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Organizing a closet can be difficult, especially when it's a teenager's. Having an organized closet can save you time and bring you more space because, while your wardrobe may grow, your closet will not. If you'd like to know how to clean your closet, read on.



  1. 1
    Assess the clothes. Make three piles: keep, donate and trash. Put clothes that are too small in the donate pile, and throw the moth-eaten sweaters that are beyond repair out. If you're debating whether something should go into the keep or donate pile, consider what you'd need to do to make it wearable. For instance, if a raincoat is missing a button, and you lost the matching button, go to a craft store and replace all of the buttons.
  2. 2
    Buy organizers to put things like purses and shoes in. Clear plastic boxes work well for shoes; or, if your daughter is the type who has shoes and handbags that "go together," invest in a set of hanging sweater shelves and put the matching purses/shoes together on each shelf. It's all about being organized.
  3. 3
    Put in a shelf for personal mementos or items. By putting in a few items that make you smile, your whole day and mood will be brighter! Additionally, a small memento can provide inspiration for your outfit!
  4. 4
    Stick a laundry hamper in the closet. If the hamper is in the bathroom down the hall, those dirty clothes are just going to accumulate on the bedroom floor. If you have a large family, it's a good idea to get your own hamper, and simply empty your clothes into the family hamper once your hamper is full.
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    Hang up your clothes. If you really want to be organized, color code them. Make green shirts in one section, purple in another, etc. For skirts, there are special hangers that can clip on to the top that are available at any drugstore. Organize clothes by jeans, t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, skirts, and dresses. If you live in an area where the climate changes dramatically with the seasons, organize clothes by season, and store off-season clothes in Space Bags under the bed or in the garage. A big puffy parka in the summer just takes up space.
  6. 6
    Put a shoe organizer on the back of the door to keep shoes off of the floor. You can buy these at a local Wal-Mart, Target, etc. If you have closet doors on tracks and can't do this, a multi-level shoe rack on the floor is useful for organizing shoes that are worn frequently. Put the ones most often worn on the top level. With the shoe organizer on the back of the door, you should put the shoes you wear most often at eye level so they are the first thing you see.
  7. 7
    Keep your closet organized! It can be frustrating or disturbing mentally to see a pile of clothes laying on the floor of your closet. Trust me, once you start folded or hanging them up, you'll feel as if you accomplished something; you'll feel great! Though if you're one of the lazy types, considering having a rule when you have to fold clothes. For instance, if 5 pieces of clothing are on the ground you HAVE to fold them up. At the same time, you become more responsible!

Questions and Answers

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    • Put an air freshener in the closet to keep it smelling good.
    • If you are the kind of person that does not like to clean much, tackle a different part of the closet every day. For example; Day 1 : Get rid of clothes that are unwanted and too small. Day 2: Get organizers. Day 3: Sort clothes, etc.
    • If you know someone who is younger or smaller than you, you can give them your old clothes.
    • Once it's organized, keep it organized!
    • Most people recommend throwing clothing or items away that you have not worn in a year. However, teenagers should be more harsh in that regard, as many cannot fit into the same clothing year after year. Therefore, if you have not worn the item, or cannot remember wearing the item in the last few months, donate it.
    • If you have clothes that you don't wear revamp them. Take some scissors or beads or other fabrics to make them new creations! And it is a great way to make clothes look like they're brand new.
    • If you have colorful clothes try hanging it in your closet it makes it look fuller cooler and more colorful not dull.
    • Keep your closet clean after you clean it. All your hard work will be wasted.


    • Always clean out a closet after the room is clean. Otherwise the closet will make your room even messier, and it will become overwhelming.
    • If you are a mom or dad thinking that you are going to surprise your teen with a nice neat organized closet, don't waste your time! They will most likely say "Why did you go in my room?! Everything was under control! I knew where all my clothes and shoes were! Where are my shoes?! Get out of my room!" In order for a teen to get organized and stay organized, it helps if they have some input in the organization strategy. (It also helps if they actually want to get their closet organized, but let's not hope for the moon, shall we?)
    • Cheap shoe organizers do fall and break. Invest in good quality shoe organizers, but do some research so you can see which store is having a sale or has the cheapest pair.

    Things You'll Need

    • Air freshener
    • Shoe organizer
    • Posters, pictures and mementos
    • Shelves
    • Hamper
    • Fabric, scissors, beads, other sewing products
    • Any organizers that are needed
    • Good helping hand like a friend or a parent
    • Free day to devote to cleaning
    • Energy (because some closets can get pretty overwhelming to clean)

    Article Info

    Categories: Closet and Wardrobe Organization (Youth)

    In other languages:

    Español: organizar el armario de un adolescente, Português: Organizar o Armário de um Adolescente, Русский: навести порядок в шкафу (для подростков), Italiano: Riordinare il Guardaroba di un Adolescente

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