How to Clear Out Your Wardrobe Before the New Year, According to Experts

A packed closet can quietly turn getting dressed into a daily chore. Fortunately, a handful of seasoned organizers have weighed in on how to reclaim that space without losing your mind.

You've probably realized that your closet is packed with too many clothes you no longer wear or need, but the mere thought of starting the decluttering process can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be.

According to experts, the trick is to break the task down into smaller, simpler steps. Below are a few tips, backed by expert insights, to help guide you through the process.

Start With the Items That Don't Belong

Take a look at your closet and begin by removing any items that shouldn't be in there.

"Generally, closet spaces are only for clothes, however, what we notice with a lot of our clients is the propensity to have a lot of miscellaneous items in their bedroom closets," says Adriana Aziz, Operations Manager at MaidForYou. "So removing the items that don't belong is always the primary focal point when starting."

Move On to Clothes You Rarely Wear

Take a close look at your wardrobe and notice what dominates the space. Do sweaters outnumber everything else? Are you holding on to a collection of formal wear even though you seldom attend formal events? Do you have a stack of hats but keep grabbing the same one every time?

Kiera Malowitz, certified professional organizer and owner of Decluttered, LLC, says, "I have seen whole closets of formal dresses when maybe the client only has 1-2 big events they attend each year, so the question becomes more about if you have the space to store that amount of formal wear versus could you be using the space for something more useful."

Sort Your Clothes Into Categories

To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the sight of your clothes, whether they're still hanging in the closet or heaped on the floor, start sorting them into categories: pants, dresses, tops, button-downs, accessories, belts, and so on.

Doing this will quickly reveal which items take up the most space in your closet and, in turn, your life. From there, you can decide how to approach decluttering: all at once or one category at a time.

If that feels like too big a task right now, pick one section of your wardrobe to tackle, then move on to the next section the following day, and so on.

"Minimizing the scope of each decluttering session makes it easier to activate while reducing overwhelming feelings," says Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and founder of Oh, So Organized!.

She continues, "For example, declutter one shelf, drawer, or rod before moving to the next area. Or work on just shirts, pants, or dresses before decluttering the next category."

Create 'Keep' and 'Donate' Piles

Use the no-contact decluttering method and create a keep pile and a donate pile. Having the two piles side by side helps significantly — you can clearly see how much you're keeping compared to how much you're donating, which encourages you to be more mindful in your decision-making.

It may also help to create a "maybe" pile for clothing you're unsure about, which you can revisit at the end. This approach works well because, by the time you return to it, you'll already know what you've chosen to keep and can judge whether anything in the "maybe" pile deserves a spot over something else.

After sorting through everything, it's always helpful to do a final run-through of what you've decided to keep and discard. This last pass also gives you the chance to see which of your kept items pair well together in outfits and to solidify your decisions, helping you avoid closet mistakes.

Choose Where Your Old Clothes Will Go

Once you've separated the clothes you're keeping from the ones you're giving away, it's time to decide where the latter will go.

"Designate a local thrift shop and/or a friend or relative to take clothes in donateable condition and locate a tailor or dry cleaner who will do the repairs," suggests Stacey Agin Murray, Professional Organizer at Organized Artistry, LLC.

She continues, "Knowing this information before starting to declutter ensures that the clothes will not linger in your car or the corner of your bedroom due to not knowing what to do with them next."

With a clear plan and a little patience, clearing out your closet can go from dreaded chore to rewarding refresh. By sorting, editing, and deciding ahead of time where your castoffs will end up, you'll free up valuable space and make getting dressed each morning a whole lot easier.