When I first started my decluttering journey I started with one of my most draining areas of my home…. our clothes. When starting to declutter I recommenced to start with what takes up most of your time or the most draining area of your home… instead of the bathroom (which everyone else recommends). I like to tackle something that is overwhelming so I can feel lighter to tackle other areas. For me that was our clothes. We had way to many… myself, my husband and our children. It was 100% my fault. I was a shopper and loved to grab deals. I’d shop for clothes without thinking about what we had at home already. Especially if there was a deal. I’ve actually donated clothes that still had tags on them. Yes I know you don’t have to tell me… the wasted money was in buying it it donating it.
Since then I’ve downsized our clothes so much that my 3 older children share 1 closet and my hubby and I share a small closet. We don’t own dressers anymore! So if I can do it you can to! below I’m going to share 5 tips to help you declutter your closet and take back your sanity and laundry routine!
Stop Buying Clothes
You can’t declutter something is your constantly bringing in new things that add to it. If after you declutter your clothes you feel like you need to add some pieces I definitely recommend waiting a couple weeks to see how you do with your clothes you have now. You might find yourself not really needing anything more.
Set A Repair/Mend Timeline
I used to always have piles of clothes to fix, but I’m not a mender. It just never happens. I just hold onto the clothes for a stupid amount of time. So instead I now don’t have a repair pile. I just accept that they were damaged and move on. I will most likely cut it up and add it to our scrap cleaning fabric pile instead. I don’t buy cleaning cloths anymore I just use cut up old shirts. If it’s a heavier material I might use it to stuff our ottoman or something along those lines before I toss it. I try to reduce our waste also.
Turn Your Hangers Backwards
I haven’t done this personally but this next time I declutter my closet (coming up soon) I’m going to turn hangers backwards and track that way so I can visually see what clothes are never worn. For myself and my husband and probably for our children too. It’s a good reminder that you don’t actually ever wear what you think you do. I’ll probably set a timer to check back on what I’ve worn at the end of each month. So I can see what is hanging around unworn.
When you wear something you hang it back the right way so it’s marked as being worn.
Try It On
Sometimes we hang onto things we like but don’t actually like wearing. So if you have pieces you love but never wear… try them on. This will remind you why you dont wear them. Is it itchy, tight in the elbows, not lay right? If you don’t see yourself wearing it for the rest of the day and haven’t worn it in months then chances are you’ll never wear it. So it’s time to donate so it can be loved and worn by someone else.
Have A Maybe Box
I like to do this to see if I actually wear something or even think about it. Out of site out of mind is a good way to figure out how much you will actually miss something. A maybe box is where you put those clothes that your not quite sure if you want to keep them or not. Put all those maybe items in the box and close it up. Now wait and see if you go into to grab any items out. If you don’t go in it to actually wear anything within a month, two months, three. Then chances are your never going to wear it. Giving its in season. And if you don’t then it’s time to just donate it all. It’s just taking up space.
If you skipped to the end… here’s a recap of 5 ways to declutter your closet:
- Stop Buying Clothes
- Set A Repair/Mend Timeline
- Turn Your Hangers Backwards
- Try It On
- Have A Maybe Box
I hope these tips helped you find ways to finally tackle your closet once and for all. I promise that getting rid of things you don’t use will make your life easier and even make getting dressed easier! It’s definitely worth it and you won’t regret it.
Until next time, live a life you love!
Xo Jessica!
