I Only Declutter My Closet Once a Year Thanks to This One Organizing Strategy

The best closets need to be carefully curated—after all, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. I like to declutter my clothing every year or so, as it’s not uncommon to find items I haven’t touched in nine months or a few shirts I can’t believe I actually bought.

Decluttering your wardrobe doesn’t need to be overwhelming, either. With the right step-by-step process, you’ll be able to see what clothes you actually have, narrow down your style, and make that small closet a little bit more manageable. Here’s how I declutter my clothes.

How I Declutter My Clothes

Do Your Laundry and Make Your Bed

I need to see all of my clothes in order to declutter them, and any clothes that are still in the laundry basket will probably be forgotten in this process.

So, I start by making sure all my laundry is washed, folded, and put away. I tidy up my bed, too, so that I can place clothes on it.

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Declutter Accessories and Non-Clothing Items

Closets can hold more than just clothes and shoes. Some can become an unintentional home for spare socks, old hangers, and random knick-knacks. I make sure to rummage through all the corners of your closet to find items that don’t belong, then move them to the appropriate place (or toss them) as needed.

Go Through a Section Of Clothing

Next, I take out an entire section of clothing (like all my tops or pants) and lay them flat on the bed. Going through them one by one, I decide if I still even like each piece of clothing. If I’m ready to part with it, I place it inside a bag to donate (or sell).

If I do like an item, I ensure there are no stains or tears, and that it still fits well. Clothing that doesn’t fit these rules will either need to be repaired, tailored, or repurposed.

Repeat With Each Type of Clothing

As I finish with one section of your closet, I put it back (neatly!) and take out another. Repeating the same process as before, I keep an eye out for items I no longer like or can no longer wear.

Move Onto Out-of-Season Items

Now it’s time to roll out those bins from under the bed and grab those totes from the back of the closet. I take out sweaters or shorts, even if it’s far from being the appropriate season for them. I declutter these items as I did the others.

Consider Rotating Clothes

Once I’ve gone through every last thing in my closet, I take a step back and take a long, hard look at it. Does it still feel cluttered and overwhelming? If so, I may consider moving to more of capsule-wardrobe approach.

Taking out about a quarter to a half of the items in my closet and keeping them safely in a clear bin or tote out of the way leaves my seasonal wardrobe feeling fresh and useful.

Put-away clothing will be in my closet again next year. Rotating clothing in and out is a great way to make a larger wardrobe feel exciting and new without the paralyzing effect of too many outfit choices.

Two Ways to Organize Your Closet

Once I’ve decluttered the clothes, it’s time to organize my closet. Here are two different ways to keep that wardrobe looking neat and tidy.

• By color: Clothing can be kept with other items of the same color, even if they’re a different type. Organizing them in a ROYGBIV fashion allows for an easy rainbow effect, and is also a great way of reminding me when I have enough items in a certain color.
• By space available: Designating a specific spot for each type of clothing—pants go in one specific drawer, shorts in another, and so on—limits what I can keep to how much space is left will keep my closet pretty organized, too.