How to Declutter Your Closet and Make a Functioning Wardrobe

Searching through a crammed closet for the perfect outfit when you’re in a rush can be incredibly irritating. It may indicate that it’s time to pare down your wardrobe if locating what you need is a struggle.

Dispose of clothes you no longer wear can make finding the necessary items easier and accessible space in a closet. If you’re unsure where to start, try out our simple tips, which will help eliminate useless stuff and shape your dream wardrobe.

Questions to ask yourself while Decluttering Wardrobe

1. Do I Love this piece of clothing?
2. When was the last time I wore it?
3. Does it satisfy or make me feel comfortable?
4. Does it itch or scratch?
5. Do the shoes pinch my toe?
6. Is it mouldy or smelly?
7. Does it fit?

In the back of their minds, most people will think about what satisfaction (point 3) has to do with a piece of clothing. We often own clothes we do not or can’t wear around people because we don’t feel comfortable. Don’t keep it if you are not passionate about it. Be ruthless when decluttering your wardrobe. Because in the end, every single thing you no longer wear and decide to keep will add to the clutter.

Messy Wardrobe Contributes to Environmental Pollution

• According to research, nearly 5% of the land is occupied with textile waste.
• 20% of freshwater reservoirs are contaminated and polluted by textile wastes.
• Promoting cloth-swapping culture and recycling clothes will help reduce the production of textile products, resulting in a reduction in population across the globe.
• To produce a t-shirt, nearly 2700 litres of water is required, enough to quench a person’s thirst for 2.5 years.

Benefits of Decluttering your Wardrobe

1. Improved Clarity and Focus: Decluttering your wardrobe can help you gain clarity on what styles and colours you prefer, which can help you make smarter choices when shopping for clothes in the future.
2. Increased Confidence: When you have an organized closet with items that fit well, make you feel attractive, and are stylish, it can boost your confidence to face the world daily.
3. Reduced Stress: Decluttering your wardrobe can reduce the stress associated with indecision or feel overwhelmed by a cluttered space.
4. More Room in your Home: Fatigue from trying to find places to store all your clothes and accessories can be reduced if the wardrobe is decluttered. This will free up more space for other purposes, such as hobbies, family activities, or general storage needs.

12 Practical Tips for Decluttering your Wardrobe:

1. Organize Clothes The Marie Kondo Way

• Ready to tackle your closet the Marie Kondo way? You’ve come to the right place. The key to success when reorganizing is preparation, so make sure you have plenty of boxes and bags handy for sorting items.
• Start by taking all of your clothes out of the closet and laying them on the floor in a neat pile. Go through each piece one at a time, asking yourself if it sparks joy. If it does, keep it and place it somewhere else (or in a bag). But if you’re not sure or the answer is no, get rid of it!
• Once you’ve gone through all your clothes, take a look at what’s left. You should have fewer clothes now, so it will be easier to decide how to organize them in the closet. Marie Kondo recommends folding them and placing them upright in the closet, so they’re easy to see. This way, you can quickly grab the items you need without having to rummage around.

2. Be Ruthless when Decluttering Clothes

• When decluttering ruthlessly, remember to remember the four-month rule. Ask yourself: Do I need this item of clothing? Have I worn it in the last four months? If not, then it’s time for it to go! Following these steps will help declutter your closet and maximize your wardrobe potential.
• When you ruthlessly declutter your closet, remember to be honest with yourself and only keep back items that make you feel confident. Don’t hang on to clothes just because they were expensive or were a gift – if they don’t bring you joy, let them go!
• If something doesn’t fit properly or is too old/worn out, you should consider getting rid of it. It’s also essential to resist the urge to buy more when you’re in the process of decluttering. Instead, focus on making the most out of what’s already back in your closet.

3. Set up the Ambiance to Ruthlessly Declutter

Going through each item in your home can feel overwhelming and like a monumental task. But trust us—the work is worth it! A clean, organized space makes all the difference when creating an inviting and calming ambience. To declutter effectively and let go of clothes you no longer want, create an environment that will help you stay motivated. Open the curtains and let natural light in. Play your favourite music in the background to give yourself a dopamine boost and help simplify your wardrobe.

4. Make Piles While Decluttering

Make and neatly fold different piles of clothes to give away, donate, recycle, or swap outfits you no longer want, need, or love). Now that you’ve made piles while decluttering your closet, it’s time to store them away. You must ensure that every article of clothing is put away in its place, even if you love them and want to wear them daily. Ensure that the items you store away are appropriately organized, so they can be easily found when needed. Doing this will make your closet look tidy and well-kept and help you keep track of all the items in it.

5. Declutter your Clothes by Limiting Hangers

Yep, that’s right. An easy way to streamline the process is by limiting the number of hangers. Sometimes some clothes don’t fit, haven’t been worn in a while, don’t feel comfortable, or are unsure if you should keep them. All of these clothes take up space in the closet and collect dust. By reducing the number of clothes hangers and taking clothes off of hangers, you will be able to identify which clothing items no longer work.

6. Keep Track of What you’re Not Wearing

The best way to declutter is to push away that overwhelm and feeling when you open your closet door to declutter. Sometimes you might look at clothes that don’t fit or haven’t been worn and feel like you don’t want to donate clothes or any items. You need to broaden your approach to decluttering and start giving away stuff you’re not wearing and holding onto just because they don’t make you feel charitable. This simple tip will help you declutter and welcome new items to your closet. Just let go of anything that doesn’t fit your wearing criteria.

7. Donate Clothes for Easy Decluttering

We all look and feel great when we wear stylish clothes, but our wardrobes need a refresh over time. Have you gone through yours recently only to find items you no longer want? Instead of throwing them away, why not use a donation box to give your unwanted items new life? Just look through each item carefully and decide what should go in the box to be donated. You never know when your donations could bring a smile to someone’s face!

Donation is an excellent option to give away clothes that haven’t been used in a while and is adding to the mess. Value Village, Salvation Army, any local thrift store, or non-profit organization that recycles old stuff for needy people.

8. Dispose of Old Clothes and Items

If you haven’t worn certain clothes or items in your closet for months, it’s time to think about what to do with them. Donating or recycling old clothing is a great way to make disposing of old items more accessible and efficient. Plus, many organizations accept donations of gently used garments and household items that families can reuse in need. Even if the clothes or items in your closet are no longer wearable, they may still have value! Many companies offer drop-off sites where you can donate fabric scraps and other materials which can be recycled into new products. So instead of simply throwing away those old clothes and items, why not consider donating or recycling them? It’s a simple step that makes a big difference.

9. Arranging a Clothing-Swap Party

Set realistic goals. Break down your project into smaller manageable chunks that will make it easier to tackle. Gather all your clothes and set up a clothing-swap party with friends. This is a great way to let go of items you no longer need or wear and also snag some new pieces for yourself! Take out clothing that is never worn is to have a clothing-swap party with your friends.

10. Declutter your Clothes by Selling

Do you have clothes in your closet that don’t work for you anymore? Instead of letting them gather dust, why not put them to work and make money off of them? Selling clothes may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth the effort when you get paid for pieces that no longer work for you. Bring your clothes to a consignment store or list them online to make money and organize your closet simultaneously. Don’t let those clothes sit around; put them to work! You can sell your clothes to earn extra cash on social media marketplaces, like Plato’s closet or any shop that buys old clothes, Postmark or thread UP, etc.

11. Declutter Clothes and Maximize Storage Space

If one wardrobe is holding onto clothes, jewellery, shoes, and any of the items you will use in the foreseeable future, know that you need wardrobe storage organizers, hooks, and small storage to declutter those things too big or too small. Donate any clothes in good condition or take them to a consignment store. You’ll be helping the environment and making a few extra bucks too.

12. Use Shelves To Organize Clothes In Your Closet

If you’re going through your closet and feeling overwhelmed, it may be time to get organized with closet shelving. With the right shelves in place, you can easily keep track of clothes that do and don’t work for you – so when you’re ready to declutter, you know exactly what needs to go! Closet shelving is the easiest way to keep your closet tidy and free of clothes you don’t need. So get organized and make your wardrobe ready for the new season!