3 Tips on How To Get Rid of Junk in Your Closet
- Sort
Set aside some time. If your closet is large, or even small but packed to the gills, you may need to set aside half of a weekend day. When you’re ready, have several boxes or bags ready. Take everything out. You could do this by sections, but you’d need to repeat all sorting steps for each section. Do whichever feels right for you.
Sort everything into at least three piles: keep, donate/sell, and trash. You can add a fourth box: Maybe. These are things you’re not sure about keeping. Put these in a box in the back of your closet for at least three months. If you haven’t missed them in that time, give them away. If you have an item of sentimental value that you don’t use but don’t want to get rid of, host a photo session for it before giving it away. This way, you have some beautiful photos of the item, but it isn’t hogging space that could be better utilized.
- Decide What to Get Rid Of
This is probably the toughest part. How do you determine what goes in the donate/sell pile? Start with the big stuff. This will not only make it seem like you’re moving quickly, but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment to see the larger items out of your closet.
Next, ask yourself some hard questions:
- Do I use this often? If the answer is no, put it in the donate/sell or maybe pile.
- Does it have sentimental value? If no, get rid of it.
- Do I have anything similar? If you have multiple items that are similar but you only use one or two, get rid of the extraneous items.
- Am I keeping it “just in case?” This can either be something to keep or get rid of. It depends on what you’re keeping it for.
Get rid of anything that has stains, holes, or rips that can’t be cleaned or fixed. Also, get rid of accessories that are supposed to be part of a pair but you can only find one. Nobody needs an orphaned mitten sitting around.
- Organize
Keep the floor clear as much as possible. Use racks, hangers, and clear storage bins, or at least clearly labeled storage bins. Make sure everything has a place and keep everything in its place. Sort your clothes by style or by color. Make it as visually pleasing as possible while keeping it easy to organize. Accessories can be hung on the walls or placed in storage bins. Take a few minutes every day to put everything away where it belongs and save yourself another afternoon of purging and sorting months
