20 Signs A Closet Needs To Be Purged

We may not be aware when we need to clean our closet until it gets so out of hand that we get overwhelmed while looking at it. The piles and piles of stuff can make anyone have palpitations just looking at the mess. To help you get control of the closet before it gets that far, I created a list of 20 signs that will make you aware that it is getting too cluttered and needs to be purged.

20 Signs A Closet Needs to be Purged

Jump to:

• Hanging clothes are wrinkled.
• The shoes are flat because they are stacked on top of one another.
• Purses and bags are inside other purses and handbags.
• Scarves are layered on top of themselves.
• A layer of dust is on top of items unused for a long time.
• The drawers are overflowing with socks.
• The undergarments don't fit in the drawer any longer.
• You can't find items that you "know" you put in the closet.
• Your hats are stacked up so high that they look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
• You can't see the back wall behind the clothes.
• You can't see the floor through all the piles.
• Strange odors were coming from the closet. 
• You rather go out to buy something than fish through the closet.
• Concert T-shirts that haven't been worn.
• Your belts resemble tumbleweeds.
• Your laundry basket is your go-to for clothing.
• Your necklaces are tangled.
• Trash is stored on shelves instead of in the trash can.
• Overflowing baskets.
• Clothing hanging over the rods.
• You may be wondering, what's next? Below are simple steps to clear your closet of unwanted items.

Hanging clothes are wrinkled.

The first sign that your closet needs to be purged is that the hanging clothing is wrinkled. The purpose of hanging clothes is to prevent wrinkles, so if your clothes are jammed into the hanging area, it's time to purge.

The shoes are flat because they are stacked on top of one another.

Laying the shoes (Affiliate Link) on top of one another may be a good use of space, but it damages the shoe's struction, and after the shoe is flat, it's no good to anyone.

Purses and bags are inside other purses and handbags.

While layering bags inside other larger bags is an excellent use of space, it may be time to purge if you find several larger bags filled with other bags.

Scarves are layered on top of themselves.

Not wearing scarves and just laying them on top of the other scarves limits your accessibility to the scarves you honestly wear. So, get rid of some and show off those scarves.

A layer of dust is on top of items unused for a long time.

You can tell the dust is there pretty quickly, especially on dark-colored clothing.

The drawers are overflowing with socks.

I find that the sock drawer is one of those areas that gets the least attention. Get the socks (Affiliate Link) at the bottom and pitch them.  They are probably never worn.

Overflowing drawers are a sign that you need to clear clutter. ~ Sabrina Quairoli

The undergarments don't fit in the drawer any longer.

Do you buy undergarments and forget to purge the old items? It happens, and this is an easy place to clean out. Make it a habit to remove the old undergarments before putting the new ones in the drawer.

You can't find items that you "know" you put in the closet.

When there are piles in the closet, finding things you put in there can be a challenge.

Your hats are stacked up so high that they look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

While hats (Affiliate Link) are beautiful, you probably don't wear all of them.  Remove any hat that is sentiment and never worn, take a photo of it and then create a background image on your computer (Affiliate Link) with all the sentimental hats (Affiliate Link) and then get rid of them.

You can't see the back wall behind the clothes.

This happens when the clothes are too close together while on the hangers or too high on shelves (Affiliate Link). It's time to purge.

You can't see the floor through all the piles.

"For now" is a phrase I often hear when placing items in the closet. But, "for now" becomes "forever" so make it a habit to decide right then and there what you will do with the item and do it.

Strange odors were coming from the closet. 

Rodents love piles of stuff so if you smell something odd coming from your closet, clear it out right away.

You rather go out to buy something than fish through the closet.

If you are avoiding your closet, it is a sure sign that the mess is affecting you, and you need to purge it immediately.

Concert T-shirts that haven't been worn.

Another sign that your closet needs to be purged is finding t-shirts you purchased from a concert 20 years ago that you haven't worn for ten years. The closet is a drop spot for sentimental pieces of clothing. Try to do something more creative with these items.

Your belts resemble tumbleweeds.

Tangled-up belts on the floor are a sure sign the closet needs your attention.

Your laundry basket is your go-to for clothing.

You rather pull clean clothes from your laundry basket (Affiliate Link) than go in your closet. If you are picking your clothes from your laundry basket (Affiliate Link), then most likely the clothes in the closet can be purged.

Your necklaces are tangled.

Your necklaces are tangled, and it looks like a birds nest. Untangling necklaces is time-consuming. Instead, pick your favorite ones and then donate the rest to someone else that is willing to do the work.

Trash is stored on shelves instead of in the trash can.

There is trash on the shelves (Affiliate Link) that has been there for more than three days. Place a garbage can in the closet to remind you to get rid of these little pieces of trash immediately.

Overflowing baskets.

Another sign that your closet needs to be purged is that your baskets are full of stuff, and you can't see the bottom. Change out your shelf baskets and use clear acrylic bins so you can see all your stuff.

Clothing hanging over the rods.

The final sign that your closet needs to be purged is that clothing that should be hanging on a hanger is now hanging over the rod. If you run out of hangers, buy more. Make it a point to buy thinner hangers.

What do you think? Do you have any of these signs in your closet? While purging a closet may be time-consuming, you will be so proud of yourself when it is streamlined and organized.

You may be wondering, what's next? Below are simple steps to clear your closet of unwanted items.

First, empty your closet completely. There is no thinking involved. Just take everything out and place it on a bed or floor outside the room. Pile it up, baby. Make it race; see how long it will take to clean out your closet. Ready, set, go!

Now, clean off the shelves (Affiliate Link) with a damp cloth and dry them. Might as well, it's empty now. Take out any extra pieces of furniture (Affiliate Link) you placed in the closet to hold the additional items. You won't need them any longer.

Now, start going through the items and place them in various groupings.  Here are some ideas for grouping the items.

• Grouping your hanging items by type of item
• Arranging your folded items on shelves (Affiliate Link)
• Grouping your clothes by events
• Organizing your items that would go in drawers

Assemble the closet again, assigning items to different areas. It's important to commit to those spaces. Say to yourself, "This is the area I will place ....." (place item name here).

Label (Affiliate Link) the areas to remind you what each location is used for. Labeling will remind you if you feel you will forget the home for those items. You can remove them after you no longer need a reminder.

I hope this helps you recognize when you need to organize your closet. If you need help creating goals for your decluttering project, please check out my Virtual Organizing Services and let me help you stay focused and motivated.

Below are additional posts and articles to help you clear out your closet. Feel free to click below. 

4 Areas of an Organized Closet Tips

What to keep in your organized closet

7 Creative Ways of Organizing Your Kid’s Closet

DIY Week Day Clothing Organizers Tips

To Fold or To Hang Clothing Tips

7 Steps to a Successful Closet Purge by Real Simple Magazine

7 Types of Clothing You Should Get Rid of Immediately by Cosmopolitan Magazine