6 Things to Throw Out of Your Closet Today to Kickstart Your Most Productive Decluttering Session Yet

How many times have you opened your closet with the intention of decluttering, only to stall after twenty minutes? Like opening Pandora's box, the chaos that ensues can soon lead to regret, but purging your wardrobe is a necessary evil. We promise that with some grit, determination, and perseverance, you'll soon have the organized closet of your dreams.

When it comes to how to declutter a closet, there are a few techniques we naturally gravitate towards. You might choose to take everything out, lay it on your bed, and sort through piece by piece. Or maybe you prefer to tackle clothing categories methodically, starting with underwear and working your way up to jackets. Both methods are all well and good, but you'll need to figure out what to actually throw out before you begin, otherwise, your closet will be just as full as it was when you started.

If you're staring at a mammoth pile of clothes unsure where to start, a few prompts wouldn't go amiss. To help you decide what to throw out of your wardrobe when decluttering, we spoke to experts who are well-versed in this cluttered closet conundrum. Here they share six ideas to kickstart a productive decluttering session that guarantees results.

1. Clothes That Don’t Fit

It goes without saying, but clothes that no longer fit don't deserve space in your closet. "They send a daily message of 'not enough' or 'someday', which can weigh heavily on your mindset," says professional organizer Di Ter Avest. "Letting go of these pieces makes room for items that work for your body today and support how you want to feel right now."

Decluttering clothes can be difficult — after all, they all hold memories — but don't try and justify keeping anything that doesn't sit well on your body. "Shoes that pinch and pants that ride need to go," adds Gerrit Jan Reinders, decluttering expert and founder of BOXIE24. "Your clothes should feel comfortable, not irritate you all day long." If you really can't part with an item of clothing (if, say, it has sentimental value), then visit a seamstress to get adjustments made.

2. Duplicates

Do you have five plain white tees? Three pairs of skinny jeans? Multiple black shirts? Unless you wear them every day (for the office, for example), you can confidently throw duplicates out of your closet. "Reserve your favorites and those that fit perfectly, and give away the rest to charity," says Gerrit. "Having fewer, yet quality, pieces does indeed simplify and enhance the joy of dressing."

Slimming down your closet with this technique makes it easier to organize and store clothes within your wardrobe. As Di explains: "Fewer duplicates make it easier to find what you love and cut down on laundry and storage stress."

Di Ter Avest

Di Ter Avest is a professional home and lifestyle organizer and the owner of Di is Organized, in Baltimore, MD (USA). Her accountability program and book Organize Yourself Healthy help women across the globe to get their lives and homes organized, leading to lower levels of stress and overwhelm. Her expertise has been featured on Forbes, Today, Apartment Therapy, Real Homes, Livingetc, Home & Gardens, and Kitchn; she has also given workshops at IKEA, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma.

3. Stained or Damaged Pieces

Most of us have a pair of slacks that need a safety pin or a blouse that's missing a button. The hard truth is, if you're not prepared to fix them, damaged clothes need to go — and as Gerrit reminds us, "you likely won't if you haven't already".

"No matter how cute or comfy something is, if it’s stained, ripped, or stretched out — it’s time to say goodbye," adds Di. "Damaged items clutter your space and create decision fatigue. If you wouldn’t feel confident wearing it outside the house, it doesn’t deserve prime real estate in your closet." The same goes for stained, worn, or tired-looking clothing, too.

Don't forget your footwear, either. "Heavily worn shoes with scuffs or damaged soles should also go," explains Gerrit. "They affect your professional appearance more than you might realize."

4. "Someday" Items

If you're hanging on to something that you haven't worn just because it might make the perfect outfit for an event that's yet to even happen, muster the courage to throw it out. This is especially true if you have a small closet. There's no space to hold onto an item you don't wear "just because".

"That dress for a party you’re not attending… the jeans you’re saving for 'after I lose the weight'… the blazer for a career you left behind. These pieces hold emotional clutter," says Di. "Letting them go can feel freeing — and it allows you to fill your space with clothes that support the life you’re living now."

These are clothes Gerrit refers to as "someday items". "They're hogging space and often hold emotional significance," he says, adding that new clothes with tags on often fall under this catergory, too. "Whether an on-the-spot purchase or something that appeared better in the store, these pieces are occupying space without adding value. Let someone else benefit from them instead."

Gerrit Jan Reinders

Gerrit Jan Reinders is a fifth-generation entrepreneur leading the 110+ year-old family business Reinders Corporation while simultaneously disrupting the self-storage industry as the founder of BOXIE24, Europe's leading on-demand storage platform.

5. Items You Haven’t Worn in a Year

A brilliant decluttering tip to motivate you to start decluttering is to throw out anything in your closet that you haven't worn in a year. "If it hasn’t been touched in a full calendar year, chances are it doesn’t suit your current lifestyle or taste anymore," explains Di. "These pieces are taking up valuable space and mental energy. Letting them go creates a closet that reflects who you are now, not who you were or thought you’d be."

There are some obvious exceptions, of course. Specific sportswear like ski pants might be worth holding on to, for example, and no one's asking you to part with those designer shoes you wear for special occasions. But for general, everyday items, if you're not wearing them frequently, they can safely enter the "declutter" pile.

6. Anything That Makes You Feel "Blah"

If you're really committed to better closet organization, slim down your clothes collection by parting with anything that makes you feel uninspired. While we're pretty sure it's all in your head, if a shirt feels frumpy or you think a dress is unflattering, throw them out of your closet for good.

"If you try it on and instantly feel 'meh,' trust that feeling," says Di. "Your wardrobe should lift you up and give you energy, not drain it. When your clothes reflect your personality and lifestyle, getting dressed becomes a form of self-care." Anything you struggle to feel confident in or that doesn't make you feel like "you" isn't a worthy contender for your wardrobe.

FAQs

How Often Should I Purge My Closet?

One of the worst closet mistakes you can make is forgoing a frequent declutter, but how often should you really purge your clothes? The answer depends on how big your closet is, but generally, experts recomment a seasonal declutter twice a year.

Di says spring and fall offer the perfect time to give your closet a cleanse as this is when the seasons change and your wardrobe naturally shifts. "For kids, keep a donation basket right in the closet so you can toss in outgrown, stained, or worn-out clothes as you go," she adds. "This makes decluttering a quick and easy habit instead of a huge task."

If you have a larger built-in closet or you just want to be more disciplined, Gerrit recommends decluttering your closet four times a year as you transition between seasons. "This natural rhythm helps you evaluate what you actually wore during the past season while organizing for the upcoming one," he says. "The key is to make decluttering a habit rather than an overwhelming project you tackle once every few years."

Throwing out clothes might feel daunting at first, but the satisfaction of decluttering (and the resulting organized closet) will soon make all the effort worthwhile. Dressing is something we all do daily (if not more) so don't let a cluttered closet overwhelm a simple everyday task. "Maintaining a curated wardrobe is much easier than dealing with an overstuffed one," says Gerrit.