Hello! And welcome again to another post from our "saving money series". And today's post is all on cleaning one's closet. For us girls, it's a tough and tiring job (because we have a lot of clothes) - and for the guys, well if you also have a "bunch" of clothes, you can clean your closet as well. So it's optional. Most people do not like the idea of cleaning their closet, it can get tiring as I said earlier and well, sometimes we don't really have a system in cleaning it. Lucky for you, this post covers how we can clean our closet using the 5S. No this is the not the iPhone 5S - this is the 5S Japanese methodology. I first heard this when I was in my high school, our English teacher would always ask us to do the 5S before we start our classes. Also, as an Industrial Engineering student, I heard about the 5S again this college. It is very important to our major as we also incorporate this practice in our daily lives. I hope this helps you finally clean out your closet in a much easier and systematic way. 

Joining us, as always is Pusheen cat *yay*. So let's get started (you can refer to the graphic below). First, we define what the 5S is. Well, the 5S started in Japan. It is the acronym of 5 Japanese words - Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. The 5S methodology of creating and maintaining a well organised, clean and highly effective environment. You can learn more about it through here.

Seiri means simply to sort. When cleaning your closet, start from the top to bottom or vice versa. Once you've chosen which side to begin, sort your clothes. Do this one by one. Classify your clothes into clothes you will wear and clothes you don't plan on wearing again. Sometimes, if you have too much clothes - you will notice that you might want to get rid of some. Yes, this is based on experience. Also, I personally have some clothes that I think are still really nice but doesn't fit me anymore - and I would sell them. You can sell them to a market. Just make sure that it is still wearable or it doesn't stink. Or else, no one would like to buy your used clothes. 

With seiton meaning straighten - put your clothes in order. After a long day of sorting your clothes, you might want to keep them back in your closet. In order to do so, arrange them and put them neatly back. Fold them properly too. And as for the other categories, put them in boxes or in bags. Make sure to get rid of them too. Do not forget unless you want to gather dust. 

Seiso means shine. Sorting and arranging your clothes can get messy. Keep your clothes and work place clean as possible. That way, it will be easier for you to sort and arrange them. Also, if you don't plan on washing all the clothes you held and sorted, make sure to work in a clean place. 

Seiketsu tells us to standardize. Even after you finish cleaning out your closet for today, try to keep everything in place. Don't disrupt the order of your clothes. 

Lastly, shitsuke is to sustain. Congratulations as you cleaned out your closet for today. BUT how about the next days? Sometimes, we buy more new clothes and sometimes, we also outgrow them. It is important that you have the initiative to continue cleaning your closet without having to be told. Schedule a "closet clean-up" every month or two. 

Cleaning the closet isn't everyone's favourite chore, but someone has to do it. And how does this relate to saving money? Well, instead of buying more clothes because sometimes we all have that mentality of having a lack of good clothes, you realize how much you do have. Also, if you find clothes you don't see yourself wearing anymore (yes, I am stressing this part because I do this) - you can really sell them to bargain stores. Although they won't be valued as much as the original price you bought it for, it still is money. Instead of just letting your unused clothes gather dust in your closet, convert it to cash. 

I hope today's post was helpful. Let me know how was your "closet clean-up" by leaving me a comment below. See you in the next post! :)