9 Best Ways to Clean Out a Closet Quickly

Closets can quickly become spaces where absolutely everything gets shoved, regardless of whether it’s old junk. Unfortunately, this isn’t sustainable, and your closet quickly starts to look like a location you need to avoid. If you’ve started to feel this way, don’t worry, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we’ll take you through nine of the best ways to clean out your closet in no time at all. By the end, you’ll be amazed by how much space you’ve managed to reclaim. Let’s get into it!

1. Schedule a Specific Time to Do It

Nothing will kill your momentum faster than being unorganized. Clearing out a closet isn’t the most thrilling activity, which makes it the perfect opportunity for procrastination to sneak in and ruin your plans. Don’t let that happen. Set aside a specific day when you know you’ll have enough time to complete everything – and feel good at the end of the day. This will minimize distractions and ensure you can get on with your goals.

2. Empty Everything Out of Your Closet

This will feel like the most arduous step, but it could also feel quite cathartic! Go into it with an open mind. Remove everything from your closet into your bedroom or another space. You might be surprised by how much comes out. Don’t worry; that’s why you’re doing this. Once the process is complete, you’ll feel incredibly accomplished. Also, you don’t need to worry about the pile looking neat – yet. That comes later. For now, get it out of that closet.

3. Clean the Inside of Your Closet

Once your closet is empty, it’s time to get to cleaning! You’ll rarely have the opportunity of a completely empty closet, so this is the perfect time to give it a good scrubbing. Dust down your shelves and surfaces, vacuum the floor, and use bleach-free cleaning products on any stubborn stains. Leave the door open as you move through the following steps to air it well.

4. Sort it Into Three Distinct Piles

Now it’s time to begin sorting through what you own! This process relies on keen organization. You should sort your clothes into three piles to make it easier. These should consist of the following:

• Clothes you want to keep
• Clothes you want to donate
• Clothes you need to throw away

Deciding which clothes go into which pile can take time, but don’t rush it. The last thing you want to do is throw away one of your favorite items because you’ve gotten the clearout bug.

5. Use the Six Month Rule

To help you decide which clothes to keep or donate, consider the last time you wore them. This doesn’t apply to everything. Some clothes are too formal to wear frequently or possess sentimental value. Keeping those makes sense. However, for everything else, if you haven’t worn it recently and don’t think you will again: get rid of it! You’ll be amazed by how much space you can save.

6. Try on Anything You Aren’t Sure Of

If you find items you haven’t worn in a while but something tells you that you want to keep them anyway, try them on. This will go one of two ways, and they’re both helpful! It’ll either remind you that, yes, it’s really time to throw out that three-year-old top, or it’ll show you that the top is worth keeping after all. Either way, you’ve made significant progress, so try on everything you aren’t certain about.

7. Check All Items for Damage

All of the clothes you look through should be checked for wear and tear. There will undoubtedly be holes and rips in some of your older clothing that you’ve never noticed before. It happens, but you must be aware of this damage as it can dictate what you do with it. You can’t donate clothes that are too damaged, so unless you’re keeping that ripped-up sweater for sentimental reasons, throw it out.

8. Start to Place Your Items in Their New Homes

Cleaning out your closet is one thing, but improving on what was already there will take your organization skills to the next level. Try to leave things better than you find them. Sort accessories and shoes into boxes or onto shelves, store clothes away that you don’t wear often, and try to hang items together in categories. This way, everything will be easier to find, look neater, and be far more satisfying overall!

9. Move Your Boxes Back into Your Closet

Once your clothes are hung up and your shelves are filled, move your boxes back into your closet last. Think of it as a game of Tetris; try to fit everything together as perfectly as possible. Stand back and admire your work once you’ve sorted it all away. Congratulations, you’ve finished!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should It Take To Clean Out a Closet?

There is no correct answer to this question. All closet spaces are different, and everyone moves at different paces. Don’t rush yourself. If you do it right the first time, you won’t have to do it again for a long time. A few hours should be all you need, but if it takes longer, that’s okay too!

What Should I Get Rid of When Cleaning Out My Closet?

Anything you won’t wear again or items too damaged to be reasonably salvaged. There’s no point holding onto old, unusable stuff. That can begin a serious hoarding problem, which is the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve here.

Got Lots of Junk That Needs to Go? We Can Help!

If you’ve recently completed a massive clearout and now have more junk than you ever expected, contact us at Nixxit today! We will happily take it off your hands in a professional, efficient, and eco-friendly manner.