Simplify Your Cluttered Closet: A Guide to Organization
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the sea of clothes and accessories crammed into your closet? Are you unable to find what you're looking for amidst the mess of fabrics and items? If so, it's time to declutter your closet and bring order to the chaos.
A well-organized closet is essential for streamlining your morning routine and reducing daily stress levels. In this article, we'll provide tips and strategies for simplifying your closet so you can easily see and access what you have. We'll guide you through the decluttering process step-by-step so you can donate, discard, and store items efficiently. You'll be amazed at how decluttering even a small space like your closet can leave you feeling lighter and more organized overall.
3 Reasons to Declutter Your Closet
- To say goodbye to stressful mornings
Before decluttering a closet, it’s always stressful trying to get dressed in the morning. A crammed closet with clothes that no longer fit or you never wear can be super stressful. This can make you feel frustrated, dreading the daily process of assembling an outfit. When you limit your closet to items that fit well and you truly love, getting dressed is a breeze. You can see everything you own at a glance and nothing is too small. Selecting an outfit is quick and simple, allowing you to start your day feeling put together and relaxed.
Decluttering eliminates closet-related stress from mornings for good!
2. To make it stay clean
I know you don't believe me, but really... it will! When you purge down to only what you love and wear regularly, it's so easy to keep everything tidy. With a minimal, curated selection of clothes, you won't have piles of laundry or random items lying around. Your closet will stay as pristine as the first day you organized it. Give it a try - declutter your space and assign everything a place. You'll see how simple it becomes to maintain an orderly closet long-term. Trust me, with fewer clothes to wrangle, clean-up is a breeze!
3. Because you likely don't wear most of the items
If you had to estimate, probably only about 20% of the clothes you own get worn frequently. The rest are either too small, too large, or were being "saved" for hypothetical special occasions and events. However, those situations probably aren't arising anytime soon. Instead of holding on to items "just in case," it's better to be practical and realistic about what you truly enjoy wearing daily. Clear out anything that sits unused or doesn't bring you joy. Focus on keeping only the pieces that will realistically get worn. Chances are, the bulk of your closet doesn't get meaningful use and could be donated. Simplify down to what fits your current lifestyle!
How to simplify a cluttered space?
Sort through your items and make four sorting piles.
It's time for you to go through everything!
1. To sell
As you're going through, you'll likely have name-brand items or items that are still in great condition that could definitely be sold. You can use Poshmark, eBay, and local consignment shops for this!
2. To donate
These will be items that wouldn’t sell in a consignment shop or online, but you know can be donated. Always start with women’s shelters or domestic violence programs, then branch out to Goodwill if you can’t find anywhere else.
3. To recycle
If you find clothing with stains or holes that can’t be sold or donated, you can cut them up for cleaning rags, make-up remover rounds, or other purposes around the house. Finally, if you have too many, take them to a small clothing recycling center near you. But this is a total last resort - try to sell, donate, or repurpose first! This pile should be small.
4. To keep
If you have time, make sure to try on each item you think you want to keep. These items should fit you perfectly and be ones you wear frequently. Within the keep pile, make mini piles for PJs, t-shirts, and clothes you’ll hang up.
