A student’s guide to spring-cleaning

As the sun has begun to shine you can feel the warmth on your face, and it’s time to transition your wardrobe and closet from winter to spring.

It is easy to be irrational with clothes and want to rid half of your winter wear to make space for spring clothes. Obviously there are clothes that you have outgrown and stopped wearing, but think before tossing them away.

Go through every piece of clothing from winter to spring and evaluate when you wore each one last. Has it been months or years? Consider if they still fit well and if the quality is upholding its value.

Also contemplate if they are timeless or trendy. If you have denim, plaid, stripes, a maxi skirt or dress, it’s likely that these items will continue to stay in style circulation. But older trendy pieces are probably better off in your donation bag.

After making big moves about what can stay and go, there is a likely chance that all of your clothes you’d like to keep cannot fit in your closet, especially if you have recently splurged on new spring essentials and added more pieces to your wardrobe.

You definitely want to wait out the unpredictable weather switches between snow and sun, but once you’re confident that those sweaters and scarves are done, invest in some Ziploc storage space bags. They allow your clothes to stay in good condition but minimize the amount of space occupying the limited space for your storage you most likely have. The Ziploc bags are also great for blankets, towels, pillows and anything else you’re not using at the moment.

You can add closet space by purchasing a hanging bar rack. It allows a rod to hang below where your clothes are already hanging. This gives you double the hanging space.

The second problem people often run into with closet space is shoes. They can be accumulated just as easily as clothes, and it’s easy to be sick of throwing them in your closet on the floor.

An easy fix is to find a shoe rack that hangs over your door. You are not adding anything to the space in your closet or on your floor space but you can easily identify all your shoes and pick them out for your outfits easier as well.

If you already have a mirror hanging on your door, find a flat and clear storage container. You can slide it under your bed and pull it out when you’re ready to put shoes away or decide your pair for the day.

Now that you’ve separated what’s worthy to stay, what’s out your door, and organized your space to fit what you need, you need to know what to do with what you don’t want.

Some people might be lazy enough to just throw their leftover clothes and shoes in a bag and toss them in the trash, but you have other options. If you’re interested in donating clothing to help others in need, Desert Industries or Goodwill are choices you can’t go wrong with.

If you are looking to make some money off of your clothes that are still in good condition, take them into Plato’s Closet or Trendy Xchange. Both stores give on the spot cash for the clothes they select to take.

Be smart while sifting and enjoy the project of spring-cleaning. It’s a necessity for the new season.