Closet Cleanout Time? How to Declutter Your Closet with 8 Great Questions!

I’ve been cleaning out my closet and working towards a minimalist wardrobe for a while now.

I love clothes so I had A LOT of them. But I’ve come a long way from cramming shirts into drawers and pushing closet doors closed to the tidy closet I have today.

What has helped me is the process of interviewing my clothes with certain questions. When I do a closet cleanout this way I always find things I don’t need anymore.

So are you ready for a closet cleanout? If you want to know how to declutter your closet than you need these 8 IMPORTANT questions!

These important closet cleanout questions will help you do a purge your closet better than ever before. Finally, you too can have the tidy closet you have been dreaming of!

A Closet Cleanout Is Easier Said Than Done!

Did I mention I love clothes? I love bright colors and retro or boho styles. I even sew clothes. So when I tell you I am going to clean out my closet, I’m telling you that I am working on the hardest part of simplifying for me.

In fact I would rather declutter any other part of my home!

The harsh truth is, even though I love clothes, I didn’t wear most of the clothes I owned and I knew it.

That’s when I had to get serious with myself about what to keep and what to get rid of in my closet cleanout. I had to find out how to do a closet purge that actually got rid of clothes!

Do you have a lot of clothes that don’t contribute to an awesome wardrobe but instead make for a messy and cramped closet? Maybe there are a lot of clothes in your closet that you never wear or that don’t fit?

You know the answer. Every closet has clothes like that. You also know that you will need to get rid of some clothes when you declutter your closet.

But a closet cleanout is easier said than done. Why? Because there are so many reasons we keep clothes.

Let’s cover eight questions you need to ask yourself during your closet cleanout and the reasoning that will help you to let go. All these questions lead back to the essential question that will help you declutter your closet. Do I wear it?

8 Closet Cleanout Questions You Need to Ask!

• Does it really fit?
• Will it need tailored?
• Are you waiting to fit into it?
• Do you have duplicates?
• Is it in good condition?
• Was it expensive?
• Is it sentimental?
• Does it make you feel amazing?

Closet Cleanout Question #1: Does it REALLY Fit?

What’s the first question you will ask in your closet cleanout?

How many of your clothing items really fit you? And by fit, I mean, how many items fit you so well that you never think twice about putting them on.

Do they fit you well on your fat days and your skinny days? Can you throw on that shirt and have it fit well without adding something else like an undershirt? Do those jeans fit you in a way that flatters you while making you feel comfortable too?

Maybe I sound picky. Here is what you can do. If you can’t let go of something that doesn’t fit well remember it and take notice of how often you pass over it for something else. Eventually, you may find that you never actually wear that item.

Maybe you decide that you will force yourself to wear it one day to prove it still belongs in your closet and when you spend the whole day tugging it up where it’s too low or trying to stretch it out where it’s too tight, you will finally see why you should just let it go!

Remember you are doing this closet cleanout to make your life easier. You are doing this closet cleanout so that all the clothes in your closet make you feel amazing!

If your clothes don’t fit, they definitely don’t belong and they need to go while your are purging your closet!

Closet Cleanout Question #2: Does it Need Tailored?

Now there are some pieces you will come across as you declutter your closet that ALMOST fit. Maybe you have a really nice piece of clothing that just needs a simple adjustment, ask yourself if you will actually get it to the tailor and pay for the tailoring.

On average, for small fixes, you’re looking at a cost of $5-20 to tailor a garment. You have to judge from there whether or not you are willing to pay to keep the item.

Do you know how to sew? That’s wonderful! I’m a seamstress myself! But that doesn’t mean every project is worth the time. I often decide it’s not worth it to fix something because I don’t like it enough to do the work.

It’s important to ask yourself if you will sit down and fix it soon. If not we don’t want to create a mending vortex where your article of clothing will never be seen again. If it’s worth fixing, by all means, do! If not, it needs to go in this closet cleanout, not the next one.

Closet Clean Out Question #3: Are You Waiting To Fit Into It

You are going to fit in that cute dress by spring! That is probably the number one reason that women hold onto clothing.

We all want to fit back into that adorable dress or that awesome pair of jeans! This is the thing though. How long have those jeans and that dress been waiting for you to lose weight?

And then, when you do lose weight, what is the first thing you want to do? Go buy NEW clothes! I know that’s the answer cause I’m on the up and down path myself and I never run back to those old clothes I was DYING to fit into again. I always treat myself to something new when I’ve achieved any level of success.

So maybe, just maybe, that reasoning will help you take your too cute, too small, clothes down to the thrift shop! That will make your closet purge much more successful!

Keeping clothes that don’t fit just makes you feel bad when you see them and letting them go during your closet cleanout gives you permission to find something great as a reward when you lose weight!

Closet Cleanout #4: Do You Have Duplicates?

Have you ever noticed that when you go shopping you tend to pick out things that are almost just like things you already own? The odds are you buy the same thing over and over.

So as you look through your closet if you find 4 tan t-shirts and 10 black pencil skirts and 6 purple tops and 20 black high heels you may want to consider simplifying.

Look at everything of a certain style or color and pick the ones that fit best, are in the best shape, and that you pick the most.

Then you can let go of at least some of the rest as part of your epic closet purge! This closet cleanout is going to be a lot better than all the ones you did before!

5: Is it in Good Condition?

Is it really hard for you to let go of worn-out clothes? That may be the case because your well-worn clothes are your most loved clothes. It can be very hard to get rid of something that has served you well for a long time but there comes a time to really consider the condition of your clothing, even your favorites.

Is it stretched out, faded, pilled, or stained? Does it have a fraying hem or a torn seam?

You are supposed to feel good in your clothes. Your clothes are supposed to make a favorable impression. You don’t want to have your clothes do the opposite. Declutter clothes that are worn out and thank them for all they did for you!

6: Was it Expensive?

We all sometimes treat ourselves to something really nice and unfortunately sometimes that luxury mentality doesn’t extend to an actually perfect fit or useful item.

Sometimes something is just so pretty and we buy it because we are in love but then we never find quite the right place to wear it. That’s a shame. So we keep it and make ourselves feel guilty about it for years to come. That makes sense right? It’s only right we lose money and punish ourselves too.

I don’t think so! Just because something is expensive doesn’t mean that you have to keep it forever. If you can’t return it and you can’t use it, then forget about the cost. Its value is meaningless to you. You are going to get rid of it RIGHT NOW because you want to DECLUTTER YOUR CLOSET!

If you have a hard time donating something nice like that what you can do is give it to a friend, if you think they can use it, or sell it on Poshmark or another similar site, or just take it down to the consignment shop. You can recoup a little money and lose a lot of guilt!

Just make sure it doesn’t stay after you are done with this closet cleanout.

7: Is it Sentimental?

We imbue our favorite clothes with the memories we make in them. That is beautiful. We have beautiful lives and memories that we want to be able to hold onto.

But let me ask you this: Are those memories actually dwelling inside your clothes? Are you remembering those beautiful times because that shirt or dress or jacket is in the back of your closet?

Now, I can see holding onto a wedding dress but beyond that, you can have your beautiful memories without the clothes! Sentimental clothes have to go if your going to do an awesome closet cleanout.

8: Does it Make You Feel Amazing?

Ironically I have learned that clothes should make you feel amazing during the quarantine. When I was first stuck at home I was a pajama queen! But that couldn’t last forever. It just didn’t feel very good. I finally just had to get dressed and I get dressed every single morning.

This experience has taught me that I get dressed for my own self worth and when I feel that self-worth, I am more productive, positive, and creative.

When you get dressed I want you to get dressed for the same reason. Get dressed because it makes you feel good and makes you feel ready for the day and the possibilities it holds, even if you are just at home.

Put on that pretty blouse because you have it! Wear cute shoes because they are there. Enjoy getting dressed and feeling pretty!

And don’t keep things that make you feel lousy and don’t wear things that make you feel fat. Those are things that need to go when you are doing your closet purge.

Dress for success and keep the clothes that make you feel great! Whether they are fancy or casual or workout clothes, the clothes you wear should match your inner potential!

Get rid of clothes that don’t make you feel like your best self.

Welcome to Your Dream Closet!

So now you have the mindset to do an awesome closet cleanout! I know you will rediscover some hidden gems and let go of some things that are just weighing you down. Take a bunch of your stuff down to the thrift store and while you’re at it shop second-hand for gaps in your wardrobe.

When you have a great wardrobe it’s easy to feel great in your clothes every day. Now go do the work. I promise your closet cleanout will be worth it when you look at a closet in which every item sparks joy!

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For some great tools to organize your closet check out these awesome products that do the job right!

• Shelving Closet Organizer to use those big shelves to their best potential!
• Underwear Organizer and Drawer Divider Set to keep your panties from getting in a twist!
• Simple 3 Tiered Shoe Rack to keep your favorites looking great!

For a complete list of my recommended products and resources check out my resource page! It will help you learn how to declutter your home and give you the right tools to do it!

Do you need help decluttering your closet?

If your closet is a disaster zone Closet Simplicity can help! Hone in on your personal style, learn cheap or free organizational hacks, and stop keeping clothes you don’t wear!