How to Do a Complete Closet Cleanout

A complete closet cleanout doesn’t mean dumping everything you own onto your bed and creating a clothing mountain you’ll regret three hours later. Instead, clean out your closet one category at a time. Go through your T-shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, and other categories separately, deciding what to keep, repair, donate, store, or toss as you go. This makes a big closet cleanout much more manageable, and you don’t have to finish the whole thing in one day. 

Key takeaways 

• Clean out your closet by clothing category instead of taking everything out at once. 
• Start by removing stained, ripped, worn-out, and damaged clothing from each category. 
• Keep clothes you love, fit your body, and have a reason to wear. 
• Donate or give away clothing you don’t like, doesn’t fit, or makes you feel uncomfortable. 
• Try on items when you’re having trouble deciding whether to keep them. 
• Keep a running list of clothing you need so you can fill gaps in your wardrobe later. 
• Store sentimental, special-occasion, and out-of-season clothing elsewhere if you want to keep it but don’t need it taking up everyday closet space. 
• Keep a basket in your closet for clothes you decide you don’t want while you’re getting dressed. 
• Look for new ways to style clothing you love before getting rid of it simply because you’re not sure how to wear it. 

Clean out by categories 

Don’t take everything out of your closet all at once. A lot of people tell you to take everything out of your closet, but that can lead to overwhelm. Instead, go by categories. For example, you can remove all of your t-shirts, and then sort through them, and then move on to work pants…you get the idea.  

Categories you can separate your closet into: 

• T-shirts  
• Tank tops and camisoles  
• Blouses  
• Button-down shirts  
• Sweaters  
• Cardigans  
• Sweatshirts and hoodies  
• Jeans  
• Pants and trousers  
• Leggings  
• Shorts  
• Skirts  
• Casual dresses  
• Formal dresses  
• Jumpsuits and rompers  
• Blazers  
• Jackets  
• Coats  
• Activewear  
• Loungewear  
• Pajamas and sleepwear  
• Undergarments  
• Bras  
• Socks  
• Tights and hosiery  
• Swimsuits and cover-ups  
• Workwear  
• Formalwear  
• Seasonal clothing  
• Special-occasion clothing  
• Shoes and boots  
• Belts  
• Scarves  
• Hats  
• Handbags and purses  
• Other accessories 

Tip: If you don’t have time to do a full closet cleanout in one day, commit an hour each weekend to one or two categories.  

Figure out what to keep 

Once you have the category removed from your closet, lay the items on your bed. Start by removing all of the clothing that has stains, rips, or is just generally worn out. Put them in a repair pile, throw them out, or put them in the rag pile.  

Next, create a pile of all the items you love. They don’t necessarily need to be items you wear all the time. There’s no need to whittle your closet down to bare bones. 

Finally, make a pile of clothes that you don’t like and/or don’t fit. These will be items that you will donate or give away. 

Do these steps for each category of clothing. If you come across an item that is sentimental but you don’t wear it, consider what to do with it. Could you put it in storage? Or maybe take a photo of it and donate the actual item?  

Be sure to keep at least one outfit you can get messy in. These items are for painting, home repairs, gardening, or anything where you could ruin your everyday clothes. 

How to make hard decisions 

If you’re stuck on what to keep and what to get rid of, ask yourself these questions: 

• Will you need this for a special occasion like a wedding, funeral, or party? Then you should probably keep it. 
• Do you put the item on and then take it immediately off again? It should probably leave your closet permanently. 
• Is it a color that looks good on you and you get compliments? Keep it. 
• Does this item go with anything in your closet? If not, get rid of it. 
• Does this item make you feel bad? Get rid of it. 
• Does it fit your body? If not, throw it out. Don’t keep it in case you lose 20 pounds. 

If you’re still not sure about an item, put it on. Wear it for a few minutes. Is it comfortable? Do you feel good in it? Will you ever wear it out of the house? Do you have occasions to wear it? Asking yourself these questions while it’s on your body should clear up whether you should keep it or not. 

Make a list 

As you go through categories, keep a list of all the things you wish you had or that you need to fill gaps in your closet. Here are some examples: 

• A good pair of slacks to go with a blazer or suit jacket 
• Basics like good tees or button-ups for layering 
• A couple pairs of jeans that fit well 
• A shirt to go with that one skirt you love but doesn’t go with anything 
• A warm coat that fits better around the shoulders 

Put things away 

When you’re done sorting, put the good stuff back in your closet, together, in its category. Make sure your most-used categories are put right up front where they are easy to get to.  

Put out-of-season items in boxes and store them. There’s no need for them to take up room and clutter things up for no reason. 

Get a toss basket 

To keep your closet tidy from now on, keep a laundry basket in your closet or wherever you get dressed. If you try something on that you really hate, that’s stained or ripped, or doesn’t fit, toss it in the basket. Once every few months, go through the basket and repair the clothes that need it, toss the ones that are beyond repair, and donate everything else. 

What to do with clothes you love but don’t wear 

Sometimes you can hit a creative block when it comes to certain items. You love it, but you just don’t know how to style it. 

The answer is to see what someone else did with the item. Go on Pinterest and look for outfits with similar clothing. Save any outfits that you like and refer to them the next time you get dressed. Chances are, you have the items to go along with your little weirdo piece.  

Closet cleanout FAQ 

How long does it take to completely clean out a closet? 

It depends on how much clothing you own and how quickly you make decisions. You don’t need to clean out the entire closet in one day. If you’re short on time, spend an hour each weekend working through one or two categories until you’ve gone through everything. 

What should I get rid of when cleaning out my closet? 

Start with clothing that’s badly stained, damaged, worn out, or doesn’t fit. Then, look at items you consistently avoid wearing. If you repeatedly put something on and immediately take it back off, that’s a pretty good clue that it doesn’t need to stay in your closet. 

How do I clean out my closet without getting overwhelmed? 

Work on one category at a time. Pull out your T-shirts, sort them, and put the keepers away before moving on to jeans, dresses, sweaters, or another category. Breaking the job into smaller sections keeps your entire wardrobe from ending up in one giant pile. 

What should I do with clothes I’m not sure about? 

Try them on. Wear each questionable item for a few minutes, and pay attention to how it fits and feels. Ask yourself whether it’s comfortable, whether you feel good wearing it, what you would wear it with, and whether you have somewhere to wear it. 

What should I do with sentimental clothes I don’t wear? 

You don’t necessarily have to donate sentimental clothing just because you don’t wear it. If you have room, pack those pieces separately and store them outside your everyday closet. You could also photograph an item before donating it if the memory is more important to you than keeping the actual piece. 

Should I get rid of clothes that don’t fit? 

If clothing no longer fits, consider donating or giving it away. Keeping a large collection of clothes that don’t fit can take up valuable closet space that could be used for things you actually wear. 

What should I do with clothes that are out of season? 

Pack out-of-season clothing in labeled containers and move it somewhere else if you’re short on closet space. Under-bed storage, another closet, or a storage unit can keep seasonal clothing out of the way until you need it again. 

How can I keep my closet clean after decluttering? 

Keep a basket near your closet or wherever you get dressed. When you try on something that’s damaged, doesn’t fit, or you realize you don’t like anymore, put it in the basket instead of hanging it back up. Every few months, sort through the basket and decide what needs to be repaired, donated, or tossed. 

What should I do with clothes I like but never wear? 

Before getting rid of them, see if you can find a new way to style them. Search Pinterest or other outfit inspiration sources for similar pieces. You may discover that you already own everything you need to turn that difficult-to-style item into an outfit you’ll actually wear.