How to deep-clean your closet
With the time for spring cleaning upon us, a common area to focus on is your closet. Here are some tips for de-cluttering your wardrobe from the 'Style Sisters,' Gemma Lilly and Charlotte Reddington.
Spring cleaning takes on a whole new meaning for those self-isolating at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you’re working remotely, caring for kids or simply spending a whole lot more time in the great indoors during the COVID-19 outbreak, now is the time for a true deep clean.
In a conversation with Fox News, Gemma Lilly and Charlotte Reddington of the London-based decluttering duo “Style Sisters” shared their best organizing tips, the weirdest thing they’ve ever found in a closet, and the secret for dealing with hoarders.
Charlotte Reddington (left) and Gemma Lilly (right) have built a full-time business out of detoxing people’s closets. (Style Sisters)
The lookalike “Style Sisters” launched their organizing business in April 2018, and have been making a splash across in the pond -- and on Instagram -- ever since. With more than 15 years of experience under their belts, fashion stylist Lilly and interior designer Reddington are fueled by the faith that a cleaner closet makes for a happier way of life.
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(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: How should people go about de-cluttering their closets at home this spring?
Reddington: We do recommend slim-run velvet hangers, and shelf dividers. You want to provide the shelf space for the jeans, jumpers, handbags and storage boxes to put things in. Sealed vacuum packs are also good to store clothes in the off-season.
If you’re really pinched, storing stuff in suitcases is a really good idea! We love to label in the wardrobe, like labeling boxes, and making everything quite visual.
(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: How can people easily maintain a clean and crisp closet?
Reddington: Dedicate a time once a week to sort out your wardrobe. Generally, once something does have an allocated space, it will go back in there.
Lilly: By creating sort of a structured wardrobe, you’re likely going to maintain it. That makes keeping on top of it really simple.
(Style Sisters)
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FOX NEWS: Why is it important for everyone to de-clutter?
Lilly: It helps you realize what you’ve got and haven’t got. When you are doing seasonal check-ins with your wardrobe, you realize what you have worn and haven’t worn, allowing you to create space in the wardrobe and maximize what you’ve got. That way, everything is dedicated.
(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: On the job, how do you deal with hoarders?
Lilly: We really try to focus on the mental aspects that detoxing brings, and give them solutions. We often suggest memory boxes or other creative solutions, and nine times out of time, they will be OK with it, you know, gently letting go of stuff.
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FOX NEWS: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve found in a closet?
Reddington: What we’re doing is highly confidential [so we can’t disclose] … but we once found an old wedding dress from the client’s wedding to her ex-husband. She was hanging on to it, even though she’s divorced and remarried.
(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: Are celebrities ever embarrassed to reveal that their homes are not picture-perfect?
Lilly: No, they don’t get embarrassed, they live extremely hectic lives. They often apologize for the mess.
FOX NEWS: Who is your main clientele?
Lilly: I think naturally we just do have a lot of celebrities… but we do work with everyday people, we cater to everyone. We would love to expand to the U.S.
(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: Do you only detox closets or do you declutter the whole home?
Lilly: We do it all! We do the interior side, we do the detoxing inside. We love to up-cycle, like with furniture. We love creating and organizing stylish spaces. Not only do we organize it, but we’ll interior-design it, too.
(Style Sisters)
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FOX NEWS: After a cleanse, what do you do with the unwanted junk?
Reddington: Some celebrities will donate it, most give it to charity
Lilly: Other clients will want to sell certain things on eBay.
(Style Sisters)
FOX NEWS: How did the tradition with your signature sign begin?
Reddington: We started our marketing sign just to get our name out, so people could find us easily and know who we are. It became a gimmick, and now celebrities want to have the picture with us! Maybe that was a bad idea, because we might be sweaty and hot, but the celebrity will look happy, because now their things are nice and organized!
FOX NEWS: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
Lilly: Our goals for 2020 are to come to the USA and to get a TV show.
FOX NEWS: Last question: Do people ever think you’re truly sisters?
Lilly: Yes, they often think we’re twins! They get really upset when we’re not.
Reddington: We’re just best friends.