Is your closet overflowing? Can you never find what you need? Do you hold onto items you full well know need to go? Do you have items with tags that are over a year old and never worn? Do you want to be able to tackle the closet organization on your own? This blog post for you.

The goal is to empower you to get into your closet and have a handy and easy framework to effectively take back control of your wardrobe and the space it lives :)

In spring 2020 my old co-worker convinced me to apply for a Facebook live series talking about Closet organization. That is where I sat down and looked at my years of organization + closet design experience to come up with 4 tips to successfully purge your closet in a realistic way that you can do it on your own. These tips are easy and allow you to adjust according to the time you want to spend- meaning do you want to start with 10 mins? 30mins? 2 hours? All in?

You decide.

Purging your closet does not have to be overwhelming.

My 4 easy tips to purge your closet are:

1. Decide on scope/ timeframe for project

2. Rapid sort into piles (keep, donate, sell, trash, maybe etc.)

3. Go back with a critical eye to maybe pile

4. Put maybe items back with the hanging facing out or folded differently so you visually see them every day.

Let's dive in....

(1) Decide on the scope of work and timeframe you want to give to it

If you have been avoiding your closet purge like the plague, starting small and going for little wins will build confidence and purging willpower. What do I mean? Going for the sentimental items - is not the place to start. Go for the sock drawer and toss out holy, dirty, slide off your foot socks. Take a look at your underwear draw or toss the white shirts with horrible armpit stains.

Whatever you decide to tackle- give yourself a time limit. If we are starting small and easy- 10 minutes to go through your sock and underwear drawer. Set a timer - I like this time cube in the photo above. By setting a timer you are not looking at the clock to countdown the time. Distraction free you are able to set the time and away you go, staying focused on the task until you hear the beep.

(2) The purge part 1: Rapid sort into piles

My approach slightly varies here from the norm when doing the actual purge of your closet. From personal experience and with clients, I find when you are purging your stuff it is very easy to get tripped up and spend 10 minutes on one thing humming and hawing if you should keep it. That is a waste of time and energy. Get your piles ready: keep, maybe, donate, sell, trash, give to family member etc. set that timer and go! Not sure about this white button up shirt you haven't worn in over a year but might in the near future. Maybe pile it and move on.

(3) The purge part 2: Go back to the maybe pile and sort with a critical eye

When you go back to the maybe pile it is easier to be more critical when you have 15 shirts you haven't worn in over a year to face at once vs. individual. If you are having a tough time deciding I recommend putting the clothing piece on, looking in the mirror and asking yourself:

Having a convo with yourself in the mirror makes the decision a little more real. If you are still struggling but know deep down you should get rid of it, video chat a friend or family member that you can talk it out with.

(4) Put the Maybes back with the hanger turned around or folded in an identifiable way

This allows you to see the maybe items every day/all the time so the next time you go for a closet clean out and that hanger is not turned- it will be easier to part with the item.

If you like these tips I would love to hear feedback in the comments!

If you think you have the purge part down but would like help creating a better organizational flow or product recommendations- I offer virtual organizing services. Please click here to learn more!

Thank you for stopping by & happy organizing!