Guest blog by Kacey Mya, the blogger behind The Drifter Collective

Your closet accumulates clothes, shoes, accessories and more over the years, and at first, it doesn’t seem like a big deal to throw in a few extra items. But once you realize it’s become a mess and needs cleaning, you want to scoot everything inside and shut the door on your cluttered space.

This method only works for so long, though, when you need to access the items in your closet eventually. You have to bunker down and tackle this task to conquer your overwhelming closet space. Luckily, you can approach your closet with confidence and take on the disorder by sticking with simple steps. Here are six tips for getting your closet mess under control.

1. Set a Time Limit

You don’t have to reserve a whole day to sort through your storage — in fact, it’s better if you don’t. Restricting yourself to a shorter organizing period can make the task less daunting. A large mess will grow day by day if you don’t address it, but the same idea of working in increments applies to cleaning.

Give yourself half an hour to an hour to declutter your space. Start a timer to alert you when your time is up, then begin cleaning. If you don’t finish during that short period, you can reserve the same amount of time for tomorrow. You’ll find this method is effective for facing a difficult task.

2. Use Designated Piles

Empty your closet of all your stuff so you can thoroughly evaluate your closet space and its contents. Splitting your closet items into categories can help you visualize the best way to store it. Separate items like shirts, pants, dresses and blankets into piles.

Manageable piles of goods are better for your project in the same way that limited time eases the burden of the task. You can confront the challenge of smaller sections rather than facing a sizable mass of belongings.

3. Get Rid of Unused Items

Something that contributes to a crowded closet space is keeping items you don’t need or use. You might expect to want these pieces later on, but the longer you keep them, the more you will forget about them. And as things stack up in your closet, your mess grows.

Donate your used belongings or sell them so you can free up valuable space. Cut down on clutter by giving away your items to people who will get better use out of them.

4. Take Advantage of Every Inch of Space

Each part of your closet can turn into prime storage space. You may have neglected the overhead shelves or space under your hanging clothes, but these empty spots can upgrade into accessible storage.

You can eliminate clutter by utilizing extra areas in your closet. Install closet organizers or additional shelving to create spots to store miscellaneous things and loose items.

5. Arrange Clothes by Type

When you’re ready to store your items again, return them to your closet with a system. This can lead to shorter and easier maintenance in the future.

Set up your arrangement by color, occasion and type, so you can quickly find the garment or home good you want. Tidy sorting can also give you a more appealing look and ban visual clutter from your home.

6. Store Your Favorites for Easy Access

Your most used pieces — which are likely your best-loved ones — should be easy to reach. Reserve a section in the center of your space to feature your frequently used pieces. Hang these at eye level so you don’t dig through clothing when in a rush.

Declutter Your Closet

The key to organizing a chaotic closet is to follow simple steps and set it up for easy access. Prioritize practicality by tossing unused belongings, displaying your favorites and utilizing spare areas.

Your organization project can be over quickly and painlessly if you set up helpful limits for yourself. Achieve a spotless closet today with these tips.