Decluttering Your Closet Floor {15 Minute Mission}

Today's mission is decluttering your closet floor, removing anything that shouldn't be there and purposefully putting away any items you do choose to place in this space.


This mission is designed to be done while working on the Organize Closet Challenge, but it can be done whenever you want or need to get it done.

I know that organizing and decluttering your entire closet, at once, can be overwhelming. There's a lot of stuff in there!

That's why I have broken it down for you into more manageable steps, and one of the ways to do that is to focus on just one small area at a time. That's why today only focus on the closet floor.

In other missions here on the site, you'll also deal with decluttering:

• Hanging clothes; and


• Closet shelves and drawers

You can also check out a break down of different decluttering missions for various types of clothes and other items you might normally find in closets here on the site. I'd suggest reading the main organizational challenge article, mentioned above, for a comprehensive list.

Please also note that today I want you to focus on your own closet. We'll work on organizing kids closets in a later challenge. {You can check out this article about how to get rid of kids closet clutter here, if you're interested in learning about that now.)

Work 15 Minutes At A Time For This Mission

For some people their closet floor is really messy, and so this mission can take a long time. That's OK!

Remember, I always want you to work in 15 minute increments so that you make progress without getting exhausted or overwhelmed.

It's best to start by picking up things that don't even belong on the floor of your closet, such as hanging clothes that have fallen off their hanger.

Then, you can slowly tackle each area of your closet floor, moving methodically, to deal with various piles or items that you've placed there, perhaps hastily and then not dealt with again.

You should know that I don't think, at the end of this mission, that your closet floor needs to be completely clear. Instead, your closet floor can be a good place to store certain items.

However, all things placed on your closet floor, including items placed directly onto the floor, or those items placed into organizers and containers on the floor, should be placed there purposefully and with thought, instead of haphazardly or in a mad dash and dump when company is coming, or because you don't have room for it anywhere else.

I've found that the closet floor doesn't just have clothes on it for most people, but if it does, check out the 9 questions to ask yourself when decluttering clothes here.

In addition this is also where you might keep shoes (check out this article for more tips on organizing shoes) or even paper piles (check out the paper organization section for more ideas on dealing with paper).

So are you ready to begin? At the top of the article is a photo from a reader, Adrianne, who sent in a picture of what her closet floor looked like at the beginning.

She can tackle this, and you can tackle your closet floor too. Scroll down to see photos from other readers who've done exactly that!


Botton photo . of collage courtesy of ...loveMaegan from Flickr Creative Commons

Before & After Pictures From Readers Who've Decluttered Their Closet Floor

As you can see from these before and after photos readers have shared with me, decluttering your closet floor can make a big difference in how your closet looks, as well as in how easily you can move around in there.

The photos above are from a reader, Evelyn, who said, about the top photo in the collage, "This was all sitting in the floor of my closet," and then of the bottom photo, "the finished result."

Wow, that looks great, doesn't it?

Here's another one, from another reader, Regina.

Regina said, "I'm guilty of keeping gift bags but I tossed several that I'll never use."

That just goes to show us we can find all kinds of things in our closet, not just clothing! No matter what you've got in there clear it out slowly and methodically, making the decisions about what to keep and what to part with, so the space will function the way you want and need it to.


Finally, here are photos from a reader, Anna, above. She said, "As embarrassing as it is to show, here are my before and after pics of my closet floor. It didn't take me as long as I thought and got rid of clothes, shoes, and some papers I was storing for over 20 years (sadly, no exaggeration.)"

I don't think you should be embarrassed Anna, but instead proud of what you accomplished! Yay! You did a great job!

Are You Ready To Get Rid Of Your Closet Floor Clutter?

I hope these photos and quick instructions have motivated you to get rid of your closet floor clutter.

Here are just a few more after only photos from a reader Joanne, who also did this mission.

Joanne said, "I worked on my master bedroom closet this weekend! Here are a couple of pics of the closet! I wish I had before pics, but the floor was basically covered with either clothes, shoes and other items, some of which didn't go in the closet! Love the space now!"

Here's the second photo she sent in.


Now it's your turn to get to work and declutter!

When you begin to declutter the feeling you get is contagious, so if you're loving the results you're getting I would encourage you to keep going.

I've got a whole series of 15 minute decluttering missions (eventually 365 of them!) that you can do.

Just pick and choose the ones you want to do, that will make a big impact in your home. But if you want someone else to tell you the order you can also grab the 15 minute daily decluttering mission calendars and follow along as we all get our homes clutter free together!

In addition, here's a round up of all the Declutter 365 missions on the site for decluttering clothes of all kinds.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Getting Clutter Free 15 Minutes At A Time Hall Of Fame

Getting Rid Of Bedroom, Clothing & Closet Clutter Hall Of Fame

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