if you would prefer to watch the video version of this click here
I have been working on decluttering my closet for a year or so. Every time it's the same routine: take all the clothes out, filter through the clothes, try some on, and put everything back in all organized. The result is always the same, too: a messy, overfilled closet no longer than one month later. I didn't realize it, but my method to decluttering was not getting me to my goal of living a simple and mess free life. So, I finally figured out a foolproof method to decluttering my closet and believe it or not, I have a small number of clothes that I actually WEAR! Here are the steps: 1) Grab four bags. These can be garbage bags if you have a ton of clothes or grocery bags if you only want to go through one type of clothing at a time. 2) Dump out all of your clothes or your one type of clothing onto a clean surface. Yes, dump them out! Somewhere where you will have space to sort through them. I don't suggest your bed or anywhere else where you're prone to procrastinate and throw the clothes off before finishing the sorting process. 3) Sort your clothes into four categories. Dirty: This is the easiest category. Anything that is dirty goes in this bag. Get Rid Of: Put any clothes that you definitely don't want in this section. You want to immediately get rid of clothes that: -Have holes, are worn, discolored, etc. -Don't fit. Do NOT keep clothes that you will one day fit into. These clothes take up space and are a reminder that you don't fit in them. That's not a good feeling. Plus, if you do get to the point where those clothes will fit, they may no longer be your style. You can always buy different clothes later. In order to have success, you have to let go of these clothes. -Don't make you feel good. -Are scratchy, irritating, etc. -You don't wear often. This wouldn't include special occasion outfits, but don't keep more than one or two of these. Maybe: These are clothes that you aren't sure whether or not you should keep or get rid of. It's okay to have this be the largest pile you sort. It was mine. Keep: These are clothes that you love and definitely want to keep. Only put them in the keep pile if you have worn these clothes within the last load of laundry you have done. Trust me. 4) Put the dirty, get rid of, and keep piles aside. 5) Try on the maybe pile. You are going to try on ALL of your maybe clothes and sort them into two categories: Get rid of and maybe keep. Ignore the size and cost of the items. If you worry about the size on the tag, it will keep you from seeing how it fits on you. Likewise, if you worry about the cost of the item or who gave it to you, it will keep you from making the choice to get rid of the item. Don't keep anything out of guilt or sentiment that you know you want to get rid of. Here are some more guidelines when deciding what to keep and get rid of: -Will I wear it at least 10 times this season? -Does it fit? Does it fit well? -Does it make me feel good? -Is it worn, have holes, rips, or missing buttons? -Would I be willing to fix anything that's wrong with it TODAY? If yes, DO IT. Don't wait. - Would I buy it again if I saw it in stores? -Is it a good brand? 6) Wear your maybe keep clothes. Each day, pick out an outfit using ONLY the maybe clothes. This includes underwear, socks, shoes, tops, bottoms, jewelry, everything. If you can't stand to wear any of these items for even an hour, go ahead and take the item off and put it in the get rid of pile. Then, pick a new item from the maybe keep pile. This is the foolproof method to getting rid of your clothes because you will really get to know the items you try on. You will know if you feel good when you wear them, if they are comfortable, if they fit, etc. Don't skip this step. This is the one way you will be sure no maybe clothes slip back into the closet. Be honest with this process and let go of anything that doesn't work. 7) Take care of the other categories: Dirty clothes: Wash your dirty clothes and repeat steps 1-6. Don't let your dirty clothes make their way into your closet without doing this method! Take the time to do this process with each load of laundry. Keep clothes: organize your keep clothes and put them back into your closet. I suggest only displaying the clothes that you will wear within this season. Store the other seasons for later. I separate mine into summer/fall and winter/spring. Get rid of clothes: Sort these clothes into a few categories: donate, give to a friend, re-purpose, trash/recycle, and sell. The only clothes that should go in the trash are those that are broken beyond repair and those that cannot be re-purposed for things like rags. 8) Celebrate! By now, you should love everything that is in your closet. If you find yourself still skipping over items or find things you don't like, get rid of them! Nothing feels better than loving all the clothes in your closet. You may need to get some new clothes if you've gotten rid of a lot. I suggest going to thrift stores first. You can read why here. But remember, only keep clothes that you can wear at least 10 times this season. Don't buy so many clothes that you can't do this. I hope this method is as successful for you as it is for me. I am grateful to be able to declutter and live a simpler life. It makes it easier not holding on to clothes and it makes it a heck of a lot easier picking clothes out in the morning. What do you think? Does this method work for you? Have your tried it? What methods do you use?
3 Comments
Thomas
10/26/2016 02:52:00 pm
I like your videos very much and you are very likeable. Your decluttering tips are fine. The most I liked your funny video about decluttering your socks. O my God, what a lof of cute socks! What did you do with the decluttered ones? Did you give them to charity or did you throw them into the trash?
Reply
Jess
10/26/2016 06:05:16 pm
Thank you :) I researched quite a bit on what to do with used socks before decluttering. Unfortunately, the donation organizations in my area do not accept used socks. I saved some of them for dusting, others I gave to my family, and the ones that were left were thrown out.
Reply
Thomas
10/30/2016 02:42:54 pm
My 14year old daughter is always wearing colourful and/or patterned socks, the crazier the better, and almost wept reading that you threw out so many of them :) But I can imagine that what is appropriate to a teenage girl a young woman like you doesn't like any more. The socks she loved most in your video where the white socks with the red hearts. What happened to them? Did you give it to your family or did they go into the trash?
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Life can get stressful! My goal for this blog is to inspire others to step away from that stress and honor God with their lifestyle in the way He intends them to.
Archives
July 2016
Categories |