My Major Closet Overhaul (with video!)

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When we moved into this house last summer I was excited to have more space in my closet. And to have his and hers closets too! I essentially unpacked my clothes and threw them into my closet in haste, as one does when they are moving into a different house with 3 kids, and didnt really pay any more attention to it for months.

I finally set aside some time to edit a lot of my clothes (why do I keep things for years that I dont wear?!) and added a few extras to keep the closet tidy and functional.

I filmed the entire process so you can come along in my closet clean out journey, and Im sharing a few tips and suggestions if you are going to be tackling a closet clean out of your own! And in case you missed it on Instagram stories, you will not BELIEVE what I found from the previous owners during this process!

5 Things to Do During a Closet Clean Out

One. Create a trash area, Donate area, and Relocate area. Before I started the clean out I knew I was going to sell a few items, donate a lot too, and throw away various things that I couldnt do either of the former with. I brought trash bags to the closet so I was ready to fill and not run into any barriers stopping my flow.

Two. Remove as much as you can before you start to organize. It seems counter intuitive to create a big mess when organizing but I found its helpful to take as much as you can out of the area you are working in so you can truly assess the space.

Three. Wait until youve edited your closet down to what you are keeping before you buy storage. As much as I love buying cute baskets and containers, one of the most helpful tips I learned from a professional organizer I worked with was to do the clean out first, see what you have left, and only THEN buy the storage for it. This prevents you from keeping things that you dont truly need just because you have a box for it already, and also allows you to see what kind of storage can work best in a place. For example, I considered switching all my denim over to the clip hangers but I refused to buy them until after this project was underway. Im seeing now that I really like my denim where it is and Im glad I didnt have to return the hangers.

Four. Evaluate your clothes and become aware of what you like and dislike. Like so many, Im prone to an impulse purchase. During this closet clean out I got to see what items of clothing I really wear a lot of, and what items just sit and take up space. I had the phrase be ruthless in my head as I edited out items that I havent worn in awhile. I saw that on Emily Leys feed during her annual Simplified challenge and I must say that even after I thought I was being ruthless I still have a lot of clothes that I likely could get rid of and not miss. Its a process!

Five. Set your space up for success and give your most worn items priority space. Im a jeans and tee girl so those two items get priority placement on the hanging rods. I keep my most worn denim as far to left on the rod as I can so I can continue to edit out what I dont wear. I organized my tops to go from camis to sweaters, so I can better see what I have hanging instead of losing a top that got hidden between two jackets.

Overall, Im thrilled with the results! Since finishing the video I have found some hyacinth baskets to coordinate on my top shelves. I threw my weekender bags in there and now my closet clean out is complete!

I mentioned a few specific items in the video that are worth looking into. The clear shelf dividers are a game changer for my purse organization. I also really am pleased with these baskets. Im still using this jewelry organizer I bought on Amazon years ago. These round hyacinth baskets are nice to collect smaller items too!

Im already working on a follow up post to share some other helpful organizing products, especially for jewelry!