Decluttering your closet is one of my favorite things to do. I always feel like it’s the first step to a new, organized life.
There are so many benefits to decluttering your closet that can help you get rid of stuff and make space for all the amazing new things you’re going to buy. So, here’s how!
| Top Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Decluttering and organizing a closet can be overwhelming, but there are ways to make the process easier. |
| 2. Maximizing storage space in a small closet can help you create a clutter-free and organized living space. |
| 3. Properly folding and storing clothes can help you keep your closet tidy. |
| 4. Regularly decluttering and organizing your living space can help reduce stress and increase relaxation. |
| 5. There are many resources available to help you declutter your closet and achieve a minimalist, clutter-free home. |
1. Empty Your Closet
Empty your closet. This step is the most obvious, but many people skip it because they don’t want to part with their things. If you haven’t worn something in a year, though, chances are it’s time for it to go.
Get rid of things that don’t fit anymore or aren’t flattering on you and make sure anything you donate or throw away is clean!
Sort by category and color/style (or however makes sense to you). It’s time to sort through everything: shoes separately from jeans; sweaters apart from shirts; skirts in one pile and pants in another; dresses hanging neatly according to color scheme…you get the idea!
Did I mention this process takes a while? Don’t rush through this step it’ll be worth taking your time so you can keep track of what goes where later on down the line when it comes time for wardrobe organization tips like putting clothes back where they belong once washed or dry cleaned (hint hint).
One of the biggest challenges of decluttering a small apartment is the limited storage space. Thankfully, there are ways to maximize storage in small spaces. Our guide on Maximizing Storage in Small Spaces provides creative solutions for organizing your apartment and achieving an organized and clutter-free living space.
2. Get Rid Of What You Don’t Wear
If you’re not wearing it, get rid of it. This is the best way to declutter your closet and make room for new clothes.
If you don’t wear something once in a blue moon, then maybe donate it to charity or give it away to someone who will wear it (if you’re not sure where to donate or give away your clothing, check out these options:
- Donate – Goodwill
- Donate – Salvation Army
Donate – Habitat For Humanity Re-Store) Or recycle if possible by dropping off at a recycling center. But if none of those options work for you, then throw them away!
And finally consider freecycling items on sites like Freecycle so that even if no one else wants them they can be reused instead of thrown away.
3. Clean Out Your Closet
Now that you’ve chosen what to keep and what to get rid of, clean out your closet thoroughly. Remove everything from the racks and put it in a pile on the floor or bed.
Go through each item in turn, asking yourself if it fits well and looks great on you right now and if not, find a better home for it.
Before donating items that are stained or damaged beyond repair (which is also a great way to get clutter out of your life), try cleaning them instead: fabric stains can often be removed by washing with vinegar; while leather stains may require oiling or using saddle soap.
When deciding which clothes to keep and which ones to toss, remember that it’s not necessary or even advisable to hang on forever to every item you’ve ever purchased.
If an item no longer fits but doesn’t seem like something worth parting ways with either (maybe because of sentimental value), consider getting it altered so that you can continue wearing it as long as possible for years into the future!
| Cleaning Task |
|---|
| Remove all items from closet racks |
| Dust and clean shelves, floors, and walls |
| Vacuum or sweep the closet floor |
| Sort items into designated keep, donate, or throw-away piles |
| Decide on storage solutions and place items back in closet |
| Donate or dispose of unwanted items |
Description:
Cleaning out your closet involves several tasks that can help you achieve a clutter-free and organized living space. This table provides a breakdown of the tasks involved in cleaning out your closet, such as removing all items from closet racks, dusting and cleaning shelves and walls, and sorting items into designated piles.
This data-driven approach to closet cleaning can help you stay on track and ensure that you don’t miss any important steps in the process.
4. Enjoy The Space And Declutter Again Next Year
Now that you’ve decluttered your closet, enjoy the space. Cluttering is a burden that can lead to stress and anxiety, health issues, relationship problems and financial problems.
You’ll feel so much lighter! And no matter how much time has passed since last year’s declutter session whether it’s been weeks or months you still have one more step in front of you: repeat!
This process doesn’t end with one big purge. It continues every year until the clutter stops coming back again and again like a bad habit.
In order for this process to work for long-term happiness in your life (and not just when cleaning out your closet), it needs to become second nature for you so that every time something new comes into your life or space gets filled up with old things hanging around from years ago (hint: this happens often)
Instead of automatically reacting by buying another item or storing everything away somewhere else – just as I did when I moved into my first apartment where there was literally no room anywhere other than under beds – ask yourself “Do I really need this? Is there anything else I could use instead?”
Shoes can take up a lot of space in a closet, which can make it feel cluttered and disorganized. If you’re looking for tips to keep your closet floor clear and organized, our guide on Organizing Shoes can help. Learn how to store your shoes properly and keep your closet floor tidy and clutter-free.
5. Organize by type of clothing and color
If you have a lot of clothing, it can be helpful to organize by type of clothing. For example, if you have five pairs of jeans and twenty tops in your closet, it would be helpful to separate them into their own categories so that when you want to wear pants or a shirt, all the ones in each category are easy to find.
This will also help ensure that you’re wearing things with similar colors and styles together.
Organizing by color is another good way to go about this process because most people tend to wear certain colors more than others.
You’ll use up certain items faster than others as well if you organize by color rather than type or season (but don’t forget about seasons).
| Clothing Type | Color |
|---|---|
| Jeans | Blue, Black, Gray |
| T-Shirts | White, Black, Gray, Blue, Red |
| Button-Down Shirts | White, Blue, Gray, Black |
| Dresses | Black, Red, Navy, Floral |
| Sweaters | Beige, Gray, Black |
| Athletic Apparel | Black, Blue, Red |
| Accessories | Scarves, Hats, Watches, Belts |
Description:
Organizing your clothing by type and color makes it easy to find what you need in your closet. This table provides an example of how you can categorize your clothing based on type and color, using popular brand names such as jeans and T-shirts. By sorting your clothes in this way, you can quickly find the items you need without having to dig through a pile of clothing.
6. Hang Everything
Hanging your clothing is an easy way to ensure everything fits together. To start, lay out all of the shirts on the floor in order of how often they will be worn (the most frequently worn shirt should be at the top).
Then, hang each item by type of clothing (blouses, dresses, pants). Next, sort by color: white/light colors on one side; darker colors on another side; and neutrals in between.
Next up is material sort by natural fibers like cotton or wool; synthetics like polyester and nylon; blends made up of both natural fibers and synthetic materials; leathers like suede or leather.
Finally when it comes time to hang clothing based upon size (smallest to largest), consider where you’ll be wearing these items so that you have room for growth when shopping online or trying things on in stores!
An organized living room can help you feel less stressed and more relaxed in your own home. If you’re looking for simple tips to get your living room in order, our guide on Organizing Your Living Room can help. From decluttering to maximizing storage space, our tips will help you achieve a calm and clutter-free living room.
7. Hang Everything The Same Way
Hanging your clothes in a way that’s consistent throughout your closet will help you find what you need faster and more easily.
A great way to do this is by using hangers that are parallel with the floor and spaced about an inch apart from each other, evenly spacing them along the bar, facing in one direction (either up or down), and spacing them evenly across your closet.
This might sound difficult at first, but once you get into a rhythm it becomes second nature!
Folding clothes properly is key to an organized and tidy closet. If you’re tired of opening your closet to a mess of crumpled clothes, check out our guide on Folding Shirts. Our step-by-step instructions will help you fold your shirts like a pro and keep your closet neat and organized.
8. Start With A Theme To Create An Outfit On One Hanger
To create an outfit that looks like it was planned, find a theme to use as inspiration. Some ideas include:
- A color palette (one color to represent the entire closet)
- A certain style of clothing (you might have one shirt that you wear with every pair of jeans)
- An occasion (such as date night, work attire, or casual weekend wear)
Once you have your theme down, start picking out items in your closet that will fit into this category.
For example, if you’re going with a color-based theme, only choose things in that hue. Once everything is laid out on hangers or folded neatly on shelves according to its place in the plan, take photos and pin them up next to where those outfits are located so they can serve as visual reminders when getting dressed each day!
9. Put Like Things Together And In Order Of How Often They Will Be Worn (Outerwear, Then Jackets, Then Cardigans, Etc.)
This will not only help you see what you have more clearly but it also makes it so much easier to grab items as needed throughout the day.
It’s also a good idea to separate shoes from other clothing items because they take up so much more space than other items do and can make your closet look messy if you don’t keep them contained.
10. Layer Items That Are Not Worn Together On One Hanger (Jackets, Purses And Hats)
If you have a lot of items and your closet is small, this is a great way to make the most of your space. The best way is by using a hanging rack or shelf for this but if you don’t have one then try laying some layers out on the floor of your closet.
Decluttering and organizing a closet can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Our comprehensive guide on Organizing Your Closet provides tips, tricks, and helpful advice to help you get started and achieve a clutter-free and organized closet. From purging unwanted items to maximizing storage space, our guide covers it all.
Conclusion
Having a clutter-free closet is one of the best things you can do for your health. You’ll feel better about yourself, and the stress that comes from living with too many clothes will be gone.
It might seem like an overwhelming task to start with, but it’s actually pretty easy once we broke it down into steps everyone can follow!
Further Reading
If you’re looking for more tips and advice on decluttering your closet and organizing your home, check out these helpful resources:
How to Declutter Clothes in 10 Easy Steps: This article provides a step-by-step guide to decluttering your clothes and creating a capsule wardrobe.
Purge Your Closet: A Step-by-Step Guide: This guide provides tips and advice on how to purge your closet and create a minimalist wardrobe.
How to Declutter the Closet in Simple Steps: This article offers practical tips for decluttering your closet, including advice on how to sort and organize your clothes.
FAQs
How do I start decluttering my closet?
One way to start decluttering your closet is to take everything out and sort your clothes into piles based on what you want to keep, donate, or throw away. This will help you get a better idea of what you have and what you no longer need.
What should I do with clothes that no longer fit?
If clothes no longer fit you, consider donating them to a local charity or selling them online. Keeping clothes that no longer fit only takes up valuable space in your closet.
How often should I declutter my closet?
It’s a good idea to declutter your closet at least once a year, preferably at the change of each season. This will help you keep your wardrobe current and free of unnecessary items.
How can I organize my closet to maximize space?
There are several ways to maximize space in a closet, including using hanging organizers, adding shelves or drawers, and using space-saving hangers. You can also store off-season clothes in storage boxes to free up space.
What are the benefits of decluttering my closet?
Decluttering your closet can help you save time and reduce stress by making it easier to find what you need. It can also help you save money by making it easier to see what you already have, so you don’t end up buying duplicates.
Hi there! My name is Hellen James. I’m a professional decluttering expert who loves to help people get their homes in order. I’ve worked with people from all walks of life—from high school students to retirees and everything in between—to help them clear out clutter and make the most of their space so they can focus on what matters most to them.