Clear the Clutter, Home Organization, Unclutter Your Life

How to Spring Clean Your Closet

Show your closet some TLC

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and it’s time to dust off those shorts – spring is here! You’ve spring cleaned your bathrooms, your pantry, your kitchen (pretty much every surface now smells lemony fresh and you’ve worked up a sweat), but there’s still one last space that needs a refresh: your clothes closet.

Giving your closet a good spring clean is the perfect way to declutter your wardrobe and go into the season with a fresh slate. Follow along with us as we take stock, make some small changes and get our closets spring ready.

Step 1: Clear everything out and clean your closet

Pile them on the bed, the floor, the desk – just get those clothes out so you can see what you’re working with. You’ll probably find that some non-clothing items have snuck their way into your closet, things like holiday decorations, books and knickknacks. If you have the space, store or display these elsewhere so your closet can be a one-stop getting dressed shop.

Once everything’s out, it’s time to clean. Wipe down shelves and drawers and use a broom or vacuum to sweep the floor. Most vacuums have a wand attachment that’s especially handy for reaching dusty corners, high and low.

Step 2: Put your winter wardrobe into hibernation

Those scarves, gloves and fuzzy hats have served you well, but the snow is long gone, and your sandals are just begging to be unboxed! It’s time to say goodbye to cold weather clothes to make room for spring essentials.

Start by going through all the clothes you took out of your closet. Things like heavy coats and sweaters can be folded up and stored in bins in the basement or hall closet for next season (a few Deluxe Utility Totes can handle the job). As you go, set aside anything that you didn’t wear or only wore once all winter. If these don’t fit or just don’t fit your style anymore, donate them or sell them to give them a second life.

Step 3: Take stock of your spring wardrobe

Time to repeat Step 2, but with your spring clothes. Take them out of storage (or from where they’ve been squished at the bottom of your dresser) and go through them. Set aside anything you didn’t get much wear out of last spring, that doesn’t fit or that’s a style you’ve outgrown. Add these to the donate and sell pile.

Step 4: Now for the fun part – organizing your closet!

The first step to getting your slimmed down spring wardrobe into your closet is figuring out what to hang and what to fold. This can vary depending on what clothes you have and your space, but here are some tips to start.

Hang things like blouses, dress pants, jackets, dresses and any pieces that wrinkle easily. You may also want to hang favorite items that you reach for frequently. For everything else, folding will do just fine. You can fold t-shirts, jeans, shorts and activewear. When organizing your hangers, pick a system that works best for you. You can organize your clothes by type, color or even by how dressy or casual they are.  

Another idea is when you hang your clothes, place the hangers in reverse or backwards.  Once you wear and wash an item, place it back in the closet with the hanger facing correctly.  Then at the end of the season, you will be able to which clothes you actually wore.  It will make cleaning out the closet easier each season.

 

Step 5: Bins are your best friends

A few good storage bins are all you need to pull off a mini closet makeover! Bins are helpful for separating clothes, storing folded items or organizing accessories. The Your Way® Cube in canvas is the perfect roomy storage cube for jeans, t-shirts, pajamas, activewear and more. You can also find this bin in some fun neutral prints.

We love the Canvas Storage Caddy for accessories – its pockets make it perfect for sunglasses, belts and scarves – while the Felt Display Bin is a cute way to keep your purses and wallets all together. The finishing touch to any Thirty-One storage bin? Personalization! Add embroidered words to label what’s inside or go for a fun monogram or phrase. 

Step 6: Last but not least, upgrade your hamper 

When it comes to laundry hampers, choose one that’s large enough (to avoid clothes all over the floor) but not so big that it takes up valuable closet space. We like a soft-sided hamper like the Stand Tall Bin – interior metal rods add support and structure without being too rigid or bulky. Plus, the long straps make carrying heavy loads so much easier. This is another great place for personalization, so have fun with it!

Say hello to fresh starts

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to clean you out – just take it step by step. Soon your closet will be refreshed, full of clothes that bring you joy and so organized that getting dressed will feel like a total treat. For more bins and caddies to tackle your spring cleaning projects, check out our bestselling organizing styles.

Looking for the prefect solution to your organizing challenge?  Be sure to comment below or reach out to me.  Want to know how to get your #wishlist for FREE or at a deep discount? Let’s do a BINGO & Bags virtual social…..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Clear the Clutter, Home Organization, Unclutter Your Life

How to Organize the Playroom

 

We’ve all been there: stepping on rogue blocks strewn across the floor, digging colored pencils out of couch cushions, rounding up stuffed animals from every corner of the house. When kids are having fun, clutter often follows – but having an organized playroom or arts and crafts station can help! Tidy up your little ones’ play area with these simple ideas.

 

1. Group similar toys together

The first step to any playroom makeover is taking stock of what you’re organizing. Does your child have stacks of books or coloring pages galore? Is your Picasso-in-training into finger painting? Whether you’re sorting stickers, markers or plushies, keep similar items together so that finding exactly what your little one needs is easy.

 

 

2. Choose the right sized storage

Once all the toys and supplies are sorted, find a container to fit. For construction paper, stickers and other stationery, a sturdy file organizer like the Fold N’ File® is perfect (this style also makes a cute desk organizer for your home office).

For small toys like building blocks, toy soldiers, pencils or sidewalk chalk, small storage baskets or decorative felt bins like the Felt Hanging Bin are a super convenient choice – plus, there’s the added bonus of being able to hang this bin by its faux leather loop to take advantage of wall space! For books or stuffed animal storage, there’s no better choice than a roomy storage basket like the Felt Display Bin.

3. Give each kid a personalized bin

The best playrooms are colorful, fun and all about the kids! To help your storage containers and décor match that fun atmosphere, spruce them up with embroidered personalization. This is a great way to get the kids involved in this mini playroom makeover!

Play around on our website with Thirty-One’s personalization preview to see what your product looks like with an embroidered dinosaur, llama, butterfly or other fun icon. If you’re organizing each child’s toys in a different bin, let them choose their icon and add their name for a basket they’ll love putting their toys away in!

What room in your house needs to be organized??? I’m happy to help with some suggestions…

For more storage and organization inspiration, follow us on Instagram @thirtyone and on Pinterest @thirtyonegifts

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!