Is your wardrobe overflowing with clothes and other items that you haven’t worn or used in years? It might be time to schedule a ‘declutter day’ to sort, organise and cull some of the things that no longer ‘spark joy’. Here are a few tips to help your decluttering efforts when it’s time to say, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

1. Set a date

Much like any other event, setting a date and sticking to it helps ensure your decluttering mission is a success. Once every six months is generally a good amount of time between decluttering. Some closets may need a few hours, some may take a full day or even a few days.

2. Lay it all out

The first step of closet decluttering is to remove everything, lay it out and take stock of it all so you can easily decide what to do with each item.

3. Categorise items

Look at each item and sort them into categories (shorts, jackets, shirts, etc.), then categorise them further as to whether they will be kept, donated, sold or thrown away.

4. Don’t be afraid to cull

To get the best result from your day of decluttering, try to only keep items that are used regularly, fit well and are still in good condition. This can be hard as some items may have sentimental value, but think about it like this: if you donate your items, they’ll be helping people in need which is more than they will do sitting in your closet.

5. Invest in smart storage solutions

Use shelves, bins and storage containers that work well in the space you have. The less bulky, the better. If they allow for easy sorting and accessibility, that’s also a plus.

6. Rearrange your closet layout

This goes hand in hand with investing in good storage options. Rearrange your closet to find the optimal layout for your belongings so that you can use up the space wisely and gain easy access to your items.

7. Maintain the space

Once you’ve decluttered your closet, it is so important to maintain the space. This means making a commitment to carry out a decluttering every few months, putting clothes back where they belong after you wear them and keeping the space generally tidy.

All the best for your closet clean-up!