5 Closet Cleanout Tips for Summer to Fall Transition
Even though there is still some summertime left, we can feel fall creeping in around the corner. With that in mind, we would like to share our closet-clean-up guide with you so that you and your wardrobe can transition smoothly into the crisper weather to come.
1. Empty your closet of everything that’s in it
That means don’t just pull out your clothes, but also the hangers, boxes, bags, and random items all of us have stashed in the back of our wardrobes. If you have any containers or drawers, make sure to clear them out too.
After everything is cleared from your closet area, clean it thoroughly. You want the chosen pieces to live in a clean environment, well displayed and organized.
2. Prepare a sorting area and do the first selection
Knowing that you are changing seasons, we recommend you use below categories for the first sift-through:
Summer to store: All clothes that you joyfully wore during the summer and would like to wear next year.
Summer clothes to get rid of: The rest of the summer clothes that don’t fit well anymore or you don’t see yourself wearing ever again. This pile should also include clothes that are worn down.
Fall clothes: All of the fall-appropriate pieces. Some cold weather or layering appropriate summer clothes can stay too!
Fall clothes to get rid of: The pieces that you don’t see yourself wearing anymore and are just taking up space.
Any clothes that require mending
You can use baskets, boxes, or bags (or even piles), just as long as you can clearly see these five categories of clothing.
Once that’s done, store the summer clothes that you’ll wear when it gets warm again. We recommend boxing or bagging those pieces, but putting them on the tallest shelf, on the floor, or even on the back of your shelves. Whatever saves you the most space in your closet. The entirety of your fall wardrobe should make it in the most accessible spots so that you can see them clearly and pick them up easily.
Then, check which repair-requiring pieces you can fix yourself and with which you need professional help and set them aside. Look for local shoe-makers and tailors. Very often your local dry cleaners provide clothes fixing service as well. There is a whole new life awaiting them!
And finally, let’s take all of the clothes you would like to part with and organize them based on what you want and can do with them.
3. Prepare the new sorting area and do the second sorting
We recommend you divide them into 3 categories:
Giveaway for friends and family: If there is something that you no longer want and is not your style, but you think that a person close to you would love, set it aside for them! It may be a nice gift and a way to show that you’re thinking of them.
Sell: If you have time and think that certain pieces have a good resale value, sell them! There are a lot of resale platforms out there that you can use. We wrote about a few in our “Clothing Retirement” post.
Donation to SCRAP: If you’re in the New York metro area and want to donate your summer and fall clothes, but don’t know where or don’t have time to take care of it - we would be happy to take them! SCRAP makes this process simple for you. We take new, lightly worn, and worn down pieces as we believe that even if a piece has some rips and is worn down it should not end up in a landfill. Please just make sure that all clothes are washed before donation. Learn more here.
You can schedule a pickup for clothes you want to donate at the time that suits you best. We are currently doing clothing pick-ups in the five boroughs of NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island) and Northern NJ, but will soon expand to more locations with your support.
Don’t forget, this doesn’t just work for clothing. You can apply the same rules for your shoes, bags, bedding, and accessories! Happy sorting!
