How to Effectively Clean Out Your Closet

Time for a good closet spring cleaning!! Here are my best tips to help you effectively clean out your closet, stay organized, & decide what’s worth keeping!

Hello from America!! Devin & I are back in New Hampshire, so it’s been a crazy few days trying to unpack after being away for just about six months! I have a ton left to clean & organize, but if you’re anything like me, you might even look forward to some seasonal organization…cue the topic of this post! Every year, usually around this time, I cannot wait to go through my closet, organize, sell, & just re-evaluate the situation. When I was younger, I seriously re-organized my closet on a monthly basis & loved every second of it. Now, who has the time for all of that haha! All you need is a good clean-out 1-2 times a year! So to help you gain a little inspiration to do so, I’m sharing my best tips to help you effectively clean out your closet!

Tips for Cleaning Out Your Closet

1. If you haven’t worn it in the past year – TOSS IT

I know we all are guilty of this!! We think, well maybe I’ll wear it next summer, or next month…Truth is, if it’s been sitting in your closet for over a year & you haven’t worn it…it’s time to part ways!

2. Donate & Sell

I literally have an obsession with selling my clothes on an app called Poshmark, but there are a handful of items that just don’t make the cut to be sold, which I then donate. Both are great options. I can’t say enough good things about Poshmark though, it’s my favorite!

3. Take on a section at a time – closet, drawers, containers

Taking it on all at once can be extremely overwhelming & time consuming. My best advice is to take on one section at a time. I remember a few years ago, I literally spent a day going through my sock drawer. After years & years of playing basketball, I had SO many socks & it seriously took me a few hours to sort & purge through the ones I didn’t need anymore.

4. Have everything in sight – lay it all out

When you’re going through section by section, lay everything out so it’s in plain sight. For example, say your going through your swim suits…lay everything out so you can see exactly what you have. This will also help remind you of things you may have forgotten about! Once you have everything laid out, sort through & separate items based on what you want to keep, sell, donate, or just simply toss!

5. Try things on – How does it fit right now?

Another huge mistake we all often make is keeping things that just don’t fit! I know I’m certainly guilty of this! Maybe you bought the wrong size & can’t return it, maybe you grew out of it, or maybe you are just hoping to one day fit into it!

Keep things that fit right now, not 2 years ago! Clothes that don’t fit properly can not only be extremely restrictive & uncomfortable but they can be just down right unflattering.

6. If it’s too small/big, poor condition/stained/missing buttons/heavily worn/holes – TOSS IT

Know what to toss. Don’t donate or try to sell items that aren’t still wearable. If an item has been over worn, has a hole, or stain, or just isn’t the best condition, it’s okay to just toss it in the garbage. Or if you know of an option to recycle used clothes, that’d be an even better idea! If you know of a place that recycles clothes, let me know in the comments!

7. Sort through similar items

Cut down on similar items. How many denim jackets or plain black turtle necks do we really need? This will not only help you cut down on space but will help you wear your favorite items more than you do now!

8. Hang garments in the same direction

Hanging garments in the same direction will not only look extremely organized, but it will help you find things easier since you are able to see your items better. There’s nothing worse than having some items hanging onto the hangers by a thread, falling to the ground, or just messy hangers in general.

Another good tip for maintaining closet organization that I learned from one of my favorite bloggers Sivan Ayla, & now apply, is to only buy a certain amount of hangers. Hang everything up…add hangers accordingly based on what you already have, but if you want to buy something new, something old has to go. No new hangers means no room for more clothes.

I try to follow this to the best of my ability. If I buy something new, I donate or list an item to be sold on Poshmark.

9. Color code

As I mentioned, I used to clean out my closet on a literal monthly basis when I was younger but I think I was even more obsessed with color coding everything. I don’t color code at the moment because I just don’t have the space to hang everything, but I think color coding is an extremely effective way to organize your closet.

Color coding is the best because it saves on time since you can easily locate something you’re looking for & you also can better put together an outfit by looking at the colors in your wardrobe.

10. Does it still match your personal style?

This is a big one, because personal style is always evolving, I know for me it is! If you wouldn’t still wear an item or if it doesn’t align with your current personal style, just get rid of it! We all go through phases in life where we really like something or dressing a certain way that we no longer can identify with. Personally, I don’t want one piece of clothing in my closet that I used to party in while I was in college, but hey, that’s just personal preference! 😉

11. Keep things that make you feel good, fit well, in good condition, holds sentimental value, & things you’ll wear again

If you’re cleaning out your closet & you come across something that you really love or something that holds sentimental value, just keep it. And if you don’t or can’t wear it for whatever reason, find a nice spot to store it so that it doesn’t take up too much space or get ruined. I have a few dresses that I really love but don’t wear anymore that I just keep in a garment bag. It’s okay to hold onto some things, just not everything!!

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking at a big huge pile of clothes right now, so I definitely will be applying some of my own closet clean out tips to regain some of my sanity! Do you look forward to a yearly clean out of your closet or are you guilty of holding onto things for far too long?!

Let me know some of your best organization tips down below in the comments!