Three Different Ways to Clean Your Closet

We’ve talked about ways to clean and organize your closet over the years, but it’s been a while — so let’s discuss! How often do you clean your closet? Does it feel like you the closet needs constant maintenance before it gets unruly and/or it becomes difficult to find your favorite clothes? 

Three Different Ways to Clean Your Closet

Closet Clean-Out Method One: Seasonal Rotation

I’ve written before about how I love rotating my clothes seasonally, both for closet space issues as well as organization. It’s a good opportunity for me to go through my wardrobe at the end of the season and assess what got worn and what didn't — as well as remind myself what I should wear in the coming season! In addition to the obvious stuff (shorts for summer, sweaters for winter), these are some of the things I set aside, even though I could wear them all year:

– for spring: pale grays, pastels, white tops — I may put my navy tops in here since I keep thinking I will wear them the rest of the year but never do

– for summer: tops with interesting sleeves that would be hidden or uncomfortable under a cardigan, sweater, or jacket

– for fall: emerald tones, dark grays 

I even do this with my husband’s clothes — he has a very casual work wardrobe, but it still bugs me when I see him wearing a pale gray t-shirt in the fall. 

Method 2: One In, One Out

You guys: I am in awe of people who can do the one-in, one-out system. It makes a lot of sense! But I get weirdly nostalgic over clothes — it is only through extreme effort that I’m able to donate/recycle as much of the kids’ clothes as I am. Even if I haven’t worn things in a while, I may think, “AWW, I should wear that next week!” And then I never do. Why yes, I am bonkers, thank you for noticing!

In any event, the one-in, one-out system is pretty easy to understand: If you add one item in to your closet, you have to put one more item on the sell/donate/recycle pile. 

{related: where to recycle, donate, and sell your work clothes}

Method Three: The Flipped Hanger

This is for the people who don’t have a good idea of what they’re wearing regularly and what they’re not, or otherwise don’t know how to start cleaning out their closet. (Note that this can definitely be a great way to cull your wardrobe but requires commitment to a long process.) Basically, you take all of your hangers off the closet rod and flip them around. Then, in one year, anything that is still facing “the wrong way” goes in the donate pile. (Another way of doing this: ponytail loops on the hangers!)

For the unworn clothes in your closet that are still on flipped hangers, I always recommend “playing closet” with those that, in theory, you still like but just don’t know what to wear them with. It’s one of my favorite weekend activities!

I kind of do something similar when clearing one of my messier drawers, like underwear/socks/folded t-shirts — if I wear something, I put it in a bag in the drawer — and when I look into the drawer and have that “I have nothing to wear!” feeling (perhaps while the drawer is still 50% full of clean clothes), then I know it's time to start hacking away at what’s left and get it out of there. 

Readers, how do you clean your closet and keep it organized? How diligent are you in your efforts, and what do you do with the clothes when you’ve decided to get ’em out?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / mariakray.