This post is all about decluttering clothes quickly and painlessly!
In A Rush?! These Are Our Top Picks For Maintaining A Decluttered Closet
Keeping the house neat and organized is a hard task for most new moms.
We have everything nice and tidy one day, but the next it looks like a mini-tornado blew through.
Did you know that a decluttered home is a happier home? I’m not making it up! Clutter affects our mood and wellbeing, especially when we hold onto things from the past.
Every cleaning and organizing task should start with decluttering and honestly thinking about whether or not the item in question adds any benefits (or as Marie Kondo would say, ‘happiness’) to our lives..
One area of decluttering that requires a lot of attention is our wardrobe. Since you use clothes on a daily basis, your wardrobe tends to get messy very fast.
Decluttering the closet once every six months should be added to your list of priorities so it doesn’t get out of hand. Especially if you (like me) really enjoy shopping.
Decluttering the wardrobe should be done for all family members, especially small children, as they outgrow their garments very fast.
While decluttering clothes, you should also pay special attention to accessories like a tie, socks, and belt. Below are some simple steps to follow to declutter your closet quickly.
How To Declutter Clothes (Painlessly!)
Pull Them All Out
You should start the wardrobe decluttering from an empty space.
We sometimes have to make a mess bigger before we can clean it up.
Pull out all the clothes from the closet. While doing this, pay special attention to the clothes that are on the laundry as well.
While emptying the wardrobe, you should also take out old clothes that you have stashed on the back of the closet, though you no longer use it.
Remember to take this opportunity to clean the wardrobe. If you have any pest infestation, then this is the perfect time to do some treatment.
If you have carpet, this carpet cleaner is the absolute best for everything from spiders to roaches (plus it’s natural!)
Sort Them
Ideally, you should sort all your clothes into four separate groups.
- Clothes that you wear daily.
- Partywear clothes that you use occasionally.
- Clothes that are your favorite, but you do not wear either because it does not fit you or you are bored of wearing them.
- Clothes that you have not used in the past 3-6 months.
Arrange Daily Wear Clothes
Clothes that you use daily can be ironed and hung on a hanger. If you have space in your wardrobe, then you can label them as office wear and casual wear.
It is always a good idea to sort the clothes category wise like trousers on one side and t-shirts on the other. This way, you will find it easy to locate the dresses.
Using hangers make it easy for you to find the clothes and not miss out on any.
Arrange Special Events Clothing
Clothes that you occasionally use like partywear clothes can be neatly arranged in a storage bag organizer. But remember to label the box so that you can quickly locate them.
The same applies to holiday wear clothes or seasonal clothes like summer and winter clothes.
Since you use them only during that particular season, you can store them in a box during the off-season. Remember to put it at the farthest end of the wardrobe so that it does not get mixed up with other clothes.
When its time for you to use those clothes, you can pull it forward and move the off-season clothes back.
There really is no reason to have your winter coats out in the summer as it just adds to the mess. Alternate the clothes every six months (or every season if you’re an overachiever 😆 ).
Other Clothes
There is yet another category of clothes that are your favorite, but you do not use them for several reasons. While decluttering, you should make a decision whether to keep it or discard once and for all.
If the clothes do not fit you and you plan to lose weight shortly, then you can keep the dress aside. But even after six months, if the dress does not fit you, then you can slowly move it to the donation box.
If you do not plan to lose weight and get in shape, then you can try altering the dress. But remember that not all dresses can be altered to fit your size.
Ask yourself why you’re emotionally attached to that item. Was it a gift? Do you feel guilty having spent the money and not wearing it? Does it bring back memories?
In the end, it’s your decision whether or not to get rid of an item, and it’s perfectly fine to have one or two pieces we are attached to that we don’t wear (for whatever reason!). But if you have 30 items of clothing you haven’t worn in the last six months, try to cut that number in half.
And six months from now, try to cut it in half again.
Organize
In order to have a better grasp of your wardrobe, you don’t want to throw everything back in without any proper order or organization.
You don’t have to color-code your wardrobe, but try to have some sort of system in place.
Keep your t-shirts in one area, pants in another, dressy tops together, etc. Keeping your clothes neat and tidy in their corresponding spots makes decluttering in the future much easier.
In fact, if you keep everything organized, it’s very unlikely it’ll get out of hand like it did the first time.
✔️ Check out our six wardrobe essentials for an organized closet!
Donate, Donate, Donate!
If you have not used any clothes in the past 3-6 months and do not intend to use it in the future, you can straightaway drop it in the donation box.
The best way to go about this is to keep the box in one corner of your room and not overthink it.
Whenever you come across a dress, either yours or your kids, that you think would not be used in the near future, you can drop it in the box. Once the donation box is full, you can take it to the donation center.
This way, your closet doesn’t stack up with clothes and you’re actively fighting the clutter.
More Methods For Decluttering Your Clothes
Hanger Method
Hang all your daily wear clothes in a hanger in a line. You can start using clothes from the front. But once used, you should move it to the back of the rack and then use the one on the front. This way, you can ensure that you use all the clothes in your wardrobe.
If you find yourself setting aside any particular dress, then you are probably done with using the same. You can straightaway move it to the donation box.
Tally Method
This method can be used for arranging party-wear clothes, especially when you go out a lot. Keep a piece of paper and a pen in the party-wear box.
Every time you take a dress, put a tally mark. This way you can easily figure out the dress with the least number of tally marks and discard it.
Deadline Method
You can give deadlines for clothes that need decluttering or alteration. You can provide a reasonably extended deadline of 2 or 3 months. If within the timeframe you have not decluttered the dress, then there is only little chance that you might do it in the future. You can straightaway move the dress to the donation box.
Smart buying is the key to decluttering your wardrobe. Once you declutter your closet, there will naturally be a shortage of clothing. Go slow and steady and do not buy things in an impulse.
While going for apparel shopping, ask yourself the question, “Do I really need this dress?” If you are thinking of buying the dress just because you like the design, then you should think twice. Buying clothes that are not essential will only add more to your wardrobe.
Similarly, if you have set aside a dress because it is not comfortable to wear, then do not go for dress of the same design. Try to learn from past mistakes!
Organized Closet Essentials
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