Easy Closet Clean Out Guide for a Clutter-Free, Organized Space

Get to the core of why your closet is always too full. Learn how to clean out your closet, so you stay organized for good.

This is something we all struggle with. Staring at a closet stuffed to the brim with clothes, but feeling like you have nothing to wear. It makes you feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and kind of frustrated. You know you have clothes – you just can’t find what you want!

This isn’t just a space issue, but a mental one. An unorganized closet can create stress and waste time and money.

The concept of a closet clean out is a systematic, mindful approach to decluttering and organizing your wardrobe. This is not just about throwing things away, but about curating a functional, joyful collection of clothes.

This post will provide a clear, step-by-step guide to conducting a successful closet clean out, helping you identify what to keep, donate, or toss to create a wardrobe you love.

The “Before” Phase – Preparing for Your Clean Out

The very first part of a huge closet clean out is to prepare for it. Don’t just jump in! That’s a sure-fire way to get overwhelmed and then put it off and procrastinate. When you’re well-prepared, you’ll be able to attack it without any second thoughts.

Set the Stage

Get your mind, schedule, and room ready for all this work. I’m not gonna lie. If you want to do a good job, you’ve got to set your mind to it. This isn’t something you can sort of do while mostly distracted. If you’re completely focused and dedicated, you’ll do a better job and you won’t have to do this again for a long time.

So, block out a few hours and get rid of as many distractions as possible. Put your phone on do not disturb and pick out your favorite playlist.

Then, get all of your supplies. You’ll need three large sorting bins – one for keep, one for donate, and a trash can for the rest. You might also use a full-length mirror and a notepad. Oh, and a bluetooth speaker for your music!

Define Your “Why”

The next step is to prepare your mind. If this task gets boring or you start to lose interest, you’ll be glad you did this! Basically, define why you’re doing it. Think about your goals with this closet. Do you need it to be organized to save you time? Are you tired of not being able to find the clothes you need? Or are you trying to save money by seeing your clothes instead of buying new ones all the time?

Having a clear goal (or multiple goals) will make the tough decisions easier, too. As you try to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of, you can ask if the items fit in with your goals.

The “Empty Closet” Method

Now you’re ready for the most effective (and intimidating) first step: taking every single item out of the closet. Make sure you have room on your bed or bedroom floor, because you’ll use it! Clean every single thing out of your closet. It should be completely empty.

Why do it all at once like this? Well, when you see everything together, you get a better idea of how much you own. But it also let’s you start from scratch and create systems from the bottom up!

After everything is completely out and you have your mind set to it, you’re ready for the closet audit!

The Audit – Step-by-Step Sorting

Now that you know why and how you’re going to do it, here are the exact steps you’ll take to audit your closet (go through every single item in your closet). Keep this post bookmarked or on Pinterest. Refer to it whenever you need to go through your closet.

The “Keep” Pile

What goes in your keep pile? Definitely not everything you own! Here are three questions you can ask yourself as you’re trying to figure out what to keep.

Ask:

“Does this fit me well right now?”
“Have I worn this in the last year?”
“Does this make me feel good?”

If an item fails any of these questions, it doesn’t belong in the “Keep” pile. Easy as that! So, should you throw it away or donate it?

The “Donate/Sell” Pile

You might think that everything you don’t want or use can be donated, but think again! Please don’t give charity centers or thrift stores items they can’t sell. Place items in the donate bin if they are still in good condition. Maybe you don’t like a certain band anymore, but it’s still very wearable – donate it!

This is the perfect place for clothes that are the wrong size, styles that no longer match your taste, or duplicates of items you already have.

And if you have name-brand clothes or ones with designer tags (and they’re still in really good condition) consider selling them on apps like Poshmark! Or take them to consignment shops, they might buy them from you.

The “Maybe/Sentimental” Pile (The Danger Zone)

For many people, this is where most of the things they don’t use go. You need to set up rules for this pile so it doesn’t get out of control. I get it – some items are really hard to let go of. If you need more time, find a tub or bin and place items in it.

But set rules for it. Give yourself a time limit and do something with these clothes within that time frame. You should also limit how many cherished pieces or special memory things you keep, too. Maybe buy a bin and when it’s full, go through it until everything that you truly want fits into it.

The “Toss” Pile

This could be the hardest one of all, so I saved it for last.

Throwing away things can be so hard for so many people. It’s tough to think of your things as trash – I get it! So let’s look closer at what to put in this pile.

This pile is for items that are clearly at the end of their life. For example, stained shirts, torn pants, worn-out socks, items with broken zippers or irreparable damage. Look for anything with holes, tears, stretched out elastic, or anything that’s really pilly. If you make a face when you look at it, throw it away!

The “After” Phase – Reorganizing and Maintaining

Now what? After everything is sorted, all the donated items are at the donation centers, and the trash is thrown away, what do you do with all the things you kept? Now it’s time to organize your closet and put things away in a usable way.

Clean and Prepare

Before putting anything back, wipe down shelves and vacuum the floor. It’s a fresh start. Your closet should look like new, ready for all of your clothes.

Strategic Storage

Then, think clearly about how you’re going to store your clothes. Do you have enough room for them? Does everything fit in your hangars and dressers?

And set up rules to help you keep everything usable and clean. Here are some of my favorites:

The “One-In, One-Out” Rule: This is a simple maintenance rule to prevent future clutter. When you bring something new into your closet, donate or get rid of something else.
Organize by Category: This helps you maintain everything. Group similar items together (e.g., all pants, all work shirts).
Use Proper Hangers: Yes, the hangers you use make a difference. Some are made for sweaters so they don’t get funky bumps. Others are made to keep your slacks wrinkle-free.

The Joy of the Final Result

When it’s all sorted, organized, and put away, you’re going to love how it feels! You’ll finally have a clean, functional, and beautiful closet. Auditing your closet and getting rid of clothes you no longer need is an investment in self-care and daily peace of mind. Take photos. Share videos online. You deserve it!

Cleaning Out Your Closet – A Wardrobe That Works For You

Anytime you clean out your closet, you’ll need to prepare, sort ruthlessly, and invest in smart organization. It’s a good idea to do this once a year, since we are constantly accumulating more and more stuff. Your closet should be a source of confidence and ease, not stress. And when you do this closet clean out, you’ll get all the good feels!

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