Our ruthless guide to decluttering your closet

I get itchy feet when it comes to my clothes storage situation at this time of year. I want to take everything out and start all over again. I just wish I had the budget to refill it with Brand New Things. But a little organisation goes a long way. And it's not that complicated, you just need to give yourself a few hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon to do the below, and hopefully give your closet a bit of a refresh.

But a little organisation does go a long way and it's not that complicated, you just need to give yourself a few hours on a rainy Saturday afternoon to do the below, and hopefully give your closet a bit of a refresh.

1. It all needs to come out

This is the worst part but once you have it done, you can move forward with a better attitude to your closet and what you put in it. Start with the wardrobe where you have things hung up before doing other storage like drawers etc.

Now take everything out, but do this strategically. As you remove something, take it off the hanger and start piles of items. And each item type needs a separate pile. Jackets, trousers, jeans, dresses, all need a pile of their own. Do this until the wardrobe is empty. Discard of those awful wire hangers and return them to your dry cleaners who will be delighted to have some back!

And each item type needs a separate pile - jackets, trousers, jeans, dresses; they all need a pile of their own. Do this until the wardrobe is empty. Discard those awful wire hangers and return them to your dry cleaners who will be delighted to have some back.

2. Sort it

Go through each of the piles and decide what you want to keep. Get some heavy duty black bags and these become your charity shop stock. If you haven't worn it in six months, you are not going to wear it again so it needs to go. The only exception is if the piece is sentimental or you have an unbearable emotional attachment that will leave you mourning

The only exception is if the piece is sentimental or if you have a very strong emotional attachment that will leave you mourning its loss if you give it away.

And most importantly, there is no "maybe" pile, just "yes" and "no". So your "maybes" can be added to the no pile. Maybe is doubt, and doubt for closet clearing means a hard no.

3. Repack it

The best hangers are wooden or even velvet ones are good. They are sturdy and keep the shape of your clothes. Trousers should be added to hangers in their categories. So black or work trousers together, jeans together...you get the gist.

Layer a light jacket under a heavier one to save space as well. I like to keep anything delicate to either side of my wardrobe (eg formal dresses or anything with beading that might get damaged). These need to be in clothes bags to protect them. IKEA sell these in bulk so if you have time, pop out and get yourself some.

4. Evaluate

Now you can see what you have now and to wear now. But this allows you to evaluate the gaps. Do you need new jeans, is your black blazer now in the charity bag? Make a list of your needs so they next time you go shopping you can focus in on buying these items.

5. The rest

The other areas of storage need the same treatment, so take to your drawers and shelves with the same approach. Things like shirts, jumpers, casual skirts and cottons don't need to be hung. If they are folded, then a drawer or shelf is the best place for them.

I used to hang things like denim and check shirts which ended up taking up a lot of hanger space when really, they were best in a drawer. Drawers need a bit of organising too to avoid having to tear them apart trying to find things. I have a chest of drawers that have five drawers. In the top, I keep light tops like t-shirts, shirts and blouses. The next two down from the top have knits and thicker jumpers. Then I have one for skirts, casual dresses etc, and the last one I keep all my dressy things for nights out.

If you can, leave out your clothes for the next day the night before, and that means even your underwear, tights and shoes. This will ease the stress of that age old decision of what to wear in the morning. Then at night, put everything away back in its place or the wash, whatever it needs.

If you keep this up, then your closet will always be tidy. I tackle mine about every two months to give it an update, but the time is dependent on your own closet and how often you shop.

Does your wardrobe stress you out? Any tips on closet clearing you can share with us?