5 items to get rid of in your closet right now, according to pro organizers

Nothing feels better than a neatly organized closet, it's just the clearing out and decluttering that's the hard bit. To make things easier, we consulted professional organizers and gathered a list of items to get rid of in your closet right now.

There are all kinds of clever closet organizers and closet organization ideas out there to help us streamline our clothes and shoe collections, but frequent decluttering will be most transformative.

So, what can we clear out right away? From items saved for 'some day' to clothes storage ideas that aren't as practical as they first appear, here are the things you can get rid of right now, freeing up space for the items you love wearing.

Items to get rid of in your closet right now

When we're organizing a bedroom, it's helpful to remember the mantra that most of us wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. So freeing up space will make getting dressed far easier. Another way to make clearing out and organizing clothes easier is to turn all the hangers backward at the beginning of each new year.

'Once you wear anything put the hanger back to normal. At the end of the year, you can see everything you don't wear. At that point, if you don't have a reason to save it, donate it,' says professional organizer Juliana Meidl.

1. Plastic clothes hangers

'Plastic clothing hangers don't hold weight well and look cheap,' says Melissa Fiorentino, a professional stylist and trends forecaster at Editor's Faves. At Homes & Gardens, we recommend these clothes hangers, at Amazon, which are inexpensive, available in a range of colors, and will keep garments in shape.

2. Garments that no longer fit

There is a tendency to keep jeans and dresses that no longer fit us because they are too small with the hope that one day they will fit again. Juliana Meidl, founder of Detroit home organizers Serenity At Home says that as she and her team go through those clothes with clients, she asks them to 'really look at those items and decide if they get back to the smaller size is it something they will still want to wear.'

Often, when looking at it from that perspective we are willing to let those clothes go. Brenda Scott from Tidy My Space agrees: 'Most people after going through a body transformation, want to shop for something fresh and new. Rewarding themselves for all of the hard work it took to get there.

So either donate or sell the items that you're holding onto for that "someday,"' says Brenda.

3. Items you haven't worn in two years

If you haven't worn it in the past two years, it's time to let go of it, argues Melissa Fiorentino. She says lots of us hold onto trendy items that we never wear or pieces that don't fit our lifestyle or the weather where we live.

As for items that we need to fix, she says 'it's a good idea not to throw away items with minor issues like small rips, missing buttons, or lose zippers, but it also doesn't help to hoard these at the back of your closet and forget about them.'

It can be hard to declutter sentimental items of clothing, so follow Brenda's advice and either take a photo of it and let it go or put it in pride of place. 'If you're concerned that the memories will fade over time without the item, then take a picture of the item and let the article go. I would even suggest framing a really special concert T-shirt,' she says.

'Maybe it was the concert where you were proposed to or the graphics are impressive or it's a collector's item. Make it a piece of art instead of hiding in your closet.'

4. Too many duplicates

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having the same classic T-shirt in every color or two of the same pair of jeans that just fit you perfectly, but professional organizers think we have a habit of holding onto too many items that are very similar to each other.

'When you go through and really look at everything you have in a closet often clothing can be purged because you don't need to keep 15 black shirts,' says Juliana Meidl.

5. Plastic over-the-wall storage

Melissa Fiorentino says that over-the-door organizers made of plastic tend to be flimsy and too small to meaningfully store anything. Fabric over-the-door shoe bags, at The Container Store are a more aesthetically pleasing alternative.

FAQs

What are two essential items to have in your closet?

'A good pair of jeans that fit you, make you look great and can be styled up or down, and a classic little black dress that can be styled many different ways. Go for quality and classic not "fast fashion" or "on trend,' home organizer Brenda Scott advises.

Leslie Kilgour, professional organizer and founder of Get It Straight Organizing says that well as a crisp white shirt White is the basis for so many outfits, so you can pair a crisp white shirt with your beloved pair of pants, and dress it up or down depending on your jacket and accessories!