What Are Your Best Closet Decluttering Tricks?

Here are answers to "What are your best closet decluttering tricks? How are you ruthless when clearing out your wardrobe and decide what to keep and what needs to go?"...

• We often hang on to clothes which were expensive, or are good quality even though they don’t suit us, maybe they never did, or maybe they no longer fit us. Feel joy in the hope that someone else can get use out of it.

• Get rid of all clothes you haven't worn in a couple of years, discard clothes which don’t suit or flatter you. Look at what colours work for you and discard those that don’t.

• Hanging on to clothes which do not suit or flatter you is a waste of space physically and mentally. Having to wade through stuff to find an outfit that works is a waste of time and effort.

Linda Gelens

• Very often people have a mish mash of items in their wardrobe, with many items having nothing to do with getting dressed! The first thing I do when clearing out a wardrobe is to empty the wardrobe out completely so that you can see everything that has been kept in there.

• A variety of items are generally found when emptying a wardrobe. Items of clothing whose existence has long since been forgotten, gifts that have been hidden from family members, birthday cards and receipts are along with other nick knacks and sentimental items.

• As items are taken out of the wardrobe start to categorise them into piles. Take one category at a time and choose the items of clothing that make your heart sing, and discard the ones that don’t.

• If space in the home allows then find a new home for anything that was in the wardrobe that isn’t clothing.

Jane Fern

• Your closet should reflect the person you are today so keep that in mind while you’re decluttering get everything out so you can see what you have then let go of

• duplicates (choose the best)

• Anything you’ve never worn (those sales bargains!)

• Anything that needs repairing (will you ever get round to it?)

Victoria Nicholson

• If possible choose a space to sort with good daylight or excellent other lighting. Look for permanent stains and if it’s worn out and tired looking.

• If it doesn’t fit but you absolutely love it, keep only if it’s one size either way of your current size.

• In order to be ruthless, decide from the start that you’ll replace anything you love but don’t wear because of its condition or fit. Take a picture or make a note.

• Don’t allow anything to be down graded to be worn around the house. That kind of thinking won’t give you any more free space in your closet.

• Sort by category rather than by space and temporarily store everything rather than look for a final optimum place until you’re done.

• Stop before you lose motivation, it’s easy to tackle closet space in sections and far more effective to be thorough than to rush to finish.

Mimi Bogelund

• Genuinely take everything out and get them all off the hangers and go through them piece by piece. Ask yourself if this feels like you and where you’re at in your life right now and where you’re heading. Is it an 8/10 or above of so keep it. If not check where the gaps are and keep it until such time you can replace with something more fitting and supportive of you.

Jenny Hayes