Right now, as I type this intro, my tiny closet is perfectly organized, cleaned out, and I’m so proud of my own little efficiency, I could burst. Yes, I know it’ll likely be a mess again in about three minutes, but for now, it’s completely tidy, and I did it all by myself (I’m such a big girl!) … it wasn’t easy, though, so I thought I’d share my tried-and-true process with you. Here are 7 steps to cleaning out your closet. Beware! It does entail tossing a few items!

1. Set time aside

This is going to take a while, so set aside at least two hours to clean out your closet, maybe even an hour more if you have a very large closet, or if it’s been a couple of years since you’ve done it.