Five Tips on How to Declutter Your Wardrobe

Introduction – Five Tips on How to Declutter Your Wardrobe

It’s that time of year again—that time of year when people switch from summer to winter clothes. Many people use this as an opportunity to declutter their Wardrobe. Unfortunately, some people feel so overwhelmed by all the clutter that they open the Wardrobe only to shut it in dismay quickly.

In an article from your home and garden, professional organiser Natalie Jane from Be Organised talks about disorganisation causing stress in a similar vain to me:

‘Do you feel in control or out of control? Are your drawers bursting at the seams? Are shoes heaped on the floor, or hangers weighed down with multiple items? A disorganised wardrobe causes stress and anxiety and can be very overwhelming…

Decluttering your Wardrobe will help you get dressed quicker in the morning as you have a better overview of your clothes and only choose from items that you like and that fit you perfectly. You will be able to find everything in under a minute.

As the writer of an article on simplelionheartlife entitled ‘How to be Ruthless When Decluttering Your Wardrobe’ states:

Leaving you with a wardrobe you love where you can get plenty of use out of everything. Instead of only wearing a small selection of clothes from your Wardrobe.

Below, I will give five of my top tips on how to declutter your Wardrobe efficiently with minimal effort.

1. Get into Decluttering Mood

Decluttering, even the quick and efficient method I propose, can’t just be an afterthought to your regular cleaning. You must prepare for it and ensure you have the time to do it properly.

Start by setting aside a time in your calendar to do it. This method is known as time blocking. The time needed depends on your Wardrobe size, but I think an afternoon is a good starting point. Make sure to pencil in a short tea break halfway through and perhaps a little treat for when you are finished.

Make sure you have everything ready that you need for your decluttering project. I suggest the following items: A duster, sponge and soapy water, a tea towel, bin bags and some comfortable clothes to wear. You could also have a radio to listen to music or podcasts whilst decluttering.

2. Clear the space around the Wardrobe

Before starting your decluttering, make sure that the space around your Wardrobe and your bed is fully cleared to ensure you have enough space to temporarily take out the content of your Wardrobe and go through each item. Have three piles: One for clothing to keep, one for clothing to discard and one for clothing to sell or donate.

Cosmopolitan writer Jess Edwards suggests the following criteria for discarding and donating:

‘Toss:

Anything that is:

• Ripped
• Stained
• Super dirty
• Too worn to give away into a big bin liner.

Sell:

Put everything that you don’t want to keep that’s still in a good condition or of value in a box.’

3. Sort by Category

For quick and efficient decluttering, go through each clothing category independently, for example, all socks, all jumpers etc. This applies whether you aim to create a Capsule-Wardrobe, Personal Uniform or simply reduce the number of items you have.

Apart from the obvious, I mentioned in the previous section, inspect each item and ask yourself questions about whether you are likely to wear it again and whether it fits. If in doubt, try it on. If you don’t like it and if it doesn’t fit, toss it. I know some people have medical issues causing their weight to fluctuate, but loads convince themselves that clothing worn 20 years ago will fit again with the proper diet. Be realistic and ruthless!

Professional Organiser Virginia, who worked with Cosmopolitan writer Jess Edwards gives us a detailed list of questions to ask while decluttering:

• Does it fit?
• Have you worn it in the last year? Because if you haven’t, you’ll probably never wear it again. (Excluding occasion-wear).
• Does it have a history or special meaning? You should keep it! Find a place outside of your Wardrobe to store it, where it won’t get dusty.
• Does it make you feel good?
• Does it go with other things in your Wardrobe?
• Is it in good condition? If not, can it easily be fixed? Will you actually get fixed?
• Is it annoying or uncomfortable to wear?

If you are still unsure about a specific item of clothing, keep it, but hang it back in the Wardrobe with the hanger the wrong way around. Then, return it with the hanger the right way around once you’ve worn it. Finally, toss everything with the hangers still the wrong way around at your next decluttering session, as this proves you haven’t worn those items.

4. Clean the Wardrobe thoroughly

Clean the Wardrobe thoroughly, making sure there is no dust or anything in the Wardrobe that shouldn’t be there. Once it is dry, put all the clothing neatly back.

There are several ways to store clothing; a lot depends on the Wardrobe size and whether you prefer to hang, fold or roll your clothing. Watch this space for a more detailed article on how to best store your dress.

5. Donate Immediately after decluttering your wardrobe

Any item you don’t wish to keep, and that is still in good nick, donate or sell quickly. The last thing you want is a beautiful wardrobe but unsightly binbags in front of it. Or the temptation to take some of the items back out.

Most charity shops are desperate for good quality clothing. So please don’t feel bad about having bought and not worn it, don’t hold on to it for that reason. Instead, think about how someone will get joy out of it. Shelby Abraham of Little Coffee Box nicely summarises why donating clothes is good:

This might seem rather obvious, but donate your clothes! It will be much harder to justify getting rid of clothing if you know it is bound for the garbage. Instead, see if there is a second-hand store nearby that will accept your gently used clothing. Fashion is one of the leading contributors to climate crisis thanks to the prominence of fast fashion, and you certainly don’t want to be a part of the problem! There are millions of people across the country who would love the opportunity to buy your lovely clothing. Who knows? The clothing you give away could be the difference between a young adult getting their first job or not. Your donation can make someone feel fabulous, powerful, and confident. That cute dress you never wear could be the dress someone wears on a magical first date.

Conclusion – Five Tips on How to Declutter Your Wardrobe

I hope the five tips above have given you some ideas about how to declutter your Wardrobe.

If you are still stuck, need more advice, or want my help, please get in touch with [email protected].

trabantbettina

Bettina Anna Trabant, Founder of Life Organised, your professional organising and decluttering service in East London. Eco-conscious minimalist and avid tea drinker,