided and ever growing. So what happens when you finally decide to purge yourself of this growing closet monster? You need a plan!

 

Here are five simple steps to purge that closet and get rid of the monster for good:

Step one – Clear an area

Make sure you have a large area to work with either in the room with the closet or somewhere nearby. You need to lay out four large plastic containers. (Have a couple of spares nearby for particularly horrible closets) Label the containers with one of three designations; keep, sell, trash or donate.

 

Step two – Completely empty the closet

While scary, this is a necessity. You have to get it totally empty so that you can see exactly what you are dealing with. Get every last thing out of the closet. As you take out an item, place it in the container that makes sense.

 

Step three – Clean the closet from top to bottom

Get out the soap and water and get to scrubbing! As you are cleaning, start brainstorming ideas about how to best use the space in the closet. Think about what you want to really use it for.

 

Step four – Add in implements to maximize space

From shoe hangers to extra shelving, now is the time to install anything new. Trying to do so while it is empty is easy. Always make sure you have a plan going in so that you can execute it properly. Trying to do it on the fly is usually a mistake. Be ready with a plan and then maximizing space is much easier.

 

Step five – Empty the bins

These bins loaded with all your old closet stuff can often become new junk in a new place. Don’t allow it! Refuse to quit the job until you have done the right things with the right items. Put what goes back in the closet away. Sell the items that need selling. Donate what you can and toss the trash. Don’t wait!

Purging closets is really easy if you are willing to let go of things you don’t need. What is your best tip for purging these nasty clutter gathering closets? Share!