How to Organize and Clean Out Your Closet Just in Time for the New Year

Closets are great storage areas for your clothes, and whatever you need tucked away in your home, and with the new year approaching, a great way to start it off is to organize and clean out your closet. With these smaller storage rooms, it is easy to get disorganized and messy - that’s why we turn to professionals to share their tips and tricks on how to optimize this space. So whether you are organizing your walk-in closet in Ontario CA, or your coat closet in Chicago IL, here are some organizational tips.

Add individual storage containers for the whole family 

Look to colorful, labeled fabric storage containers for small spaces like closets. For instance, a great way to organize different items, especially for multiple people, is to add a storage box with a rewritable label for each member of the family. Color coordinate the boxes or let each family member choose their favorite color. - meori

Place similar items together for a more uniform look

Organize like items with like items for quicker retrieval and return, all facing the same direction for uniformity, facing left if you are right-handed, and vice versa. Use sleeve or garment length as a guide in increasing/decreasing order than color code as that is the quickest and easiest way for your eye to identify items. Lastly use walls and vertical space including doors, to maximize every inch of space, by hanging accessories and Jewelry. - Mess No More Organizing

Storage decor can tie your room together

Store all unseasonal items under your bed or in hard-to-reach spots in your closet and use that storage space for extra suitcases or outerwear. Make extra space in your bedroom by hanging an Étagère or modular shelving system to store your essentials and then display the prettiest items out in the open as decor. - AllBetter

Optimize every inch of your closet

If you have the budget, invest in a custom closet solution to best utilize every square inch of the closet space. So often, the height of a closet is not effectively used and so much usable space is being wasted. If there’s space in the closet, be sure to add drawers to your custom closet solution so that you can organize undergarments, socks and other delicate items. This may mean that you will no longer need that extra dresser which can take up so much space in your bedroom. - iSO Design

Containers can help you stay coordinated

Treating the closet like a container and placing things loosely on shelves quickly leads to an unorganized mess. Instead, turning those shelves into drawers by using smaller containers provides structure, order, and maximizes otherwise wasted vertical space. The closet stays organized which leaves time for all the fun things on that bucket list. - This Mom Knows

Box up cherished items to keep them safe 

Give children, just like adults, a way to keep special items safe. During a downsizing session, I will gift a special "treasure box" to the child so they can put aside macaroni necklaces and popsicle picture frames that they put so much love into. - Megan Sears Organization

Label drawers to keep items organized

Maximize your closet space for the New Year by adding drawers with reusable labels. By doing this, you can organize your things according to their purpose—workout clothes, weekend clothes, or your favorite socks! If you ever need to repurpose the drawer, simply write the new name on the label, and you’re good to go! - Texas Xtreme Clean

Keeping your clothes clean will keep your closet clean

Getting longevity out of your wardrobe is a top priority, there are several things you can do at home to get the most out of your closet. We recommend cleaning out your wardrobe to essential, versatile pieces, buying quality over quantity, and taking care of the pieces you have by repairing and cleaning your pieces regularly. Cleaning your pieces after each use will lift oils and food particles that you might not necessarily see out of your clothes, this, in turn, will keep stains from setting and keep your clothes free from moth holes.  Creating a clean, organized closet keeps your wardrobe light and airy so your clothes won't pill, develop an odor, collect dust and it will help you get a longer life cycle out of each of the pieces in your wardrobe. - Helena’s Cleaners

Only keep essential items 

First, get rid of items you don’t love, use, or wouldn’t buy again. Once that’s done, sort into large categories. Finally, sort items by use and the middle shelf should include the things you use the most often. - Cleaning by Carrie

Start by decluttering your entire closet

When it comes to organization, people struggle mostly with taking the initial step of actually beginning to organize. We coach our clients to let go of nonessentials. That is the first step of organizing — decluttering. We encourage them to pull everything out of the closet and separate them into three piles: 

1. Absolutely Keep 

2. Maybes

3. Life would be better without this

This allows the client not only to organize their items, but to separate the good from the bad, the emotional from the indifferent, and the happy memories from the “oh that really did happen” lurking in all of our wardrobes. Our best and most practical tip is to look in the mirror, take a deep breath, and tell yourself “You got this!” because you really do, simply because you’re you. - South Star Cleaning

Reduce the number of items you have in your closet

As a Professional Organizer and Minimalist, I recommend that the best and most efficient way to get your closet ready for the New Year is to minimize the items that you own. Keeping the items that make you feel confident, comfortable, and fit your current season of life will make getting ready for the day more enjoyable and less stressful. Ring in the new year with a more intentional closet that not only will make you smile but will make you look good! - My Canadian Home

Create a system to help you decide what to keep

Hang your clothes with the hangers facing the same direction.  When you wear something, hang it back in the opposite direction.  At the end of the season (or year for you die-hards-you know who you are), all hangers in the original position (meaning they were not worn) get an eviction notice - donate, give-away or do an online closet sale! - The Mess Masters

Customize your closet to fit your needs

We often hold on to so many items that we do not need, so my first tip would be to declutter, donate/resell items to open up more space. Check out different shelving systems, this way you can customize and use every inch of your closet (my favorite is Container Store's Elfa system). When organizing, I love to color coordinate and also hang clothing by type - long dresses in one section, coats/jackets in another, and fold my denim while displaying my favorite shoes. Make sure to fold or properly hang your sweaters to avoid stretching! - By Skyler Renee

Organize your items by accessibility

The biggest mistake people make when organizing a closet is putting too many items in an area because they’re in a specific category. When organizing a closet, the number one thing you should focus on is accessibility. A good way to achieve this is using the two-finger rule, you should aim to have at least A two-finger distance between each hanger in the closet so that you can easily see and pick the clothes you like. - VQ Spaces