Get Movin' Monday: Cleaning Up Your Spring Wardrobe

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Spring time means a time of renewal, both with the weather and our wardrobes.

Most of us have a tendency to go to the closet and say, "What should I trash, donate or take to the dry cleaner?"

Local stylist Grant Whittaker gets us moving.

There are some items, where it's a much better deal to donate the old and buy new -- scarves are a big bargain!

You can quickly update your wardrobe in an economical way.

"I have never gone anywhere where I haven't seen a scarf on sale," Whittaker said. "If you revive a scarf for $10, you're more apt to spend the $10 on the scarf and not spend $90 on a new shirt."

This time of year is also a good time to re-evaluate the jeans in your closet.

"They're the most basic thing you're going to run to in your closet," Whittaker said. "You can get denim anywhere, and you can get it so affordable. The only reason to keep a great pair of jeans is if you know at the end of the day it's the perfect cut for you and you love it."

The same goes for sweaters -- if it's a favorite clean it, but don't waste money on the dry cleaner.

"A lot of time you can wash it or hand wash, then let it sit. Let it sit straight so you keep the form. Let it try. And then turn on your dryer and put it on fluff. Keep it inside out the entire time, and it creates a new sweater. So, if you really love it, that's the way to go," Whittaker said.

And if you're over it, let it go -- they're inexpensive to replace and wear out fast.

Hats are pretty easy to clean, so keep your favorites around.

"Take a little bit of hand sanitizer, a little bit of water and you go inside the rim of your hat a little bit. Fluff it up and then throw it in the dryer for a second or two," Whittaker said. "Then you're back fresh."

And there's really no need to dry clean a coat! Save money by using a steam cleaner with a mixture of alcohol and water.

Those steam cleaners aren't that pricey, you can get them as low as $35 and they go up to $300.

But Whittaker says they can be used for some many different garments, that it cuts the cost of dry cleaning.