For those of you who joined us this weekend to tackle the closet clutter, how did it go? We wrapped up our mini purge with fewer items jammed behind doors and more space for the baby gear that’s sure to arrive (or for items that will need new homes once the baby does). There’s a lot to recap, so we’ll begin with what happened in the master bedroom and follow up with the other two closets we tackled later. Ready for the reveal? Hold on to your pared-down hats.
As I mentioned on Friday, my closet had been looking sloppy—mostly due to an expanding collection of t-shirts (thank you, 10K races) and a general tendency toward lazy folding.
Step one was obvious: take everything out so you can see what’s actually in there. Once the drawers and shelves were empty, the extent of the problem became clear. Clearing everything out gave me the chance to evaluate what I needed to keep, what could be donated, and what was simply forgotten.
What followed was a simple sorting system. I grouped everything into four practical piles:
- Everyday t-shirts — casual shirts I still wear regularly.
- Workout and running shirts — technical tees reserved for exercise.
- Work clothes for projects — paint-splattered, well-worn shirts kept for DIY and messy jobs.
- Donate — shirts and items that deserved a second life elsewhere.
One lesson we’ve learned over time: you don’t need a closet full of paint-splattered clothes. For most projects, one warm-weather outfit and one cold-weather outfit will do. Holding on to ten ragged, stained shirts “just in case” only adds clutter. After sorting, I pared down each stack, neatly folded the keepers, and returned them to their proper places along with a slimmer, more organized shorts and pants section.
The result was immediate: a tidier drawer setup and a freed-up shelf above the drawers that’s now barely being used. That extra shelf is perfect for any incoming baby items, and it feels great to have created bonus storage without buying anything new. Best of all, we ended up with a generous donation pile.
Sidenote: a dog was apparently hiding back there the whole time.
We organized discarded items into clear categories to make donation and disposal easier:
- Donate — items in good condition that others can use.
- Trash — truly worn-out or unsanitary pieces that can’t be passed on.
- Return to friends and family — borrowed items we rediscovered and returned.
- Pay it forward — a few pieces we knew would be perfect for specific friends or relatives, so we set them aside to give directly.
I also tackled the top shelf of my closet, which had become a “set-and-forget” zone full of odds and ends—including a few more shirts. Clearing that shelf left only a few shoeboxes and miscellaneous keepsakes. If I wanted to go a step further, matching bins or baskets would make the space look even neater and keep everything contained, but for now the cleared shelf is working great.
Sherry’s side of the closet didn’t need as much work; she’d already pared down quite a bit. Still, she donated several items—clothes, jewelry, and shoes—that hadn’t been used in a while. We laid out all of our donation items together and felt good about how much we were passing along, along with a pile of things that needed to be returned to friends and family.
For anyone curious, we also cleared the room’s original single closet and reorganized it to hold a few of my suits and dress pants and Sherry’s non-maternity clothes. Her day-to-day wardrobe remains by the bedside, and the two top shelves in that closet are now completely empty—like a breath of fresh air.
By the end of the weekend we felt accomplished. Our closets were clearer, and we freed up roughly four shelves for whatever new items come our way. We filled a large donation bag and dropped it at a local donation point, returned borrowed items to their owners, and passed along a few things to friends. The bedroom closet purge felt satisfying and productive.
What about you—did you make progress with your own closets this weekend? Did you rediscover pieces you’ll start wearing again, or did you finally let go of things you never reach for? Share your best tips for clearing out clutter, whether it’s closets, junk drawers, or kitchen cabinets. If you’ve got photos from your own decluttering efforts, consider sharing them with friends or a local group so others can celebrate your progress with you. Decluttering can be surprisingly fun and definitely worth the effort.
Psst — for a closer look at closet organization at our place, check our older closet posts for photos and details on how we added built-in wardrobes on either side of the bed.