3 Tips I Used to Clean Out My Closet This Year

Lifestyle

Apr 11

If you know me or have been an avid reader of this blog for a while, you probably know one of my main life philosophies is getting the most out of clothes. One of my most significant rules while shopping is making sure whatever I’m about to buy can be worn multiple ways and multiple times. One reason I adapted this a few years ago is I realized I am a HUGE situational shopper. If I have an event, a trip, or some emotional upheaval I’m instantly drawn to shopping. While this isn’t exactly great behavior, it can lead to a lot of impulsive decisions and a lot more unworn clothing.

Recently I’ve taken to cleaning out my closet seasonally. I find this is incredibly helpful to me because I’ve been really trying to change up my style which means sometimes old pieces just don’t cut the mustard anymore. Thankfully there are wonderful people who are willing to take these off my hands and give them a new loving, fashionable home. But through my times of, for lack of a better word, purge I’ve learned a thing or two. This year I tried to be much more strict and realistic with myself in order to have the very best outcome in the shortest amount of time. It still took me a full weekend to accomplish the great spring closet cleanout, but here are 3 tips for how I did it.

#1: Divide Into Categories

The very first thing I did was remove every item from my dresser drawers and closet. As these things were pretty much divided into categories that is where I left them except I placed them in differing areas of the room in piles. My closet and drawers are pretty organized already, but if yours aren’t, try colors or types of clothing to get started. I then went to each pile and went through the pieces one by one tossing away clothes I wasn’t interested in keeping and folding the rest into a neat pile. This ultimately helped the process of putting things away much easier. I was able to change dresser drawers, hangers, or closet sections in a split second rather than struggling to figure out where things go.

#2: The 12 Month Rule

This one is a classic and everyone knows how it works: If you haven’t worn it in 12 months, you’re probably not going to. I have started seasonal transitions for my clothes so I have bins to trade out as the weather gets warmer or colder. This is where the 12 Month Rule takes a bit of a curve. I apply the rule to both the bins and the current wardrobe. What I mean is, as I unpack the bins, I realistically take a look at what I’m pulling out. Does this no longer fit? Is it too small or too big? Is there no chance in hell I’m going to wear this? Am I just not really feeling the vibe anymore? Get rid of it. There is no sense in lugging it around or saving it for a rainy day when I know I’m just never gonna reach for it. The same goes for the clothes I’m transitioning into the bins. If I’m going to open the bin in 6 months and wonder what the f, I probably don’t need to keep it around.

#3: Don’t Look Back

This particular tip was a HUGE learning curve for me. I am prone to hastily tossing things into the no pile and then slowly going through the no pile and pulling things back out with a huge question mark. Sometimes that is fine because I might have just tossed something I didn’t mean to toss or have second thoughts about, but 8 times out of 10, I shouldn’t look back. If I have a question mark about an article of clothing, I ask myself if it makes me happy or if I can think of at least 3 outfits I can wear using it before removing it from the pile. A lot of the time clothes have good memories I try to hold onto or I convince myself they will look better if I just lost a couple of pounds etc. That’s not really a reason to keep something around when it’s just causing clutter. I would much rather they go to a home that will love and appreciate them rather than have them sitting in a bin. That is why I started Don’t Look Back. As I fold up the giveaway pile I remind myself why they are in this pile so I’m not likely to take them out….however it’s not concrete. I’m still guilty of pulling things out from time to time.