Best Ways to Declutter Closets

No one likes to have to declutter closets on their days off. But when you’re moving, you don’t want to have to box-up and unbox a bunch of stuff you don’t really want or need. But, for many people, the thought of decluttering their closet is overwhelming. There are some inexpensive ways you can make decluttering your closet a “good experience” before you move into your new apartment.

10 Ways to Declutter Closets

Tip #1: Get a Friend to Help

Beg or bribe one of your friends to help you declutter your closet. Seriously… Having a friend there will make the chore more fun, it will make it harder for you to quit before the job is done, and for sure, friends will help you make the hard decisions on what to keep and what needs to go.

Declutter Tip #2: Start Simple

If you are feeling overwhelmed, make the simple decisions FIRST. Do a quick run through of each closet and get rid of anything that is broken, ripped, or stained. Once you remove these items, you’ll build some momentum and decluttering the rest of the closet will be that much easier.

Declutter Tip #3: Take It All Out

Once you’ve gotten rid of the ruined items, it’s time to take everything out. If you’re really ready to declutter closets, then it’s important to know. You’re more likely to get rid of more items on an “empty closet”. It will also be easier to reorganize or pack up the items you are keeping if you empty the entire closet.

Declutter Tip #4: Sort Everything

If you are having a hard time deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, sort everything into piles. Once you see how many jackets you actually own, it will be easier to part with some of them.

Declutter Tip #5: If It Doesn’t Fit—Pitch It

If something in your closet doesn’t fit anyone right now, get rid of it. Don’t wait for someone to get smaller or bigger. You can always buy something that fits in the future. A future shopping spree can be a great weight loss incentive if you are worried about getting rid of your skinny clothes.

Even more important, consider donating your items to places like Goodwill or The Salvation Army. You can also consign your items at a local thirst.  You see? There are some financial benefits when you’re ready to declutter closets.

Declutter Tip #6: What Matches?

Look at all of your piles and see if anything doesn’t seem to fit in with your wardrobe. Don’t keep something that doesn’t match anything. If you really liked it enough, you would have something that matched it by now.

Declutter Tip #7: But Do You Love It?

One trick professional organizers use with their clients is to have people get rid of anything they don’t love. Life is too short, and space is too limited for you to have anything in your life you don’t love. If any item in your closet doesn’t excite you, you can live without it.

Declutter Tip #8: Do you even wear it?

Anything that hasn’t been out of your closet in the past year can safely go. If you haven’t missed it in the past year, you won’t miss it in the next year.

Declutter Tip #9: Can You Afford to Replace It?

You may have collected some items that you only need on specific occasions. If you can easily afford to replace it if one of those special occasions were to come up, get rid of the item. If it would be too expense to replace, you may want to keep it a little longer.

Declutter Tip #10: Grab Some Snaps as You Sort

What are you going to do with everything you are getting rid of? If you plan on selling it, save yourself some time and take pictures of items with your phone as you put them in the “get rid of” pile. This may also help motivate you to get rid of more stuff.

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