Life is filled with events and my event this last weekend was the Relay for Life Cancer Walk fundraiser. I have been preparing for this and another fundraiser for a month, so first let me apologize for not writing last month. It’s my goal to be here at least once a week from here on out.
So today’s topic, thanks to Maureen’s question, is how to decide what clothes to let go of when uncluttering your closet.
When I stand at my closet door I look into a deep dark hole: well just imagine, okay? Yes my closet has a light and yes my closet is a walk-in and no I don’t share my closet with my husband. He actually has a larger closet than mine. Okay, I’m standing there and I’m thinking I really need to clear out and take stock of what I own.
The dread begins because I know that not everything in that closet fits me. I’m losing weight so do I give away the clothes that are a little large or do I hold on to them? And what about the clothes that are a bit too snug that if I lose another ten pounds will be perfect to wear for summer?
So you see we all have the same dilemma.
Tips from Denise’s Closet
1. The easiest way to see everything you have is to pull absolutely everything out of your closet.
It is time to spring clean! Take this time to vacuum all those winter dust bunnies out from all their hiding places. Even shampoo the carpet if you have carpeted floors.
2. Categorize the clothing into seasons: So put fall & winter in a stack, spring in a stack, and summer in a stack.
This is a great time to make sure your hangers are standing up to the pressure of holding your clothes. Make sure your hands are clean so you won’t transfer any oils onto the clothing.
3. Let’s start with spring and summer clothing. Hold up each piece and ask yourself these questions:
a) when was the last time I wore this?
b) does it fit right now?
c) why am I keeping this? do I like it? was it a gift?
d) does it have stains on it?
If it does fit, and you know you like it and will wear it this spring and summer then by all means hang it up in your closet.
4) Moving on to out of season clothing, sweaters, coats.
Clothing like heavy winter sweaters need special care. You don’t want them ruined over the spring and summer because you didn’t pack them away properly. Let’s look at them first. I want you to ask yourself the four questions from the spring and summer section. Hold each piece up (try them on if you need to) and first decide if you still like the sweater, shirt, slacks, etc. You have to like the clothing you choose to wear.
If you don’t like your clothing; if you pass over it every time you reach into your closet to get something to wear it is time to let it go.
These questions give you a chance at making great decisions on what to keep in your closet. We all struggle with this at one time or another.
I just finished a woman’s closet where as I held up her clothing piece by piece she said KEEP / TOSS. I filled six boxes for donation. What a thrill it was for the ladies at the Domestic Violence Shelter to receive those clothes.
5) What to do with clothes that you need to store.
Okay, so you have bagged up all the clothes that no longer fit, clothes you didn’t like anyway, gifts that really could serve someone else more. So what do you do with all the ones that you truly like, that truly fit, that are worthy of you keeping?
Great question! Spring and summer clothing, should of course be hung up in your closet. Depending on your closet space, shape of your closet you could put the winter things at the back of the closet. But let’s say you didn’t have room in your closet for four seasons of clothes! Not many of us do.
One of the best inventions is the SpaceSaver bag. This is a quick, easy fix to where to put these things. The downside is that while these bags store your things within a small space when your clothing comes out they will definitely be wrinkled. These bags can then be stored under the bed, in the back of the closet or even in the attic or basement. Check on them periodically though because on occasion they can pop open (especially if you put too many things inside). I’ve tried all things in these bags and stuffed them as much as possible to try this out.
6) Coats should be cleaned before storing them. Being out in the weather, whether snow, ice or rain is hard on clothing. Always clean or dry clean your winter coat before packing it away for the summer. If you live in the northern states you probably use a much heavier coat than in the south. Take care of the fabrics of the clothing and they will last much longer. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to store a down feather or ski jacket type coat in a Space Saver bag. With leather I think I would ask the dry cleaner what bag to store it in.
Personally I live in a wonderful temperate climate where I rarely wear a heavy coat. I went to the mountains in March and saw snow for the first time in years. It was beautiful, but I didn’t own a winter coat for that climate. I enjoy the beaches of southeastern North Carolina much more than the Appalachian Mountains in my state.
Well, I hope this helps Maureen and all of you with your closet spring cleaning. Remember to apply the questions to everything you wear.
And if you need more help!! Give me a call 910-620-6413. I work both virtually and in person with my clients helping them to Get Organized Today! Check out my website at www.progressiveorganizingsolutions.com and I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother’s Day!
That’s it for now. See you next time!
Denise
