How I Declutter Clothes in My Closet: Six Easy Steps I Follow

Do you feel it’s overwhelming to organize your closet? It is, but you can declutter clothes in your closet in six easy steps.

Many girls find it difficult to declutter their closets, especially when they don’t want to get rid of their favorite outfits. But you want some space for new ones.

In this post, I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to make some space in your closet without sacrificing your most beloved outfits. Trust me, it’ll be a fun organization journey.

Why Most Closet Decluttering Attempts Fail

Before we go further, let us discuss a little bit why the “dump it all out and sort” approach burns people out so fast.

The most common method people use — keep, donate, toss — for hundreds of items in one sitting. That’s decision fatigue in its purest form. By item seventy, you’re just shoving things back in the closet to make it stop.

The better approach is to break the process into smaller passes, use simple rules instead of emotional debates, and treat decluttering as a system you maintain, not a one-time event.

So, let’s go to the steps.

Step 1: Set a Real Goal Before You Touch a Single Hanger

Before you even touch your clothes hanging on the rod, ask yourself:

Do I want everything on hangers, or a mix of hanging and folded storage?
Am I organizing by season, by color, or by category (tops, bottoms, dresses)?
How much closet space do I actually have, realistically?

Having these answers sorted gives you something to sort toward, instead of just sorting away from clutter. It also keeps you from re-cluttering the space six weeks later.

Keep your goal firm and start your decluttering journey!

Step 2: Try the Two-Week Laundry Basket Trick

This is the most useful trick that works for me every time. It removes almost all the guesswork.

Here’s what I do.

For two weeks, every time I do laundry, I fold it and put it in a basket instead of putting it back in the closet. I don’t touch anything else in my closet during this time.

At the end of two weeks, I sneak into the basket. That’s my real, honest wardrobe — the closet I actually want. Whatever is still hanging untouched in the closet is a strong candidate to go.

This method works because it removes emotion from the equation.

You’re not asking “do I like this shirt?” (you probably like most of your clothes, or you wouldn’t have bought them). You’re asking, “Did I actually wear this?” Those are two very different questions, and only one of them gets your closet under control.

This method worked for me, and I’m sure it will work for you as well.

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Step 3: Sort Into Three Simple Piles

Now, you know what you are not wearing; go through those items and sort them into three piles:

Keep — Fits, flatters, in good condition, and you’d genuinely reach for it.
Donate — Still wearable, just not right for you anymore. Someone else will love it.
Toss or recycle — Stained, torn, stretched out, or otherwise past its prime. You examine the condition and decide what to do. Many fabric recycling programs may take items too worn out to donate, so check before you throw them in the trash.

Some people don’t wear outfits for a year but pile them in their closets, believing “I wear it someday” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in a lot of overstuffed closets.

Obviously, we are not talking about seasonal, formal wear, or sentimental items.

Step 4: Deal With the “But I Like ALL My Clothes” Problem

As I’ve mentioned earlier, many people don’t like to get rid of their clothes, especially their favorite ones.

Liking your clothes isn’t the problem — fitting them all into a limited amount of space is.

If you’re someone who thinks that way, the fix isn’t guilt; it’s rotation.

Keep your favorite ones that you’re going to wear this season in your closet, and store out-of-season items elsewhere — under-bed bins, a spare closet, vacuum storage bags, wherever you have room.

Like that, your closet stays manageable, and you’re not getting rid of things you actually want to keep.

Step 5: Organize What’s Left So It’s Easy to Maintain

Once you get rid of clothes, it’s time to arrange what’s left matters just as much as the decluttering itself.

A few approaches that work well:

By category — all tops together, all bottoms together, all dresses together. This is usually the easiest system to maintain day-to-day.

By color within category — great if you like a visually calm closet and don’t mind a little extra tidying time.

By season — practical if your closet space is tight and you rotate clothing throughout the year anyway.

Whatever you choose, the goal is the same: you should be able to see what you own at a glance.

A closet with clear visibility is a closet you’ll actually use. Also, it helps you spend less on new outfits.

Step 6: Keep It From Piling Up Again

Once you declutter your closet, it’s a sigh of relief. But what if it gets cluttered again?

A few habits that keep your closet clean:

Whenever you buy something new, take something out of your closet.
Keep a donation bag in or near your closet. Whenever you notice something you’re not wearing, it goes straight in — no waiting for a big seasonal purge.
Every few months, take 15-minutes to scan your closet to see what doesn’t fit your taste buds.

Small, regular maintenance of your closet is much easier than another full-blown decluttering marathon down the road.

Keeping your closet clean should be a habit, not a burden!

The Bottom Line

You don’t want a rigid wardrobe or to spend a weekend getting this under control. The best method you can use is the two-week laundry basket trick.

It’s easy to declutter your closet once you follow these steps. But keeping your closet that way is the hardest part.

Best of luck with your decluttering journey!

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