I’m collaborating with my friends at Apartment Therapy again. This time I’m sharing how to declutter any closet in 5 simple steps!
If your small or cluttered closet is causing you stress, follow these simple steps to whip your closet into a stylish, functional, and organized space.
Prep
Start by removing everything from your closet. You can use a large table, a bed, or the floor as a staging area.
Next, set up a bag for donations and have trash and recycling bins easily accessible. You will also want to relocate any stray items that accidentally ended up in your closet. Finally, make sure to wipe down shelving and give your closet a good vacuum, so you can start fresh with a clean slate. This pre-work will help ensure that your editing and organizing steps are easy and efficient.
Sort + Organize
Once you’ve removed the contents of your closet, make sure to group similar items together in clear piles (i.e cleaning supplies, outerwear, bike stuff, etc.). This will make it easy to see if you have doubles or excess of some items in the next stage of this process. Being organized is as simple as consistently grouping and storing similar things together. You’ve got this.
Edit
Review the entire contents of your closet and do your best to keep only what you actually use, need, and love. This is the most important step in this process. If you get stuck, try asking yourself the following clarifying questions:
- Does this item reflect my authentic personal style?
- Would I buy this item for full price today?
- Would it impact my daily life not to have this item?
- Is this item really worth the space it’s taking up in my closet?
Store
Now that you have thoroughly edited your belongings you can take an easy inventory of what products you’ll need to efficiently store everything back in your closet. Make sure to use what you already have, and buy only what you need (no more entering the Container Store without a list!).
Set Up + Style
You’ve made it to the fun part!
Before you put everything back in your closet, consider how frequently you use each item. Everyday essentials should be stored at arm’s reach for easy access. Set up seasonal and occasional-use items at the very bottom or very top of your closet to maximize vertical space.
You can also set up a basket or tote bag in your closet for storing donations as they arise so you can easily practice the one-in, one-out rule and stay clutter-free.
Make sure to check out the full story on Apartment Therapy + our really fun closet makeover video right here.
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ps. Right now I’m giving away my new Closet Makeover planner which teaches you how to create your ideal wardrobe! Head over to sign up and get your FREE instant download.
