5 Steps to Quickly Clear Your Closet Clutter

Are your closets bursting with items you don’t wear, want, or love… but you just don’t know where to start? This simple 5-step process will help you quickly clear closet clutter without worrying about regretting your decision later!

Over the course of my nearly 40 years, I’ve implemented many different clutter-busting strategies… however, if I had to pick a “top tip” for quickly clearing clutter without those nagging thoughts of, “but what if I need this again someday”, these 5 steps would be it.

The 5 steps below are quick, simple, and motivating because of the “instant” transformation. 

This is not to say it will be “easy”, but I do think the vast majority of you will have higher success rates with this method. 👍🏻

If your closets could use a little TLC, give my simple 5-step process a try. You might be amazed how quickly you see results!

Step 1: Grab a few large containers.

It doesn’t matter what you use (boxes, tubs, totes, garbage bags, clothes baskets, etc.), just make sure the containers are large enough and sturdy enough to hold several items of clothing. 

If you plan to stack your containers, use ones with lids.

And you’ll want to choose containers you won’t need to use for several weeks, as they might sit in the back of your closet or your basement for a bit (see Step 3 below).

Step 2: Set a timer and declutter!

Your only goal for Step 2 is to pull items from your closet and put them into your selected bins/containers as quickly as possible. 

I recommend setting a timer for 15 minutes, forcing yourself to make instant yes/no decisions, and see how far you can get in that time.

Need some ideas for what to declutter? I suggest removing anything that…

• you don’t love
• doesn’t flatter your current body shape
• doesn’t fit you comfortably right now
• you no longer wear
• is stained, ripped, stretched out, faded or otherwise ruined
• doesn’t coordinate with other items you wear more regularly
• doesn’t align with your season of life

Now, before you panic, let me reassure you that removing items from your closet today doesn’t mean you will remove them for good (at least not yet).

The point is to remove anything you don’t love and wear very regularly so you can see what your closet could look like with significantly more “breathing room”. This can be a very powerful motivator.

Also, if you’re tackling a child’s closet, it might be eye-opening to let THEM do the decluttering (at least the initial round). They might have totally different preferences.

Step 3: Store your containers… for now.

I’ve found that it’s significantly easier to declutter items from a space when the fear of “what if I might need it again someday” is removed. So, as promised above, you will not totally remove these items from your home just yet.

For now, however, I want you to move your boxes, bins, tubs, totes, or laundry baskets somewhere “out of the way” so you don’t see them. 

Here’s what to do with your containers: 

• Label them with today’s date (on a post-it note or masking tape).
• Put a reminder in your planner or phone for 3 months from now.
• Put the boxes/bins/containers in the back of a storage closet, in the basement, or somewhere you don’t regularly see.
• Try to forget about everything you removed and focus on enjoying your newly decluttered closet space.

Step 4: Enjoy your clutter-free closet!

You’re finished… for now.

Stand back, take a deep breath, and look at your clutter-free closet space!  

Doesn’t it look fantastic? 

Won’t it be so much easier to find what you’re looking for with less stuff in the way?

Won’t it be more enjoyable to get dressed in the morning when you’re only choosing from items you love and items that fit you well?

Isn’t it crazy how quickly you achieved these results? (It certainly didn’t take all weekend like you might have feared.)

Keep in mind your space will not necessarily be organized or decorated yet, but the excess clutter is gone (without all that much time or effort). That’s a definite “win” in my book!

I suggest using and enjoying your newly decluttered closet space for at least 2 weeks before making any permanent decisions about the items you decluttered.

This would be a great time to better organize the closet since there will be so much less stuff to organize.

As you organize, you may find more items you’d like to declutter — simply add them to the bins with all your other temporary cast-offs (nothing is permanent yet).

And if you truly need something from your bins, grab it, but don’t get too carried away and start rifling through everything again — the idea is to forget about it so you don’t miss it!

Step 5: Deal with the containers.

You might be thinking: “But what about the containers that are now waiting for me in the basement, in the garage, or stacked up in the storage closet?” 

Good question!

These are your 2 best choices:

1. After 3 months of not needing the items inside, load the containers into your vehicle and bring them to a local donation drop-off. Done!
2. After 3 months, take a few minutes to look through each container to see if there’s anything you want to keep (maybe a few seasonal items). Pull out those items, and donate the rest.

Realistically, if you don’t use something for 3 months, you likely won’t miss it all that much. Keep in mind you are significantly more likely to “miss” something if you see it again — so if you can donate without looking, you’ll have a much higher degree of success!

Remember… it’s only stuff. More stuff can’t make you truly happy, and more stuff won’t solve your problems (in fact, it may create more problems from a space and financial perspective).

Why This 5-Step Process Works

This process is so effective, in part, because it doesn’t require a total overhaul of the closet (you don’t need to pull everything out — just the items you don’t want, or aren’t sure if you want).

It also offers a “buffer window” of time that eliminates the fear of decluttering something you might need someday.

And finally, it removes these items from your everyday living areas, allowing you to more easily forget about them until you either need them again OR until you declutter them for good.  

This 5-step process should work for any closet in your home, so feel free to keep decluttering once you finish your first closet!

It could also be adapted to work for almost any space in your home (think mudroom, kitchen cabinets, garage, toy room, bathroom vanity, etc.) Just remove the items you don’t think you need, put them in a holding area for a set period, then evaluate and/or donate!

When will you get started on your closet clutter? 

Grab an empty box or bin and set your timer TONIGHT! 

See how much clutter you can clear from your closet in 15 minutes — and then enjoy getting dressed tomorrow morning!

More inspiration from our closets.

I’ve written so much about closet and clothes clutter over the years — here are a few of those posts: 

• The questions that helped me purge 75% of my clothes
• The Boy’s Closet (with crazy sloped ceilings)
• Nora’s Closet
• Clara’s nursery closet
• How we shared one closet for the 3 older kids
• 2 more tips to clear closet clutter
• How to THOROUGHLY organize your closet in 5 steps (for those of you looking for more than a quick declutter)
• All my posts related to clothes clutter

Are you due for a quick closet purge?

If so, do you think this method will work for you? 

I always have fantastic results using these 5 steps… I hope you will too! 

As a little extra motivation for those of you feeling STUCK and PARALYZED by the clutter in your home and life, I created a mini workbook with 15-Minute Projects to Simplify Your Home.

If you’re a procrastinator or a perfectionist, or if you have a hard time motivating yourself to get started, THIS workbook is just what you need!