How to Start Decluttering your Wardrobe
Photo by Vie Studio
Whether it’s the start of a new season for you or your wardrobe is just becoming too much to handle, it’s always a good idea to declutter! After cleaning out my closet I always find myself feeling lighter and less stressed about what to wear.
But where should you even start? Closets can be overwhelming. And as a mum, we don’t always have the time to dedicate to such an ordeal! First of all, know that decluttering your wardrobe is a process– it doesn’t have to happen all at once.
So let’s break down step by step how to effectively declutter your closet for long-lasting organization!
Pull everything out
The first thing you’ll want to do is pull everything out. Now before you get overwhelmed by the thought of every piece of clothing you own sprawled out over your bedroom floor, know that you can do this part in stages! Pick one clothing category and pull out all of those types of pieces first. This could be jeans, skirts, sweaters, t-shirts– anything! Breaking down the decluttering process into these smaller categories will help it feel more achievable.
Ask yourself some questions!
Now that you have everything laid out from one category, it’s time to ask yourself the hard questions. These help you determine what is and is not worth keeping. Some questions I like to ask myself include:
- Are there multiples? (maybe keep one or two)
- Does it fit? (if not, then toss it!)
- Have you worn it in the past year? (if you haven’t it’s probably time to say goodbye)
No matter your answers to these questions, know that there is absolutely no guilt or shame. Do you want to get rid of that top that you only wore once? That’s okay! It’s better to let go of things we don’t use than hold onto them out of guilt. Then moving forward we learn to be more intentional about the pieces we buy!
Get a Donation Box
Once you’ve separated the items you’re ready to part with from your wardrobe, it’s time to donate them! Find an old cardboard or storage box to put these items into. Our family likes to keep an empty donation box in our garage that we fill with unused items as we no longer need them. Then, look into local thrift stores, homeless shelters, or non-profits that take donations so your clothes will find new life rather than end up in a landfill.
Find an Organization System
With the clothes you have left in your wardrobe, it’s important to find a sustainable organization system– and everyone’s is different! Some people prefer to organize their clothes by color and others by item type. Pick whatever system makes sense to you and delegate spaces in your closet to each category. Maybe sweaters get one drawer and dresses get hung up on the far left side of your closet. Whatever your system is, stick to it! This will make finding the clothes you want easier and make putting away clean laundry faster than ever.
Re-Evaluate Regularly
This part is the hardest for me (but maybe the most important!). Maintaining a decluttered closet can feel impossible, especially when we accumulate new things and our style changes. To prevent reentering the cycle of an overcrowded and cluttered wardrobe I suggest committing to regular check-ins. Maybe this is once a month or around the change of each season.
Whenever it works for you, take a short inventory of your closet and pick out the things that you’re not wearing anymore. It doesn’t have to be a whole annual ordeal when regular maintenance is in place!
Decluttering your wardrobe might feel like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be! Maybe the new year is your chance to start. Break down the process into these simple steps to uncover a simply organized closet that makes sense to you.