Cleaning out closets can be cathartic
Are you done with your spring cleaning? I don’t really do an annual spring cleaning, but I do know with all of the rain April brought and nasty storms throughout May, I am way behind on trimming hedges and outside flower bed cleanup. I don’t even have hanging flower baskets out yet.
Inside is a different story though, as I have gradually managed to do some good spring cleaning. When I say cleaning, I don’t mean scrubbing and dusting – I mean throwing out old stuff that I no longer want or need. It’s my favorite sort of cleaning activity. I could easily be one of those people you hire when you want someone else to organize your house.
When I moved back to Pennsylvania 12 years ago (wow, how time flies), I pared down my belongings and furniture but still brought back way too much stuff. The house now is curated to only what we want and need – still too many knick knacks for some, I’m sure – but just the right amount of furniture and decorations.
A few weeks ago, I decided to tackle what was in the dresser drawers and closets. I started by trying on two old dresses that I’ve had for years to see if they still fit. They did, so I kept them but decided to get rid of another one. Then another one. And another. Decades of working in television news has fostered my collection of classic-style dresses, skirts, pants and blazers both from department stores and bargain basements.
The old rule to get rid of anything you haven’t worn in a year has never really been my mantra. However, something got into me that day and I started grabbing dresses and jackets that I have not worn in a year or even two. A solid hour and two closets later, I had several bags full of old dress clothes to donate.
Next came the dressers full of shorts, T-shirts and sweats. I have one drawer full of my grungy tees and shorts useful for yard work and fixer-upper projects. But after sorting through many other drawers, another few bags were filled to the brim and ready to donate.
They say it’s good to clean out closets so you make room for new clothes. I’ve bought many new pieces of clothing through the years but hadn’t done a good closet cleanse and instead just kept stuffing everything together. Now, I actually have enough space to spread out my dress clothes on the hangers.
After I finished and dropped off the donations, I looked at my uncluttered closets and felt an immense sense of satisfaction and Zen. It was cathartic!
If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, I highly recommend doing a closet cleanse. It’s good for your soul!å
Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.