Steps to Decluttering your Closet

An uncluttered closet makes for an easier life, so why do so many of us find it so hard to declutter our closets? It can be a struggle, but it doesn’t have to be. Follow these simple steps and you’ll soon have a closet that’s neat and organized. Best of all, you can get it done in about fifteen minutes!

• Start with the right supplies. You’ll need three large bags or boxes and a permanent marker for labeling them. One will be for donations and two will be for removing items from the closet for now. If your closet is low on hangers or needs some reconfiguring, go ahead and get new hangers, organizers, or whatever else you’ll need.
• Move quickly to pull out things you’re ready to give away. Anything that doesn’t fit, clothes that you don’t really life, and pieces you never wear can all go into the donations bag. Don’t spend too much time on this, just grab the things you absolutely don’t want to keep.
• Fill the second bag with things that don’t fit, but that you’re not ready to lose just yet. This should be a small amount of clothing, only your favorites among your non-fitting items. Again, don’t get hung up on this. If something feels hard to let go, go ahead and keep it for now. In a few months, go through this bag again and pare it down further.
• Move special occasion items out of the way. Only keep the pieces you actually need and wear, moving them to the far end of your closet.
• Fill the third bag with things you haven’t worn in a year. First, lay them on the bed and be honest with yourself about whether or not you’ll ever wear them again. If you can’t see yourself in them, donate them. If there’s a possibility that they can still work for you, put them in the third bag and label it “maybe”. If you’re on the fence, go ahead and put it in the bag. You can revisit the bag later and donate more things.
• Store the three bags you just filled. Put the donations bag in your car and take it to the thrift store as soon as possible. Don’t hang onto it until you find the perfect recipient, just donate it. Store the other three bags in your closet if there’s room or in a storage area if you don’t.
• If you have more time, set aside an hour to do a more in-depth declutter. Take everything out of the closet, then make essentially the same decisions you made in the fifteen minute process, just more carefully. Find a place for everything so that you can keep it tidy, installing shelves if necessary, to give yourself more organizational options.
• Set yourself up for future success. Make some rules for yourself, to keep your closet from getting cluttered again. Only buy things that will fit, look good, and go with things that you already own. Don’t buy things just because they’re on sale, if they’re not going to make a positive contribution to your wardrobe.

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