We’ve all been there. You open your closet, ready to pick out an outfit, but you’re met with a mountain of clothes. It’s a common problem, especially when trying to figure out what to keep with all of these “declutter closet tips”.

It’s a common struggle. That jam-packed closet scenario happens because we often buy things we don’t need. We also may hold onto clothes that no longer fit or are our style. Sorting out your closet helps but could require making hard calls.

Table of Contents:

How to Start Decluttering Your Closet

To start, choose a time when you can fully focus. You don’t want to be in the middle of sorting clothes and suddenly getting dragged into an unplanned dinner.

It helps to have a strategy for decluttering clothes. Set aside a few hours, take all closet items out of your closet, and place everything on your bed. Planning ahead will help to drop things off to a donate pile center so you don’t re-clutter the closet right away.

Prepare for the Closet Cleanout

Think about what bags or storage containers to use, plus set the mood. Maybe you plan ahead with water or light food ahead, maybe not. Pick your favorite background music.

Clear the area for the clothing categories. Before doing a cleanout, remove all your stuff first. If you want to give the walls or racks a cleaning, having an empty closet is easiest.

Make Quick Decisions with 4 Piles

The decluttering methods become easier once you’re able to separate clothing items. A good strategy is having four clearly labeled piles. The label for each box can be: keep, donate, toss, or repurpose.

This way, there is a place for each item. The idea behind using a “Repurpose” pile is, sometimes we will take an old fabric for a different use. So don’t be hard on yourself as every situation can be slightly different.

If a clothing item is badly damaged or beyond repair, it goes into the toss pile. These are unwanted items that can be taken to textile recycling centers or just repurposed as rags. You’ll get some items into your boxes if you do this step.

Evaluate and Decide for These Declutter Closet Tips

Hold each piece of clothing and ponder when you last wore it. Think about whether it brings joy to still have it now. Check if each item aligns with your current style and lifestyle.

Be disciplined with your time when you declutter closet. We all can be tied emotionally to past experiences. This step forces a quicker review on an item, especially as our free time on a weekend is so limited.

The Fit and Feel Test

Try it on. See how the item feels.

Does the item still fit? How do you physically feel with it, if it still gives you a little confidence. We wear confidence everyday and to always be on-top of our game with it.

Ask yourself if you love how you look in it. It might have cost a lot and been worn only a few times. But if you don’t reach for it naturally, let someone else enjoy that clothing item.

Handle Damaged Goods Carefully

Worn items with holes or damage need more thought. Is the hole just at the seam? Then it might still be saved and repaired.

Can you repair the item yourself, and feel good after, versus, taking to an alteration location? It may not always make sense to do more with items donât need more work.

Consider Your Lifestyle and Preferences

Your wardrobe is suppose to reflect your current life. We buy for who we were in the past, and also how the past envisioned the future. Evaluate that future realistically.

We also want to declutter and consider current priorities for organization ideas. Keep your core wardrobe that matches your activities and preferences. Don’t worry only on what magazines say.

Donate, Don’t Just Toss – The Best of Declutter Closet Tips

Donating unwanted items gives them a second life. Do not simply throw your garments. Donate it and bless a friend.

Your clean closet isn’t just a storage area. It is a source of donation. Organizations all around the United States are doing the logistics, we only need to pack our vehicles.

Finding the Right Donation Centers

Check for the donation centers available and sort them too. Some have a cause and purpose and they might even offer home pick ups too. Choose an organization whose goal matches your values.

Donation Centers Can Also Accept Damaged Items Too

Certain organizations may not be too concerned with slight damage. They may just want to reuse and reprocess raw materials. Search for these donation centers in your area.

This helps everyone be less wasteful. This also helps you save closet space for clothing items that bring joy.

Keep or Toss Items in Decluttering your Closet

Deciding whether to toss, keep, or donate might seem repetitive. You would like to get those old shoes to just disappear from the pile. Be mindful to be efficient and do a step thoroughly.

There will be other clothing items you may find when sorting things. Keep focused to find out, “Am I using this every year?”

Old Shoes Can Lead to More Harm Than Help

Wearing old shoes is another situation to look at when you declutter clothes. Are the heels falling off or maybe has cracks in the sole? Then maybe that should be tossed or donate to a recycler, and get them off your vision of a clean pile.

When the feet are always in pain, that will lead to less motivation. Less motivation will negatively impact keeping clothes tidy in the future. Decluttering clothes and keeping an optimal amount of shoes can make your mornings run that much better.

Formal Wear Requires Different Decluttering Thoughts

If you had attended one event that may never return, just let them go. A Bridesmaids dress is commonly the issue. They will come and go. The “memory”, in modern society, can be retained with photos.

Formal wear piles will have their items reallocated to maybe be reused. The value of formal wear and the special memories is why formal wear can take more time. Be sure to make those quick cuts of a decluttered closet.

Keep the Current Clothing Trends or Styles

Some people might be impacted more or less here, due to how we consume online media. If fashion matters more to you than a neighbor, re-look into items. Consider “out of style” versus a “fast” trend.

Don’t regret discarding something due to a trend of decluttering clothes. If a piece aligns with your taste, then keep it. Consider that this whole closet cleanout experience leads to more positive thinking and you’ll feel good.

Re-organize your newly De-cluttered Closet.

After making your hard cuts, re-organize what is there. Include your current stuff and clothing items you use often. Your daily items or weekly clothing will benefit most when it gets returned back to easy access.

Here is a sample of items that people have in a closet, categorized in a table. You may have slightly less or more of this. This is due to different circumstances we all have in weather or lifestyle.

Category Example Items Notes
Tops T-shirts, Blouses, Sweaters Keep basics, but consider color variety for versatility.
Bottoms Jeans, Slacks, Skirts Prioritize comfort, current lifestyle (more work/ formal attire than athletic? Keep more.).
Outerwear Coats, Jackets, Blazers Keep at minimum items depending on different seasonal clothes (and seasons of your personality too).
Shoes Various pairs, from sneakers to heels. Declutter what can hurt, keep what protects. Evaluate all 5 toes on 2 different feet.

There can always be improvements added later. Add shelving if you’ve maxed out the walls, if possible. Maximize the space behind close doors, as an article says.

Make small changes with each season too. Every year you review your new space and rotate seasonal clothes. This way, you maximize freshness for all your available attire. Rotate the winter wear into prime real estate during the summertime.

Conclusion

Decluttering the closet can seem hard because we delay it and it felt overwhelming. The physical clean out doesn’t compare to the longer periods you are not facing it. Plan a quick attack to enjoy life again with cleaning out the clothes.

Apply a system of re-organization with non-slip hangers. Think about the “flow” throughout each section of the week, month or year. Think about the “flow” in donation. The work after you place everything down the elevator shaft is done. Start today to plan when you can make those donation runs. You will be making more closet space that benefits more to your well-being after, declutter closet tips, so apply all of this now.