Accomplish Your Decluttering Goals With Two Simple Baskets In Your Closet

Decluttering a closet sounds like a tedious, all-day task you have to dedicate an entire Saturday to, and honestly, it usually is. Once your closet gets overrun with half-hung clothes, a pile of "don't want anymore" shoved to the side, and out-of-season pieces sprinkled in, it can get pretty chaotic in there. But while it may take one big decluttering session to get your closet back on track, it's the regular maintenance that keeps you there. The simplest method only requires putting two baskets inside your closet. And no, these aren't for dirty laundry — experts have their own recommendations for where hampers should go. We've got other plans for these baskets. The first is for donations, and the second is for keepers that just don't work at the moment.

With this decluttering hack, each basket has a very specific purpose. The donation basket is for those clothes you've had hanging for months that you swipe past every time, or the ones you try on but always take off because they just don't hit the mark. Instead of tossing them into a random pile, drop them into this basket. If you're unsure about what to give away, consider decluttering with the 90/90 minimalism rule. Then, once the basket is full, bag them up and donate them to your place of choice. For the second basket, think outfits you wear once but aren't dirty enough to be laundered just yet or ones you try on before a dinner date that don't fit your mood or the occasion. You aren't going to rehang them or wash them yet, so toss them into this basket instead of the floor. 

To stay on top of which clothing to get rid of for a more organized closet, select deep laundry baskets that are at least 24 inches tall. Smaller baskets fill up too quickly and end up with clothes spilling over, which only works against your efforts to keep things tidy. Whether you pick rattan, jute, or a soft cloth style, they should match your room's vibe and bring some character to the space so they're as nice to look at as they are useful. Position both baskets on the side of your closet where the hanging bar sits higher, giving you extra space underneath. If your closet has lower bars, tuck them into any open spot you can find.

But what if you don't have a walk-in closet or your space is far too limited for two large laundry baskets? There are plenty of ways to modify this hack. One option is to swap out one basket for a mesh laundry bag dedicated to donations, and hang it on a hanger toward the back of your closet so it's easy to access but kept out of sight. Then, place a laundry basket outside your closet for the "not working right now" pieces and revisit them later to rehang or wear again. If large baskets just aren't an option but you've got shelf space, try placing two smaller baskets toward the back of a shelf. Smaller, wider bins can also work when tucked under lower hanging bars or on a shelf. They'll function the same way, but you'll just need to empty them more often to avoid overflow.