How to clean and organize a bedroom closet in 10 steps

To clean and organize a closet, take everything out, sort it into keep, donate, repair and belongs-somewhere-else, then clean the empty closet from the top shelf down to the floor. Put back only what you'll wear, grouped by type and hung on matching hangers. A reach-in closet takes two to four hours the first time.

Do the cleaning while the closet is empty. With nothing on the shelf, you can finally reach the back corner of it.

Before you start

You need four bags or boxes labeled keep, donate, repair and elsewhere, a vacuum with a crevice tool and a brush, a microfiber cloth, a bucket of warm water with a little dish soap, and a clear bed to sort on. Pick a day when the bed can stay covered for a few hours.

The 10 steps

1. Empty one section at a time

A full walk-in dumped on the bed in one go is how a closet project stalls at hour three. Do the top shelf, then the hanging rod, then the floor. Each section gets emptied, sorted, cleaned and put back before you start the next one.

2. Sort as it comes out

Every item goes straight into a bag. Keep: it fits and you wear it. Donate: it fits someone, not you. Repair: only if you'll actually take it to the tailor this month. Elsewhere: the dog leash, the gift wrap, the kids' costume box.

3. Use the one-year rule

If you haven't worn it in a year, through every season, you probably won't. Formal wear and sentimental pieces get a pass. Everything else goes in the donate bag.

4. Dust from the top down

With the shelf empty, vacuum it with the brush tool, then wipe it with a damp cloth. Do the top of the door frame and the light fixture too. Dust falls, so the floor waits until last.

5. Wipe the rod and the shelves

Rods collect a gray film where hangers slide. Wipe them with the soapy cloth and dry them. Wipe shelves the same way, and let painted or wood shelves dry fully before anything goes back on them.

6. Spot clean the walls and door

Closet walls take scuffs from shoes, bags and the vacuum. A damp cloth handles fingerprints. For scuffs, use a melamine sponge very lightly, and test it on a hidden spot first, because it can dull glossy or flat paint.

7. Vacuum the floor and the corners

Use the crevice tool along the baseboard and in the back corners, where dust, lint and the odd sock collect. Carpeted closet floors need a slow pass both ways. Hard floors get a damp mop after vacuuming.

8. Put it back by category

Group like with like: work shirts together, then casual tops, pants, dresses, jackets. Within each group, order by color, light to dark. You'll find things faster, and you'll see you own six gray sweaters before you buy a seventh.

9. Switch to matching hangers

Mixed hangers take up more room and make the rod look messy even when it isn't. One slim style, all facing the same way, frees up rod space. Heavy coats and suits get sturdier wooden hangers.

10. Store out-of-season clothes up high

Swimsuits in December and winter coats in July go on the top shelf in plain lidded boxes or under-bed bins, labeled on the end so you can read them from the floor. Shoes go in pairs on a low shelf or rack, toes out.

How do you keep a closet organized?

• Keep a donate bag on the closet floor. When something doesn't fit, it goes straight in. When the bag is full, it goes to the car.
• One in, one out. A new sweater means an old one goes in the bag.
• Turn every hanger backward at the start of a season. Flip it when you wear the item. Six months later, the hangers still facing backward tell you what to donate.
• Put clean laundry away when it comes out of the dryer. A chair pile is a closet in disguise.
• Do a quick reset at each change of season: swap the boxes, wipe the shelf, empty the donate bag.

What about moth and musty smells?

Moths go for wool and other natural fibers with skin oils or food on them, so wash or dry clean wool before you store it for the season. A musty smell usually means damp. Leave the closet door open for a few days, keep damp towels and gym bags out, and if the smell stays, look for a leak on the other side of the wall.

For the rest of the room, our 10 bedroom cleaning hacks cover the bed, the surfaces and the floor, and how to declutter your bedroom helps with what's outside the closet.

Where does a house cleaning fit in?

Organizing, sorting and decluttering possessions aren't on any of our cleaning checklists, so the closet sort is yours.

On Standard House Cleaning, RoutineCare, floors are vacuumed and mopped, reachable surfaces and furniture are dusted.

See what's covered at House Cleaning.

FAQ

How long does it take to clean out a closet? Plan on two to four hours for a reach-in closet that hasn't been sorted in a year or more, and longer for a walk-in. Working one section at a time lets you stop halfway without wrecking the bedroom.

What should you get rid of when cleaning out a closet? Anything that doesn't fit, needs a repair you won't make, or hasn't been worn in the past year. Turn every hanger backward at the start of the season and see which ones are still backward at the end of it.

How do you keep a closet from getting messy again? Keep a donate bag on the closet floor, use one style of hanger, and give every category a fixed spot. When something new comes in, something old goes in the bag.

Will a house cleaner organize my closet? Organizing, sorting and decluttering possessions aren't on any of our cleaning checklists.

Book a house cleaning

We clean homes across South Jersey and Central Jersey. Book online at tinascleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (609) 831-4455, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.