5 Steps to Clean Out Your Closet (and Keep it Clean!)

Are your closets the least-loved spaces in your house? If so, you’re not alone!

Closets tend to be a catch-all for items that don’t have a home,  keeping them out of sight and out of mind. But what happens when your closets are overstuffed? It’s time for a closet cleanout!

Luckily, tackling a cluttered closet doesn’t have to be a chore. Follow our step-by-step guide to keeping your closet clean and organized month after month!

Step #1: Bring everything out into the open

You can’t clean out your closet if you don’t know what’s in your closet. Start by taking everything (yes, everything) out of your closet and laying it on the floor or bed. Then, begin to sort your belongings into piles to keep, store, or donate. Move quickly, so you don’t give yourself time to second-guess your decisions!

Clean and Organize with Goodwill

Step #2: Edit your wardrobe

As you touch each clothing item, it’s helpful to ask yourself questions to determine what you really want to keep and what you’re willing to give away. Ask yourself:

• Have I worn this in the past 12 months? Will I wear it in the next 12 months?
• If I saw this in a store, would I buy it?
• Does it fit?
• Does it make me feel good?
• Is it my style?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, put it in the donate pile. While you may no longer want or need that item, someone else is sure to love it! When you’re done cleaning out your closet, don’t wait to donate. Take your donations to Goodwill right away, and we’ll handle the rest. We gladly accept clothing, accessories, shoes, and other home goods!

Get organized with Goodwill!

Step #3: Clean the closet

Your closet needs to be cleaned just like the other rooms in your home. Vacuum the carpet, dust the shelves and surfaces, and sanitize the door handles. Throw out any broken hangers and replace them with new ones. You can even hang up cedar sachets to add a pleasant scent!

Step #4: Get organized

Next, it’s time to reintroduce your clothes and make sure everything has a designated place. We recommend only hanging up clothes for the current season and storing out-of-season items in plastic bins or boxes. Fold sweaters and t-shirts neatly to prevent wrinkles. To store shoes, use a shoe rack or hanging shoe display. Purses can be hung up on an over-the-door rack or stashed away in a storage container under the bed. The key is to customize your closet and make an organized system so that everything is easy to grab and go!

Step #5: Make decluttering a habit

Now that you’ve cleaned out your closet, the challenge is to keep it neat and tidy! At least every three months, edit your closet and wardrobe. A good rule of thumb is to donate one item for every new item you add! Another idea is to turn all your hangers in one direction. After you wear something, hang it back facing the other way. At the end of a season, you’ll know exactly which items you wore “” and which ones you didn’t!

Tidy up and donate to Goodwill!

Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall, it’s always a good time to give back and donate to Goodwill! Thanks to your generous donations, Ohio Valley Goodwill is able to provide vocational training and job support services for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment in Cincinnati. Donating to Goodwill also extends the life of reusable goods, helping to reduce waste and keep our planet beautiful!

We’re grateful for your donation support! Find your nearest donation center location and check out our list of items we can and cannot accept to know before you go.