How to do a Closet Purge

A closet purge can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re staring at a closet full of clothes and wondering where to even begin. But the goal isn’t to create the world’s most minimalist wardrobe. It’s to create a closet that actually works for your life.

The first time I did a closet purge, I kind of cheated. As you’ll see below, the first step is empty your closet and drawers – a little daunting of a task. I cheated because we moved from LA to Sacramento, so my closet was emptied out of necessity otherwise.

I didn’t plan to do a closet purge either. Every time I’ve ever moved, I’ve found that I naturally find things to give away while packing up (and, yes, while unpacking). And when we moved into our 1920 bungalow house with small closets, I felt the need to downsize even more. It was essentially my first major closet declutter, even though I didn’t think of it that way at the time.

And you know what? It was SUCH a great experience – mostly because of how fulfilled I am with my current (actually smaller) wardrobe. I have exactly the things I need and want – nothing more and not really anything less at this point. I know my style and shop with so much more intention now.

So if the closet purge process seems overwhelming before or during the process, keep your eye on the prize (and maybe have a snack)!

If you’re wondering how to declutter your closet without getting completely overwhelmed, this is the process that has worked best for me.

Closet Purge

A thorough closet cleanout takes some time, so set aside a few hours—or an entire weekend if that’s what your wardrobe needs. You do you with the timing. Knock it all out at once, or spread it out over a weekend. Just know your space will be in disarray until you’re done!

Before you start, pick the space where your giveaways and your maybes will go. And if you can, get the boxes or bags ready to save time and steps later!

1. Empty your closet, shelves, and drawers
2. Organize items
3. Divide into Keeping, Maybe, and Giveaway
4. Store “Keeping” Properly
5. Bag or box up “maybes” to store
6. Donate/recycle giveaway clothes
7. Set reminder for maybes

The Closet Purge Process Step By Step

1. Empty your closet, shelves, and drawers

If you’re wondering how to clean out your closet, this is where it really begins: taking everything out so you can actually see what you own.

And you might think you don’t really need to do it, but trust me – it’s MANDATORY. Why? The truth is, it’s easy to forget about pieces or just miss how much you have of one thing or another.

And you know what? Let’s clear the air here and now. When I did my big closet purge years ago – I realized I didn’t need 6 black sweatshirts. Nor did I need so many pieces of work appropriate outerwear. I work from home, for myself. I love some good professional outerwear, but I don’t need a closet full. So there’s no judgement here. It’s all fruitful progress.

One thing to note here is that if you plan to spend more than one day ‘purging,’ plan some spaces besides just your bed to sort. Otherwise you’ll have to face the (stacked clothes and shoes) music come bedtime!

2. Organize items

This is the step where you realize what you like to buy (probably too much of). Looking at you, black sweatshirts! The piles or stacks you have will vary on your wardrobe. Loosely, this could look something like pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, leggings, tanks, tops, sweaters, jackets, etc.

Depending on the size of your closet, however, these might further be broken down into work or leisure “sub-piles” if you will.

And during this whole step, start adding to the maybe and giveaway stacks – save yourself time and space. This is the time for the easy decisions to be made. If you need to think about it, put it in your organized stacks and decide once you have everything out!

3. Divide into Keeping, Maybe, and Giveaway

Ok. And now assess. What is going to stay? What is going to go? And what could you maybe give away but aren’t committed to yet? If you’re wondering how to purge clothes without getting rid of things you’ll regret, this is where I recommend slowing down and asking yourself a few honest questions.

What to Get Rid of When Decluttering Your Closet

• if it doesn’t fit well NOW, it goes
• if you haven’t worn it in at least one year or through the appropriate season – ask yourself why
• if you really have nowhere to wear it – it goes

Questions to Ask Yourself

Not sure whether to keep something? Ask yourself:

• Does it fit me well right now?
• Have I worn it in the past year?
• Would I choose this item if I were shopping today?
• Does it work with the way I actually live?
• Do I feel good wearing it?
• Do I own something else that does the same job better?
• Am I keeping it because I love it—or because I feel guilty getting rid of it?
• If I saw this in a store today, would I buy it again?

This is a hard step. There might be a number of things you LOVE in your closet but you just don’t wear. I LOVE dresses but don’t wear them as much as jeans, so I don’t need so many.

You have to be honest with yourself about how much you wear something – not how much you wish you wore something. When faced with my six black sweatshirts, I knew I probably only needed 2, but which ones should I give away? I picked out 1 or 2 easily, but then came the remaining ones. I felt a little lost and conflicted. Ultimately it came down to what fit best, what felt best when I put it on, and what had the most life FOR ME left in it!

And, finally, keep the clothes that fit now. We often hang on to clothes that used to fit or that we hope will one day fit. These just take up space in your closet and in your mental load. These can be difficult decisions, but storing multiple sizes “just in case” means your everyday closet is carrying clothes for hypothetical versions of you.

One of the things I see on the internet is “how many clothes should I have?” I find that no two of us have the same needs, so there’s really not a good universal answer. If you aren’t actively wearing your clothes, you need less.

If you feel you have quite a few clothes but are often overwhelmed by deciding what to wear – you need less. This one feels counterintuitive, but it’s true. Too many choices gives you decision fatigue. Since paring down my closet, I know my style and feel like I always have something to wear!

Completing your closet purge is the first step to knowing your style!

4. Store “Keeping” Properly

Ok. Organize and put away the keep piles. Please note, this is still an opportunity to remove some items – the giving away part of this process is never done!

Since we have small closets, I’ve had to embrace winter clothes storage and summer clothes storage. AND I LOVE IT! It makes my closet feel less cluttered and when I go to swap out my clothes, it’s like a feel good shopping spree. There’s something about pulling out an item I already love but haven’t seen or even thought of in months.

Even if you don’t have a tiny closet, I’d recommend this approach.

5. Bag or box up “maybes” to store

There’s definitely going to be a maybe pile – and that’s totally fine! I’m a fan of these, though they should be small – maybe one bag or box. Put them somewhere out of sight and set a reminder on a calendar to check on them in 2 or 3 months. Whatever you haven’t pulled out of the bag can then be given away.

6. Donate/Recycle giveaway clothes

On the day/weekend of your closet purge, organize your items to remove from your home (and do it very soon). A few things to note.

SELLING VS DONATING: You’ll note that I don’t say anything about selling clothes. If that’s something you like to do, then go ahead. I’ve thought about doing it, but usually I want a quick return and selling clothes online isn’t usually a quick turnaround. If you want to take items to a resale store that offers quick decisions, that’s totally fine.

DONATING/RECYCLING/TRASH: When you’re ready to let clothes go, think beyond the donation bin. The most sustainable option is to keep each piece in use for as long as possible, then choose the next-best option for what remains:

Wear → repair → reuse → donate/resell → textile recycle → trash

I’m a big fan of donating items to local secondhand stores – you donate wherever you like (get the tax receipt too)! You can also list items on Facebook (for free) on Marketplace or in your local Buy Nothing Group (see my Buy Nothing Group review and tips).

One thing to be aware of is not donating items that really aren’t in good enough shape for a new owner. Don’t waste time and resources donating items that are done living their lives! But you don’t have to throw them in the trash. Read here about where to recycle clothes and what to do with old underwear and bras!!

7. Set reminder for maybes

I understand that maybes happen and that’s ok. But we need a plan for them. Set a reminder on your phone or calendar to donate those maybes in 3 or 6 months. If you put it away and haven’t reached for it in that time, then it’s time to move it along!

One of the things I hear people say is that they did a closet purge, so now they can go shopping! Which rather defeats the purpose of the downsizing.

One great aspect of wardrobe decluttering is that you see where your holes are (but not for some time after the purge), so then you can shop with intention and buy quality clothes, hopefully, made with sustainable clothing materials.

If you need a bit of guidance finding those holes, I’ve created basic seasonal capsule wardrobe lists. They aren’t absolute and finite (again, all our needs and styles are different), but they’ll be a good basis for you!

If you’re just beginning to declutter your home, you’ll like this printable decluttering checklist. It breaks the process into manageable tasks so you always know what to tackle next.

Have you Done a Closet Purge?

If you’ve done a closet purge (successful or otherwise), I’d love to hear about your experience. What went well? What was surprisingly difficult? Comment below and share your experience.