(Image courtesy of Dvortygirl)
Throughout the year our closets find ways to fill up. We find new clothes and shoes that we have to have, we have older pieces that we can’t seem to let go, we use our closet as a catch-all for things we can’t seem to fit anywhere else- after awhile all these items pile up and create a mess that it’s impossible to sift through.
No matter how full your closet has gotten over the last few months, cleaning it out doesn’t have to be a nightmare. This article from storagefront.com walks us through some simple tips to clean out the items you don’t want and to keep everything else organized. Keep reading to learn some of these simple tricks:
Before you do anything: set aside seasonal pieces
A few years ago, I committed to purge my closet of half of my clothes. It was May. Naturally, it was much easier for me to part with coats, boots, sweaters, and scarves than with typical summer wear. I was immensely proud of myself – for about four months.
There are certain articles of clothing and pairs of shoes that are definitely seasonal, even if you enjoy the occasional light cardigan in the summer. Before you can consider selling, donating, or gifting your unwanted apparel, set aside anything that weather wouldn’t want you wearing for the next several months.
Where can you put seasonal items when you don’t have a basement or garage? One option is to box them up and set them somewhere in the closet, all while making sure your method is tidy. Another possibility is to store them in a climate-controlled storage unit. A 5x5 space is often compared to a walk-in closet, and you can easily search for nearby, affordable units. Whatever you decide to do, keep the clothes safely tucked away for a few months until you can revisit them with better judgment.
Recruit a buddy
How many times have you decided to get organized, only to find yourself suddenly labeling everything as having sentimental value? After you’ve safely stored your out-of-season clothes, bring a friend over while you clean out your closet.
Even if you and your friend don’t wear the exact same size, chances are that she could fit into plenty of your tops and maybe even some shoes. Whip up your friend’s favorite lunch, pop in a movie, and make an afternoon of your project.
The trick here is to get your friend on board with your goals. Let her know how many things you’re looking to get rid of or what standard you’ll be using to decide each item’s fate. She can help you out by keeping you accountable to your goals. What’s in it for her? She gets to keep anything she likes from your “sell/donate/gift” piles.
How many times have you decided to get organized, only to find yourself suddenly labeling everything as having sentimental value? After you’ve safely stored your out-of-season clothes, bring a friend over while you clean out your closet.
Even if you and your friend don’t wear the exact same size, chances are that she could fit into plenty of your tops and maybe even some shoes. Whip up your friend’s favorite lunch, pop in a movie, and make an afternoon of your project.
The trick here is to get your friend on board with your goals. Let her know how many things you’re looking to get rid of or what standard you’ll be using to decide each item’s fate. She can help you out by keeping you accountable to your goals. What’s in it for her? She gets to keep anything she likes from your “sell/donate/gift” piles.
Use the “six month” box
Peter Walsh of Extreme Clutter suggests a nifty hanger trick to help you realize which of your clothes do nothing more than collect dust. My “six month” box follows a similar premise, but provides an immediate pay-off of a more spacious closet. Consider which one you like better – or come up with an experiment of your own!
This box (or, more ideally, plastic storage bin) is different from your out-of-season box. It’s the designated spot for clothes that you’re on the fence about. While your friend helps you decide which clothes you don’t want to keep, you’ll run into pieces that you just don’t want to part with. You may be telling yourself that you’ll fit back into that skinny pair of jeans someday, or that you’ll love that top once you sew the button back on. Whatever your hesitation may be, set the item aside in your six month box.
What follows is simple. Say that you’re getting ready one day and you can’t find that floral ¾-sleeve top that you’re suddenly in the mood to wear. Go grab it from your six month box. After you’ve worn it and washed it, put the top back in your closet as normal. Follow this process for six months; if something comes out of the box, it can stay out of the box. At the end of six months, you’ll see which clothes you didn’t think about, chose not to wear, or simply forgot about when out of sight.
In my experience, I’ve never felt remorse for anything left in that box after several months. Periodically I’ll grab something from it, see something else I like, but never come back to actually wear it. When I come back to that box after six months, I’m always more than ready and willing to part with what’s in it.
Peter Walsh of Extreme Clutter suggests a nifty hanger trick to help you realize which of your clothes do nothing more than collect dust. My “six month” box follows a similar premise, but provides an immediate pay-off of a more spacious closet. Consider which one you like better – or come up with an experiment of your own!
This box (or, more ideally, plastic storage bin) is different from your out-of-season box. It’s the designated spot for clothes that you’re on the fence about. While your friend helps you decide which clothes you don’t want to keep, you’ll run into pieces that you just don’t want to part with. You may be telling yourself that you’ll fit back into that skinny pair of jeans someday, or that you’ll love that top once you sew the button back on. Whatever your hesitation may be, set the item aside in your six month box.
What follows is simple. Say that you’re getting ready one day and you can’t find that floral ¾-sleeve top that you’re suddenly in the mood to wear. Go grab it from your six month box. After you’ve worn it and washed it, put the top back in your closet as normal. Follow this process for six months; if something comes out of the box, it can stay out of the box. At the end of six months, you’ll see which clothes you didn’t think about, chose not to wear, or simply forgot about when out of sight.
In my experience, I’ve never felt remorse for anything left in that box after several months. Periodically I’ll grab something from it, see something else I like, but never come back to actually wear it. When I come back to that box after six months, I’m always more than ready and willing to part with what’s in it.
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