Summer is officially here! With that comes storing away the coats and the sweaters and bringing out summer essentials like shorts, rompers, and dresses. As you’re going out with the old and in with the new, here are a few wardrobe decluttering tips that aren’t limited to the summer season, but are here to help improve your life on a daily basis.

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A clear wardrobe is essential for a clear mind.

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When you spend time looking for a specific article of clothing, it’s both frustrating and unnecessary. Instead of saying, “I have nothing to wear!” every time you face the large amounts of old and unused items in your closet, follow these tips to create and maintain an organized closet that has everything you need and nothing you don’t need. Whether you implement all of the tips in this article or just one or two, your life will surely be improved.

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1. Sell or donate items you don't wear

Although it's easy to discard unworn clothing, it's overall better to recycle your items. One method you can use to determine whether you want to keep or donate an item is to flip the hangers around in the closet so they are backwards. After a month or two, notice if there are any hangers that haven’t been turned around, which would indicate you haven’t worn the item. If you haven’t worn it, ditch it!

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2. Have a system for organizing your clothes

To clean the space you must first CLEAR the space! By removing all items from your closet you can assess how much room you have and how you want to use it, as well as take the time to quickly dust shelves or vacuum. When you’re ready to put your clothes back in, find a system for organizing your clothes that will allow you to quickly identify each item.

The system we suggest is to separate items by article of clothing. For example, you can put the tank tops together first, then t-shirts, then long-sleeved shirts, and so on. On top of this system, you can color code by lights and darks. This way, you’ll know where specific clothes are.

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3. Keep it minimal

To reduce clutter, you may want to hang up jackets and other heavier pieces of outerwear, and keep the everyday pants and t-shirts hidden away in drawers. This keeps not only your closet looking clean, but keeps you feeling clean.

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4. Clean daily

If you take just 10-15 minutes out of your day to focus on decluttering even a small corner of your closet, it can make a big difference at the end of the week when you realize your closet has stayed clean. Whether it’s making sure your shirts are organized according to your system, or folding your pants neatly and placing them where they should be, an organized closet will help maintain the look and functionality of your closet.

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5. Maximize space

If you have clothes hanging on the rod in your closet, you may be wasting precious space that could be occupied in so many ways! You can utilize the space by:

• Purchasing shelves, drawers, hanging racks, boxes, etc.

• Adding a shoe rack to utilize the bottom of your closet space

• Adding a hanging rack on the door or wall to hold scarves, belts, purses, or even socks

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Many stores have great storage options, but here are some of our favorites!

• Walmart -$ (https://www.walmart.com/cp/home-storage-organization/90828)

• Ikea -$ (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/secondary_storage/)

• Target - $$ (http://www.target.com/c/storage-organization-home/-/N-5xto8)

• The Container Store - $$ (https://www.containerstore.com/welcome.htm)

• Pottery Barn - $$$ (https://www.potterybarn.com/?cm_type=gn