8 Week Cleaning Challenge: Closets

Image from our Coat Closet Reveal

Closet: A place that often becomes a catch-all for random items that have no home. Because closet doors are often kept closed, we can ignore what’s lurking inside. Well, not this week. This week, we are going to dive in and clean out/organize all the closets in our homes: coat closets, linen closets, clothes closets, and cleaning closets (remember, I’ve got my cleaning closet reveal coming on Wednesday!). Once again, remember that you have an entire week to get your closets done, so take it one day at a time.

This week, I am encouraging you to grab some boxes and label them. You certainly don’t need anything fancy. A post-it note will suffice… or go ahead and just write on the box. Label one with the word “DONATE”, another with the words “NEEDS A HOME”, and finally one with the words “PUT AWAY”. Also, grab a large trash bag… or several if you think there’s more trash than treasure in your closets.

The first thing we are going to do is take everything out of the closet. Yep. Everything. There are two reasons for this: 1- You can actually clean the closet when there’s nothing inside, and 2- You can see all the items you have. Once everything has been taken out, clean the closet. Since closets tend to be smaller in size, the cleaning list isn’t very long this week. Some of the items on this list may not even apply to you.

The Plan

Depending on Your Flooring, Wash or Vacuum the Floors. (If you have tile or linoleum, try this DIY Floor Cleaner. Stains on your carpet? Try this.)
Vacuum/Dust the Baseboards
Wash Windows & Window Sills- I highly recommend using these
Dust Blinds
Wash Rugs
Clean/Dust Air Vents and Cold Air Returns
Disinfect Door Knobs and Light Switches- Try using these DIY Cleaning Wipes
Dust/Wash Down Shelving

At this point, everything is in a heap outside the closet, but the closet itself, is clean. Now it’s time to go through everything. I would really encourage you to embrace the KonMari spirit here and hold each item and ask whether it brings you joy. Granted some things, like toilet bowl cleaner, are probably not going to illicit a whole lotta joy, but it is still necessary to keep. However, if you don’t need it, and it doesn’t bring you joy, you have two options: 1- Throw it away or 2- Donate it. If it’s broken, and no one else would want it (I’m talkin’ about you, dirty sweat socks), toss it in the trash bag. If it is in good condition, but you just don’t use, or like, the item anymore, put it in the donate box. If, on the other hand, the item is needed and/or brings joy to your life, keep it. If it actually belongs in the closet you just cleared, put it away. If it has a home elsewhere, put it in the box labeled “PUT AWAY”, and if it has no home, but you know it shouldn’t be in the closet, place it in the “NEEDS A HOME” box.

When you are done with the closets, throw the trash bag(s) out. Put the “DONATE” boxes in your vehicle, so when you see a place to donate, you can stop and drop off your items. For things in the “PUT AWAY” box, go ahead and put them away (kind of a no-brainer there). The last box, “NEEDS A HOME”, can be tricky. I would encourage you to think about when and where you use the item to figure out the best place for it.

Here is your printable “to do” list for the week: 8 Week Cleaning Challenge: Closets

This week is going to be challenging for me because my husband’s clothes are taking over the closet (mine, not so much, thanks to my KonMari purge a few months back), and the linen closet is in desperate need of an overhaul. This kind of organizing is what gets me excited.

Let’s do this!

Week 1: Bathrooms // Week 2: Bedrooms // Week 3: Laundry Room // Week 4: Closets // Week 5: Living Spaces // Week 6: Office // Week 7: Entry // Week 8: Kitchen

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