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The closets in your home need cleaning and decluttering. Here are some tips and warning about how to clean out the closet, plus step by step instructions.

First, give yourself a time limit. If you plan to spend 1 ½ hours cleaning, don’t do more than that. It will still be there later. Second, some charitable organizations will come to your house and pick up unused items. Third, decide if the stain will come out or not. If not it throw away.

Step by Step Instructions on cleaning the closet.

1. Start with a clean room, or you will make an even bigger and more intimidating mess as you clean out the closet.

2. Choose an area of the closet to focus on, such as shelves or the floor. Cut the job down into manageable parts.

3. Set out three boxes and mark them “Garage Sale”, “Charity” or “Garbage”.

4. Buy some stackable plastic bins with lids.

5. Evaluate each item you remove from the closet. Ask yourself if you have used the item in the past 12 months. If the answer is no, it is time to get rid of it.

6. Stash thing that belong in other rooms in the Out of Place box.

7. Put as much as possible into the Garbage box.

8. Sort the items you want to keep into categories and store them in the binds. LABEL the bins.

9. Stack the labeled bins neatly on the shelves and floor of the closet, making sure the ones you will use regularly are accessible.

About the author: Suzie Brown

Sue Brown served as UNL Extension Educator for 37 years in Adams County. Her area of emphasis was food safety, nutrition, community development and clothing and textiles. She enjoyed serving the public with information for daily living and use. She continues to be active in the community.