By Adriana Gasiewski
A shelf of shoes and purses organized by Jaclyn Musselman.
The first warm day of the season has a way of revealing everything you’ve been ignoring —
bulky sweaters still packed into drawers, coats crowding the closet, layers that no longer
match the moment.
For many, that shift sparks the urge to reset.
Jaclyn Musselman, owner of Organize by Dreams, a Northeast Ohio–based organization and decluttering service, said the transition out of winter naturally pushes people to take a fresh look at their space.
“We’ve been in our homes for a long time, we’ve had a chance to look around at our surroundings, we’re kind of ready to bust out of the house, get outside — so it’s just a natural season of growth and change,” she said.
Kelly Markowitz, warehouse chair of the National Council of Jewish Women/Cleveland, sees that momentum build every year.
“We see this seasonal shift firsthand in the warehouse,” she said. “Spring is one of our busiest donation periods, as people begin clearing closets and homes.”
Before diving in, Musselman said the key is reframing decluttering as an ongoing habit, not a once-a-year overhaul.
“I think it’s really about developing that mindset of letting things go when you no longer need them — realizing it’s not just a once-a-year or once-every-five-years process,” she said.
The easiest way to start? Keep it small.
Rather than tackling an entire home at once, Musselman recommends beginning with a contained space — a linen closet, a bathroom cabinet, a single drawer — and building from there. The same approach applies to wardrobes.
Markowitz agrees, noting that early progress creates momentum.
“You can start with the space that frustrates you most because that instant improvement builds momentum to move on to the next room or closet,” she said.
When it comes to closets, there’s more than one way to begin.
Musselman recommends taking everything out to get a full visual.
“Look at everything so you can make better decisions,” she said.
Markowitz prefers a lighter touch.
A row of shirts
organized by color.
A row of shirts
organized by sleeve length to help with transitional seasons.
A closet organized with clear bins to keep stored pieces visible and accessible.
“Think of it as a ‘swap and edit,’ not a full overhaul,” she said. “You don’t need to empty your entire closet. Just pull out heavy winter items like bulky sweaters and coats, while leaving your basics in place.”
From there, decision-making becomes more straightforward — especially when grounded in real use, not hypotheticals.
Think about, “did I wear those pants from last season more than once? Do I feel confident and comfortable in this blouse?” Markowitz said. “It’s simple: If an item isn’t actively in rotation right now, it’s unlikely that it ever will be.”
Still unsure about certain pieces? Musselman suggests creating a temporary “maybe” section, but not letting it linger indefinitely.
“If it’s not an immediate yes and it’s maybe, then hang on to it for now and re-evaluate in a few months,” she said. “You want to keep the process moving so you don’t get stuck.”
Both Musselman and Markowitz recommend sorting items into three categories: keep, maybe and donate.
For a simple way to track what you actually wear, Musselman suggests hanging clothes backward on the rack and turning them around after each use, a visual cue that quickly reveals what’s truly in rotation.
As the seasons shift, organizing by clothing type — tank tops, short sleeves, three-quarter sleeves and long sleeves — can also make getting dressed easier.
“If you have things really categorized, then it’s easier to shift things around and move what you’re wearing now to the front,” Musselman said. “Some people can move items to another space, but it depends on how much room you have.”
And as those decisions add up, so do the opportunities to give items a second life.
“It’s a great time to donate anything you didn’t wear this season because chances are, someone else will love it and your donation will support the community,” Markowitz said.
Both recommend keeping a donation bin in an accessible place year-round — a small habit that makes letting go easier over time.
“When it gets full, that’s when you take it to the donation center and keep going,” Musselman said. “It’s always that mindset: I can let go of something at any time.”
At NCJW/CLE, Markowitz said those steady contributions have a visible impact.
“Donating isn’t just about clearing space. It’s about putting well-loved items back into the community where they can support programs improving the lives of women, children and families,” she said.