For some people, the thought of decluttering is enough to make them break out in hives. For others, decluttering may seem like fun and a huge relief for their inner neat freak. No matter what side of the spectrum you’re on, it is totally possible to declutter your closet with ease – and without stressing. As long as you focus on these five easy steps, you’ll be able to enjoy a clean and clear closet in no time (AKA just in time to fill it up with Christmas sweaters and decorations).
1. Map out a plan.
Take a look at your closet and be realistic about what you want and need. Know that you want a decluttered closet. With this knowledge, it’s important to be resilient and honest with yourself regarding what you need to do. If you have too many clothes in the closet, it’s important to purge and get rid of clothes.
Make a plan regarding how long it will take you to declutter. Whether it takes you a day or it takes you an entire week, make a plan and stick to it. Understand that those clothes you’ve been hoping you’ll be able to get back into might need to get donated.
2. Create piles.
Create a few different piles. A few of the piles should be strictly for clothing items in the various seasons. You don’t have to get fancy with your closet design ideas as there are several simple ways to help the closet stay decluttered.
Start by making sure that only one or two seasons are hanging in the closet. The other two seasons should be packed away in boxes to keep things pared down. Then, create piles for what can go to friends, family, garage sales and donation. Whether it’s a labeled bag or box, make sure there’s a visual understanding of what items should go where.
3. Everything must go.
Once you’ve decided on your different piles, it’s time to pull out every single piece and place them in those piles. This way, no clothing can be left behind. By the time you’re finished cleaning out the closet, it should be 100% bare. Resist the temptation to create brand new piles of “exceptions” to the rules.
If you have to put clothes on the floor or on top of tables and other surfaces, try to do so in an orderly way. People can often get frustrated by large, messy piles and lose motivation to finish. Instead of staring at a bunch of unruly piles all over the floor, neatly fold and stack in a visually appealing way. This small detail makes the whole task less daunting.
4. Decide what gets donated.
Be honest about what you do wear on a regular basis and what you don’t wear. If you haven’t worn it a year, get rid of it. There’s no real need to hold on. Consider holding on to one or two pieces for hope, but everything else that doesn’t fit must go. Consider giving the old clothing to a local charity, church or thrift store. Depending on how much you donate, you can potentially mark it down as a tax-deductible donation.
5. Never give up. Never surrender.
The hardest part about decluttering the closet, is actually decluttering the closet. There’s no way around it, but you can do it! While it may seem easy to just put the clothes you’re not wearing into storage, working diligently on solving the clutter once and for all is a better use of your time. Once you get through these four steps, it’s important to continue working on the closet to get it organized and clean again. After one large overhaul, the rest involves daily maintenance.
Getting nice hangers, using space savers and color-coding your closet can help you feel more excited about the final product. However, it’s vital to work on it until it’s done. If it helps, focus on doing one pile an hour or one pile a day. Once you tackle one pile, move on to the next. The finished product makes all the hard work worth it!
This guest post is written by Meghan Belnap, a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise.
