While the weather outside may be saying the opposite, tomorrow is the first day of Spring and that means Spring cleaning! See some of my top tips for making the task less daunting...

Photo by miss_pupik

Spread it out: All those fabulous closets you see on Pinterest, do not come together over night and neither will yours. I can't tell you how many times I have set out to tackle my closet only to become quickly overwhelmed and abandon the task. I clean out my dresser one day, closet the next, and storage on another day. I don't get burned out/bored and the job eventually gets done. Sometimes if things get messy, I reorganize a drawer a day or a shelf a day until things are back in order. 

Clean it before you store it: Dry clean those winter coats and clean the salt off those boots before you tuck them away into storage. This will save you time when the temperature drops and extend the life of your clothing. This is especially important with delicate fabrics like cashmere and silk.

Phone a friend: I always have my best friend stop by after I clean out my closet. She gets first dips on the donate/sell pile and I get honest feedback about those items I'm really on the fence about keeping/tossing. 

Undecided: Still can't decide if you should keep or toss that top? Put it in a box under the bed for a few months. If you haven't thought about it or don't get excited about wearing it next season, it's time for it to go. Alternatively, you can hang them in your closet with the hanger facing the opposite direction. If it's still hanging that way the next time you clean your closet, you obviously haven't touched it and never will.

Set standards: Set your standards and stick to them. If it doesn't fit, is damaged, stained, or falling apart, be brutal and toss it. 

Sort for a cause: I like to donate the things in like-new condition to organizations like the Saint Francis House and Dress for Success, old bedding and towels to local animal shelters, and everything else goes to the Goodwill. You get a greater sense of satisfaction (and less guilt) when you donate those like-new heels to a someone in need of them.