As the long winter weather makes way for some welcome sunshine, we begin the annual spring cleaning event. And isn’t the best part of cleaning out your closet making room for a new summer wardrobe? Even in this tight economy, a fresh, clean closet filled with well-made clothing is still a possibility. Carolyn Schneider, expert bargain shopper and author of The Fifth Edition of The Ultimate Consignment & Thrift Store Guide, offers the following tips on how to efficiently clean your closets.

1. Separate Your Clothing Into Four Categories:

Category 1-To sell to a consignment store. Is the item classic, a high-end brand, and in great shape?

Category 2-To donate to a thrift store. Is the clothing older, or from a less well-known brand?

Category 3-To reconstruct. Do you love the fabric, color, or pattern? Do you enjoy crafting, and/or having one-of-a-kind pieces?

Category 4-To keep. Some clothes are timeless staples or have emotional attachment, and belong in your closet for good.

2. Organize Your Closet by Seasons

This will make year-round cleaning easier. It will also give you a better sense of what you need to shop for, and what you may have too much of–in which case, see steps 1-3 above!

3. Know What to Consign for Maximum Profit

When choosing items to consign, designer labels will reap most profit. Items for consignment have to be cleaned, pressed, on hangers, and no more than two years old.

4. Learn How to Give and Receive

When donating to thrift shops, put the items you are donating into large plastic bags. At the store, request a receipt for tax purposes. The IRS allows you to deduct fair market value for items, which is the price the items will sell for in the thrift store.

5. Keep an Inventory List of Items you Would Like to Consign and Donate

Getting your different clothing to its new home may not happen all at once. Keep a running list to stay organized, and so you are not cleaning them back out of your closet next spring.

6. Recycle with Style

Don’t throw out those ripped jeans, turn them into a new and unique handbag! Reduce waste, save money, and update your style by creating new pieces with old clothing. Browse Pinterest or DIY blogs for ideas and directions.

About the Author:

Carolyn Schneider began secondhand shopping over twenty years ago. Her career in the corporate world required that “designer look” but her pocketbook required affordable prices. After years of discovering fabulous buys in secondhand stores, Carolyn decided to write The Ultimate Consignment & Thrift Store Guide, the first of its kind, this all inclusive guide is designed specifically to save the smart shopper time and money. Her companion website, www.savvyshoppingguide.com, has been hailed as “no frill” and “invaluable” by Entertainment Weekly. Carolyn has been interviewed on tv, numerous radio stations and newspapers throughout the United States sharing her secondhand shopping secrets.