If every time you open up your hall closet, you worry something might fall on your head, you may have a clutter problem. If you’d rather buy a new umbrella when it rains than try and find the one in the back of your closet, it’s definitely time for a clean-out.
Hall closets are a convenient place to store those miscellaneous items but sometimes we get too reliant on them and they turn into a hideaway for junk. It’s important to take some time every once in awhile to get rid of things — for our sanity and for the sake of keeping an organized home.
7 things you can toss from your closet right now:
1. Old coats and scarves
Have moths ruined some of your winter accessories? If so, toss. Kids outgrew their raincoats? Donate. There’s no reason to keep clothing that you can’t wear anymore. Good rule of thumb: If you've not worn it in more than a year, out the door it goes.
2. Wire hangers
As Mommie Dearest once said, “No wire hangers!” We tend to collect them from the dry cleaners, but they aren’t great for hanging clothes permanently since they’re flimsy and also have the ability to rust. Throw them away and invest in proper matching hangers — they’ll make the closet feel more cohesive and will be better for hanging things.
3. Broken umbrellas
We’re not going to pretend umbrellas are not important to have in your hall closet — have a whole bucket of them if you must! Just make sure they all work. The last thing you want to do is grab a broken one and not realize it until you get caught in the middle of a torrential downpour.
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4. Extra blankets you never use
Cozy blankets are a must, but tons of cozy blankets is a little much. Look at how you use them (do you put them on every bed in the house during the winter? Does every family member cuddle up with one on the couch during movie nights?) and figure out how many are imperative to have. Then, donate the rest.
5. Almost-empty wrapping paper rolls
Admit it, if you go into your hall closet, there’s probably a few rolls of gift wrap from last year’s holiday festivities or birthdays hanging out. Chances are you’re probably never going to use these scraps, so go ahead and make more space for yourself by tossing them.
6. Random gifts you’ll never use
From the candles with scents you can’t stand to the costume jewelry you’ll never wear, there are always those gifts that are never going to be used. Perhaps you’re waiting for the day you’ll need them (or if we’re being real, a perfect opportunity to re-gift), but that day will most likely never come. If you don’t like it now, you probably won’t like it in the future or want to give it to someone else as a re-gift. It’s time to get rid of it.
7. Items you haven’t touched in years
There are always going to be things in every closet that we save “just in case” but haven’t used in forever. Whether it be clothes that you’re waiting to come back in style, servingware you always say you’re going to use for fancy parties but never break out, or remnant supplies from DIY projects, go through your closet and toss anything that you haven’t used in the past couple of years. Your house will love you for it!