Back when I worked as an In-Home Professional Organizer, closets were one of my top requested services… and I saw A LOT of crazy closets.
I once organized for someone who had a secret door in the back of their closet that went into another whole room of storage. I also organized a closet that was so tall it had FOUR levels of hanging bars. They had one of those library ladders on wheels to get to the top 2 bars. I also organized for someone whose closet was so big that they had a treadmill and TV in their closet — so they would work out in their closet, shower, and head right back to their closet to get ready for the day.
Clearly, those closets aren’t the “norm”. In fact, most of the closets I worked in were very modest in size, and way WAY too crowded. It was so fun to weed through everything and leave my client with a neatly organized space they felt great about.
In my own experience, having a neat and organized closet not only makes it MUCH more fun and enjoyable to get dressed each day, it also saves me time searching for items I can’t find, and it keeps my clothing looking nicer because it’s not all jammed in and wrinkly.
An organized closet makes me happy… and with a little daily maintenance, it’s really not hard to keep it organized all the time.
If your closet could use a little makeover, I’d recommend scanning through my list below and removing all the many things that should NOT be in your closet.
1. Anything you can’t wear.
Yes, this means camping gear, exercise equipment, office supplies, pantry items, holiday decorations, wrapping paper, kids clothing, pet supplies, etc.
If you’re searching for more space in your closet, your first order of business is to remove anything that’s not clothing, shoes, or accessories.
2. Anything you don’t want or need.
If you don’t want something and you don’t need it, there is no reason it should take up prime real-estate in your closet.
And honestly, you could apply this to any other space in your home — if you don’t want or need it, it should be removed from your home. Period!
3. Anything that’s not yours.
Unless you share a closet with your significant other, you really shouldn’t have anything in your closet that isn’t yours.
4. Anything that’s too small:
I truly do understand how motivating it can be to keep a few of your favorite too-small items in your closet, just waiting for that day when they fit again.
However, if it’s been more than a year since those favorite things fit, I can almost guarantee that they will be out of style by the time they do fit — and in the meantime, you’re wasting valuable closet space holding onto things that probably make you feel somewhat resentful.
5. Anything that’s too big:
Yup, these items need to go too.
I’m definitely not a fashion guru, but I know that wearing baggy, “too-big” clothing doesn’t do anything for me and doesn’t deserve a space in my closet!
6. Anything that doesn’t fit your lifestyle:
When I got married, I had lots of dress clothes because I worked in an office every day. When I switched to working mostly from home, I got rid of a HUGE chunk of my wardrobe because I no longer needed all those dressier outfits.
Now, 3 kids later, my wardrobe has changed again — mainly to items that are easy to mix and match, items that are easy to layer, items that are easy to wash, and lots of black 🙂
7. Anything that doesn’t “go” with your other items:
As I mentioned above, I’m a big fan of mix-and-match items… and I wear a lot of black.
Although I have no desire to have a super minimalistic wardrobe, I have found that by wearing mostly neutral colors (black, grey, white, cream, navy) and then mixing in a few pops of color via my accessories (a scarf, earrings, a cardigan, etc.) I can really get a lot more “mileage” out of my clothes.
I certainly don’t expect you to only have 3 colors of clothing — but in general, when you look through your closet, think about what items you wear most, and then purge the items that don’t mix and match with anything else.
Also, when you shop for new clothing, stop and think if the items you are buying will match with items you currently have in your closet. If not, then don’t buy them!
8. Anything you have multiples of:
I have admitted to finding a shirt I love and then buying it in 4 or 5 different colors (and sometimes 2 shirts in the same color!) so I’m clearly not opposed to all multiples.
However, if you know you have a weakness for certain items of clothing — like comfy leggings, a great pair of skinny jeans, slippers, black sweaters, or decorative scarves (ahem, those are a few of my weaknesses!) just be careful that you don’t go crazy.
There was one point in my life that I had more than 20 different black long-sleeve tops… and although I wore them all, they all fit, and I liked them all, I did realize that it was unnecessary to keep them all. It was kind of a wake-up call to me — and just realizing how many “multiples” I had in my closet helped me to curb my tendency to always search for more cute black tops.
I’d say that unless your job requires you to wear the same thing every day (and I know some do) you can probably purge anything you have 4 or 5 of!
9. Any empty hangers:
You’d be surprised how much space empty hangers can take up — so get them out of your closet!
10. Anything you don’t LOVE:
I saved the best for last…
It doesn’t matter if it still fits, if it’s still in perfect condition, how much it cost, or even if it still has the tags on it… in my experience, if you don’t love it, you won’t wear it. Period.
Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule — and I’m certain there are various exceptions to every rule I listed above. However, I also think that if we are really honest about what we wear, what fits us, what we feel great in, etc. we could most likely remove A LOT of excess from our closets.
And if you’re feeling uneasy about actually purging everything I mentioned above, a less scary option might be to remove everything listed above from your closet… but not necessarily remove it from your home. Maybe put it in boxes in the basement or in a spare bedroom closet. If you don’t find yourself looking for it after a few months, it’s probably safe to donate!
Remove anything in these 10 categories and enjoy a lot more closet space!
Sonja says
I totally thought you were going to write about the stuff that we store in our closets that aren’t clothes!! Like . . . pictures that you don’t want hanging on your walls anymore that have taken up valuable closet real-estate for over 5 years; rubbermaid tote of re-gift items; old stuffies from the kids that they don’t want, but you (I) can’t seem to part with; garage sale items; clothes ready for donation . . . etc.
These are just examples . . . or are they?!?! 🙂
I REALLY need to clean out my closet; think of all the clothes I could buy!
Andrea says
well that stuff can go too!! 🙂
Kamal says
Hi Andrea! Firstly I just love ur blog..as mentioned above by you I purge my closet and put some of my stuff in a spare closet.i really don’t feel the need of that stuff but today as I was just looking into that closet I feel like I can use that purged items.is it normal or should I not put back all my stuff into main closet
Andrea says
Thanks so much Kamal!
I my opinion, there is almost always a sense of “I might be able to use that” or “if I keep it, I might find a use for it” when you’re purging. So yes, I think that’s pretty normal — but I don’t necessarily think it means you should hang onto all those items now. If you’ve been easily living without them for some time, it’s probably safe to say you can move them out of your house.
That said, if it’s just one specific item that you have a need/use for, I don’t think it’s horrible to pull one item out 🙂
Stephanie says
So the sewing machine and ironing board shouldn’t be in my closet? 🙂 this makes me smile, cause it is true, but as you said exceptions happen. And in my case, my closet has room for those two items.
Now for the extra school supplies and toys, I do need to find a different place for those. 😉
Andrea says
I could make a definite case for the ironing board (that’s actually pretty common) and even the sewing machine. Maybe not for the home school supplies and toys though 🙂
Liane says
Hi Andrea,
Need advice / recommendations about closets. We have a teeny house with three teeny bedrooms that all have teeny closets with bypass type doors. The doors go all the way to the ceiling, so top shelf is easy access. Our bathrooms have zero storage for anything like towels, and there is literally no way to add more. I have a shallow cabinet over the commode for wash cloths, extra TP etc., and keep everything else in the very shallow drawers in the vanity. We have 3 sets of bath towels for each bath, and the clean ones consume most of our 22 inch wide linen closet. I also use my linen closet to store table linens. So I am breaking the rules!
I am using one shelf in each bedroom (top shelf) to store the extra blankets, sheets, etc. I know you have no linen closet so how have you dealt with these issues at home and/or at clients’ homes? Nothing else in the bedroom closets besides our clothing except these bedding items. I thought about those shallow underbed storage boxes but our bed rails are too low. I also bought a couple wicker chests to put at the end of the beds but too many stubbed toes and barked shins caused my husband to evict them. That’s when the linens went to the unused top shelf.
Now I feel like I’m doing it wrong!
My work
Andrea says
HI Liane,
Without seeing the closets, it’s hard for me to picture them — however, I would tell you to remove the bypass doors and just hang curtains up instead. I think you will be amazed how much space those clunky doors take up and your closet will instantly feel bigger with only a curtain.
Lauren K says
You can hang racks that look like wine rack on bathroom wall and roll towels up!!
Liane says
Those are nice however I don’t have any wall space and anywhere I’d put them would make a head banging hazard. I solved the problem by taking the oldest towels and bedding and putting them in a vacuum bag to compress them. I put those on the highest shelf which I need a step stool to reach. They are good to have in an emergency but are not used in my regular rotation.
Kelly in Oregon says
LOL – I laughed hard at this because I don’t have a ton of clothes, but I have a LOT of the items mentioned in number 1 in my closet. We have a GINORMOUS master bedroom closet, but not much other storage space (no basement or attic and we have an itty bitty garage). So we have all of our camping gear, luggage, dog items, and some of our holiday decorations in our master closet! 🙂 Luckily I do pretty well at the other items on your list!
Andrea says
Well, you sound like one of the “exceptions” to my rules 🙂 If you have the space, then by all means, put other things in your closet. These “rules” are geared more towards those people who are looking to gain more space in their closets!
Kaitlin @ The Mom on Purpose says
This was such awesome timing for me! I haven’t cleaned out my closet since I was pregnant a year ago. I’ve been slowly getting back down to my “normal” size since last May. I’ve made it to my winter clothing, but for some reason my summer clothes are all about a size smaller! So I’ve got a couple months to get into those. If not, they will leave! Babies change a lot of things…hips being one of them! 😉
Nancy says
We are getting ready to sell our home. I have my clothes in the walk-in master bedroom closet but my husband has his in a guest room closet. Should we put both of our clothes in the walk-in ( after we purge tons of clothes) so it appears that the walk-in is large enough for 2?
Andrea says
honestly, I don’t think it matters. The most important thing is that the spaces are clutter-free and relatively organized. That will make your home look more appealing than if both your clothes are in one closet or not.
frith du plessis says
Followiing you through Georgia. Love all your suggestions. My nightly dose of inspiration.
Thanks
Frith
South Africa
Love and Lollipops says
Hi Andrea,
I very recently discovered your blog and am loving it. This month I challenged my Facebook friends to 30 days (of September) of clearing the clutter. It’s been so much fun and the group of ladies are enjoying it (I think) and we are inspiring and keeping each other accountable. I’ve been sharing some inspiration with them and have linked to a few of your posts in the process. Thank you!
Take care,
Georgia
(South Africa)
sophia says
Found u on pintrest….not gonna lie but I’m gonna stalk u…jk! !! Great tips..I’m a clothes hoarder but am trying!!! Big purge to happen this weekend! Did one a year ago of clothes that didn’t fit..now I think if I saved them they would fit since I lost that peaky 20#! I’m affraid to purge in fear ill gain the weight back. 🙁
Christine says
Not sure where I’m supposed to put all the boxes of pictures, frames, kids rewards, and other misc items in my closet. The clutter drives me nuts but I’m not so great at organizing or picturing in my mind how to declutter.
Amelia says
Thanks for the MUCH NEEDED closet lecture! I know I have a lot of clothes that are too small in my closet in hopes of loosing 10 lbs and being able to fit into them again. However, it hasn’t happened thus far, so I’m getting rid of them this week (even if it’s just putting them in a Rubber Maid in the garage). If I can’t wear them by next season, I’ll give them away I promise! Ha!
Andrea says
Yay!!! happy purging!!
Monika Kristofferson says
All right on, good post! 🙂
Patty Gardner says
Well, my closet is pretty sparse right now but it wasn’t last week. My husband and I recently ended up with an empty nest. The upstairs bedroom was empty so we moved up there – it’s bigger and nicer. Stayed up there a month or so and decided we missed our tiny main floor bedroom and moved back. In the process, I only moved the clothes I actually wear. Wow! I need to buy some more clothes. My tiny closet is bare! I didn’t realize how much stuff I had that I never wore.
VeritySa says
Andrea, this is a great article!
I’d love it if you wrote an article about ‘transition clothes’ (and what to do with them!)
I’m expecting baby #3 and seem to have four different wardrobes. (The early pregnancy, late pregnancy, breastfeeding and then my normal skinny clothes!)
Any tips you’ve discovered on keeping the pregnancy clothes under control would make a great post!
Evelyn says
You have been my God send thanks to Pinterest (where I first found you).
Thank you for your amazing ideas. With a new baby in the house I feel the need to keeps things
Simple and clear. You Rock!!!!
Emily says
Wow! Now that I have the rules of the game, I’m gonna get my closet cleaned! Woo hoo!
Andrea says
haha — yay! Have fun organizing!
Jen says
I just found your blog yesterday, and I spent over two hours combing the archives. I love it! This article is excellent. I like to gather all the empty hangers a few times per week and take them down to the laundry room, where I do my folding. I have a rack in there, so I hang things as I get to them. It makes putting clothes away much easier.
I think my little man and I are going to go work on my closet right now…
Anna says
I know this article isn’t new anymore, but I’ve sort of been sucked into your site and am reading various awesome articles. So my question is this: where to put the hangers that aren’t allowed in the closet?
Andrea says
haha.. thanks Anna!
I always keep a few extra hangers in each closet just in case we get something new or need an extra one for something. But other than that, I don’t have many “extra” hangers. We have some in our coat closet, but that’s it. We just have hangers for the clothes we currently have right now… and if we get new items, we get rid of old items so we don’t ever need many more hangers.
Julie says
We have cleaned and purged our bedroom closet! The problem is that we have lots of other stuff in there too. No too much and we don’t use the space for clothes so…. The problem is that we have photo albums from my childhood and longer all of which I want to keep as well as other things. We have a large house but no linen closet other than in the master bathroom. And by masterbathroom I mean the main one for the house. I don’t even like to store linens in there where there is moisture(you know from showers, even with the fan on). So where do I store these things. I prefer they not be in the basement in case of flooding (which we haven’t ever had) or back up of the sewer. I know that if they were up on a shelf they would be ok, but still I prefer they not be there. Any suggestions?
Andrea says
Julie, in our new house we don’t have a linen closet, hall closet, back-door closet, or front-door closet — so I feel your pain!
I’ve actually been using an extra dresser for our linen closet. I use one drawer for pillow cases and misc, one drawer for twin/full, one for queen, and one for blankets. I try not to keep too many extra linens around…I just wash them and put them right back on our beds. This saves lots of space. Another idea would be to store the extra linens for each bed in between the mattresses (you could lay them out flat so they don’t take up as much room). Or you could use those space saver bags (that prevent water damage) and keep them in a tub in your basement.
And for towels, we keep all of those in the bathroom b/c we go through them every week and wash them so the dampness doesn’t bother me.
Hope this helps!
Karen Hartzell, Graco says
I want all my husband’s stuff out. We shouldn’t have to share our master br closet. There’s a coat closet downstairs he can use. hahaha
Great tips! I will be checking out my closet tonight.
Julie says
Ha ha ha ha Karen! I love that!
Kari says
I live in a 120 year-old farmhouse with a bedroom closet about the size of a gun case. Strange comparison? Not when that is what it in it. 🙂 It actually makes a great spot to put the safe and ammo and is away from “public” areas and our daughter. So what do we use as our closet? A spare bedroom. We bought a nice rack for hanging clothes, have a dresser, and a bookshelf in there. I’m loving the 5 shelf book case for clothes storage due to the convenience of not opening and closing dresser drawers, it has the feel of a custom walk-in closet (just that part, everthing else is way too hodge-podge to fell that nice). This room also houses my iron and ironing board. My problem: this also needs to be our storage room (no garage). So our closet has tons of things in it that aren’t clothes. I’m trying to find something inexpensive to partition the room in hopes that it won’t be so depressing to walk into. My stored items are exactly tidy at this point and I don’t like looking at them.
You’d have a hay-day at my house. But, I’m doing better. I’m really trying to simplify and purge. My husband thinks it is because I’m finally listening to him, but I know that you have more to do with it. 🙂
Andrea says
Oh, I’d love to see your farmhouse!
I like the idea of partitioning off part of your closet so you don’t need to look at all that extra stuff. Maybe you could run a row of bookcases through the middle of the room with your clothing on one side and the “other stuff” on one the other side. Just an idea!
Kari says
Unfortunately, most of the nice old charm of our farmhouse is gone. We are left with the downfalls of an old farmhouse…small bedrooms, microscopic closets, drafty walls, and one bathroom. We have made it our own and it is home to us…for now…until we get our dreamhouse. I’m so excited that you are at that point and have enjoyed peeking in on your house on Farmhouse Love.
Stacey says
We are getting ready to put our house on the market and i just purged my closet this past weekend! It looks great but since its a huge walk-in (really old house, we turned what would be a nursery way back when into a closet) and we have no closets on the main floor, we have to store a little bit more than just my clothes in it. There are a few things i dont know about though, I have a nice coat that is in good condition. I would donate it with no problems but it could use a good cleaning. I really dont want to pay to have something im donating dry-cleaned. AND my wedding dress is hanging there still in the garment bag. I never had it cleaned (i know i should have right away) and i dont know what to do with it. I dont think its really in good enough condition to sell or donate (not sure id even want to) but i dont really know of a good way to store it. Any suggestions for what to do about either?
Andrea says
Oh, you have to love old houses! We’re dealing with closet issues in our farmhouse as well!
To answer your questions: I would donate the coat — if it’s a nice coat, the new owners can have it cleaned. Also, about the wedding dress, I’m planning to talk about this in another month {and I’ll show what I did with my dress} but if you don’t want it, I would highly encourage you to get rid of it!!
If you’re still not ready to part with it, then put it in a space-saver bag and suck out all the air. It will take up much less space than in a bulky box.
Jennifer says
Our closet looks better and organized after we did a major purge following most of your above tips. However, we do have items in our closet that are not clothes–and our closet is quite large. Where should these items go? Our garage is a disaster (my husband’s project for years now), and we don’t have a basement.
Andrea says
Yay for closet purging! I’m sure it felt great to get your closet cleaned up and organized.
It sounds like you have a walk-in closet, in which case I think it’s OK to store other items — as long as it’s not overflowing with stuff. If you have room for your clothes AND extra space for other items, then go ahead and leave those items in your closet. If you feel like things are still too crowded and you can’t find what you need in your closet, then I would definitely encourage you to purge even more.
It’s tough when you don’t have a basement or garage for extra storage, but is there other place you could store these things besides your closet? Do you have a hall closet, and extra bedroom, anything else that would work? If not, you could always get rid of more clothing to make room for other items in your closet.
As always, my tips are just guidelines to get you thinking. Do what works best for you and your situation! Hope this helps.
MainlineMom says
I follow all these rules and my closet it huge anyway. My issue right now is trying to help my 91 year old grandparents let go of things and clean out their closets. So amazingly frustrating. What do you do when you are trying to help organize someone and they refuse to listen to reason about getting rid of things they haven’t used in ten years?
Andrea says
Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to “force” anyone to get rid of something. My clients contact me because they DO want to get rid of stuff, they just don’t know where to start or how to do it. So normally, I don’t have to do too much coaxing to get them to agree!
And elderly people are even more challenging because they lived through the depression and often want to keep everything –which IS really frustrating. My best advice is to ask them to put anything they don’t use/need in boxes in the garage or basement {or even in a storage unit}. This way, they can still hang on to ALL their stuff, but it’s not cluttering up their home. Then, when they move to a nursing home or pass away, you’ll know what things they weren’t using and can donate all the boxes at that time.
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
But those baggy clothes and slightly too small clothes don’t need to be in your closet, I guess. They could be in a bin in the garage. My closet real estate is not that precious. (I’ve got plenty of extra space). Now my FRIDGE, that is precious real estate.
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
I too believe in donating what you are not using, but sometimes there is a balance. I hate to buy something to replace something else I recently donated. When you are in your childbearing years, it can be a good idea to hang onto some of those slightly baggy clothes, so you don’t have to wear maternity clothes for 3 months after you have a baby. Or to dream you’ll get back into your favorite skirt in the hopes that you’ll someday have time to exercise. I’m not talking 20 items, just 1 or 2. I’m hanging onto some shirts that I’ll be able to wear again when I’m not a DDD. Often clothes become so unfashionable over a few years that you can get rid of them anyway, regardless of sizing issues. My sister (single and still fashionable) does closet purges with me and is brutally honest about how dated some clothing is. Now, 2 children and 4 years later, I have also come to accept that my waist will never be what it once was, and, now, FINALLY, I can give away those clothes that are too small. I think I’m also ready to get rid of some heels I don’t think I’ll be wearing ever again. I don’t have that many clothes (I currently share my closet with my husband), and so sometimes I give myself permission to hang onto things I’m not quite ready to let go of. But a few months before I move, that’s when the serious purging begins. That’s when there is no mercy.
Andrea says
Good point Betsy, balance is key in all organizing projects! And I love that your sister is brutally honest, we ALL need someone like that to tell us what works and what doesn’t!
Thanks for the great tips!
Kelly says
I don’t love anything in my closet… Does that mean I should take the day off and go clothes shopping tomorrow?!?! Yay me!
Thanks for the post!
Kelly
Andrea says
Haha…I know the feeling!
I suppose you should probably go through ALL your clothes and start purging. Then take a look at what’s left…and head to the mall. There are TONS of sales this time of year!!
Karen says
These are the things in my closet right now that are driving me nuts: 4 huge stacks of books that need to find a bookshelf somewhere (they were displaced when we took a spare space and turned it into a play room), my daughter’ s cheer uniform from 2001 and her prom dresses, and a couple of wedding outfits from her wedding. She has her own home now, so I think I will call her and tell her to pick them up. I am really trying to simplify this year and I really don’t want this stuff hanging around. I really love Peter Walsh, and his show on Oprah’s network. Do I get points for rotating my shoes seasonally? Your post on what you don’t spend money on has really made me think about all the ways I waste money ~ ouch! My word for this year is “simplify” and my phrase is “do better”. Thanks for the inspiration.
Andrea says
Thanks Karen, I’m glad you are simplifying in 2011, and yes, you get points for rotating your shoes seasonally!
My two cents {take them for what they are worth} — you should definitely get those books and your daughter’s things out of YOUR closet. Just think about how much extra space you’ll have!
Lisa Harrison says
This is the best advice on closet organization I have ever seen. Good work, Andrea!
Andrea says
Wow, thanks Lisa!
So, will you be cleaning our your closet tonight??
Mari says
I will be! LOL