15-Minute Rapid Walk-In Closet Cleaning Routine

You just got off the phone with your parents or spouse and you are ecstatic at the thought of them coming over in the next 15 minutes. While jumping around in excitement, it hits you: the closet is a mess!

You have only 15 minutes to get everything done or risk the shame of having your visitors walking in on you trying to get everything in order. You may have heard of our 20-minute bathroom cleaning routine. Lucky, you, there is also a similar approach for your walk-in closet.

Get the timer ticking

Cleaning your closet is a very emotional process. It is easy to get caught up looking at the items you should keep and what you should donate. With a timer, you will have a constant reminder to keep you on your toes and help you make decisions on a whim.

Armor yourself

Running around the house and getting different items to help you with the cleaning will waste time. Before embarking on your cleaning escapade, collect everything you need for the process and place it as close as possible to the closet. Make sure it is not too close that it gets in your way.  Some of the items you might need include;

• Storage bins

• Garbage bags

• Laundry basket

• Vacuum cleaner

• Duster

You might need more depending on the space and the mess in your closet but, these are the basics that you will need.

Clean sweep

Start by removing everything that is not in its right place from the closet. If there is anything that needs to be cleaned, it goes into the laundry basket.

For items that you have not worn or you do not intend to wear again or, they do not fit anymore, they go into the garbage bags. You can schedule a donation pick-up for such items at a later time.

Since time is not on your side, you cannot start getting technical about why you should or should not keep some of the items. If you are not sure whether you want to keep something, put it in the storage bin. Once you have enough time to do a proper clean-up, you can give them a second look without the adrenalin running through your veins and make a decision.

Wipe the closet clean

It would be embarrassing to have neatly folded and hung clothes in a dusty closet. After sorting the clothes out, quickly use the duster to make sure the surfaces of the closet are clean. It goes without mentioning that you need to place a massive cover on your clothes or have them at a distance to prevent the dust from settling on them.

When dusting and wiping surfaces, do not forget the shoe section or the shoe rack. Make sure that all surfaces are wiped clean. Dusty surfaces are easily noticeable and can come back to bite you.

Pile them up

Once you have gotten rid of everything you do not want in the closet, sort the clothes that remain and the shoes into piles. This makes the process of folding the clothes and putting them in the right places easier and faster.

You do not have much time, and since this is not a permanent fix, you will need to come back and do a thorough cleaning. With that in mind, the piles should not be too detailed since that will only cost you more time just to have them in generalized categories.

Once everything is in the right pile, fold them up and place them in their proper spots. For those that need hanging, hang them up.

Pair the shoes

Once you are done with the clothes, find pairs of shoes and place them in the right place. If there are some shoes that need cleaning, have them separated from the rest of the batch.

The best approach to take when organizing your shoes is to arrange them according to function. Have sports shoes together, work shoes, weekend shoes, and other types of shoes arranged in that manner. It makes it easier for you to pick them out when you need them.

Accessories

Do not forget the belts and other accessories. These also need to be organized. You can use a hanger for this purpose if you do not have hooks.

Vacuum up

Once you are done picking everything up and everything has been put in its rightful place, the last step is to vacuum the walk-in closet and probably the entire room just to be sure you do not leave anything behind.

And, you are done!

Conclusion

If you thought the 20-minute bathroom cleaning routine would only apply to your bathroom, you are wrong. You could also use the same approach for your closet. However, it is important to note that this is just a quick process to save face.

You can never escape the need to do a thorough clean to your closet and the entire house once in a while. While this can keep things looking organized, it is not enough to keep the home clean. You will need to assign time for a deep clean or, you can have our professionals come in and assist you with the cleaning.

Alphan Maina

Acknowledgement:

• ''Featured photo'': for source click here.

• ''Picture no. 1'': for source click here.

This article was originally published in 2018 on SPIC AND SPAN. Home & Office Cleaning blog.