According to Amanda: Closet Cleaning and De-Cluttering Tips

A couple of weeks ago, The Brunch Club held a yard sale to raise funds to attend the Maiedae Mixer in September.  Not only was it wildly successful, but it also gave me the chance to purge a lot of stuff that I had been hoarding holding onto for too long.  The majority of this was clothes, shoes, bags and other accessories which were cluttering my closet.  And since I'm moving to a new apartment in a little over a month, it couldn't have come at a more perfect time.  For the most part, I'm pretty good about not saving things I don't need that just take up space, but for some reason clothes have always miffed me.  I've learned to get over the idea that "I might need this 10 years down the road for such and such occasion" and embrace the purge, and I wanted to share my tips and tricks for doing so.

1. If you're completely re-organizing the arrangement in your closet, I suggest removing everything and sorting it into piles by type (long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, dresses, flats, clutches, etc).  Then, you can put everything back in it's new place, section by section of items.  This also allows you to see which things you have more of and what will require more storage space.
2. Ask yourself, "Have I worn this in the last year?"  If the answer is no, it really should go.  Don't get caught up in the what-ifs, because chances are if you haven't reached for it in the last year you probably won't wear it in the year to come.
3. If it doesn't fit, toss it.  The idea of buying clothing a size small as motivation usually doesn't work.  Instead, it's really best to buy for the body you have, not the body you want.  Otherwise, you have wasted dollars hanging in your closet.  In the same regard, don't hang onto things that are too big.
4. If tags are still attached, and it's been several months since you bought it, get rid of it.  This is something I was really guilty of because I would buy clothing and other things just for the sake of buying something.  Now, I'm much more aware of purchases and things I buy so that usually doesn't happen.
5. Is the clothing item a trend that was from three years ago?  It's probably time to ditch it because chances are that trend won't be back.  No need to hang onto something you'll most likely never wear again.  Ever.
6. Use the method of turning your hangers backwards, and then as you wear an item of clothing put it back the right way.  After a few months, you'll be able to see what you're wearing and what you haven't touched.  These are things to get rid of.  It might be hard to see so much go at once, but just think of all the room you'll have for new things!
7. Keep a designated basket or area where you can accumulate things you want to get rid of as you notice them in your closet.  That way they don't get buried in the back of your closet never to be found again.
8. Have a yard sale, sell items to a consignment shop, or donate what you don't want anymore.  You can make some extra cash, or help someone else in need, which is always a great thing to do.
9. For every item you buy, pull something to get rid of.  This will keep your closet from getting too crowded with things you'll never wear.

I've found that really, purging and getting rid of things is more in your head than anything.  Once you can get past the idea that you need to keep everything, you'll be throwing things out left and right.  It's kind of liberating when you think about it! 

I hope you find these tips helpful and can use them to clean out your closet.   If you have any other tips and tricks that you like to use, I'd love to read about them in the comments below!