It’s Monday morning and you’re late for work. You pull open your closet doors, only to have a pile of clothes fall out. How can you prevent this from happening again? Decluttering clothes from your wardrobe can help you in many ways, including enjoying a simpler, less stressful lifestyle and even saving money.
Read on to learn about how to start decluttering clothes in your wardrobe.
What Is Decluttering?
First of all, what is decluttering? The decluttering process is when one gets rid of (donates, gives away) personal possessions that are either:
- 1. No longer in commission (garbage or junk)
- 2. Not used enough to justify owning
More specifically, decluttering clothes is the process of donating, recycling or throwing away any items of clothing, shoes or accessories that do not serve a purpose or spark joy. Decluttering clothes is part of a larger movement of minimalism where you only own items that you’ll actually wear.
Why Declutter Your Clothes?
The process of decluttering your clothes can be overwhelming. However, the pros of undertaking this task drastically outweigh the cons (mostly, time and effort required). Here are the top reasons to declutter your clothes and enjoy a clutter-free, minimalist wardrobe:
1. Reduce Stress and Anxiety
An obvious reason you should declutter your clothes: when you own less, you’ll spend less mental energy looking at everything you own. When you aren’t digging through piles of old clothing, you’ll feel at peace knowing you can find what you need quickly.
2. Declutter Clothes and Save Money in the Long Run
When you declutter your wardrobe and own only the essentials, you can actually save money in the long run. How? Here are two examples ot demonstrate how clutter can cost you:
The Reception Dress
Let’s say that you have a reception coming up tomorrow, but you can’t find your little black dress you usually wear to formal events. Why? Little do you know it’s buried under a pile of jeans and sweatshirts that you haven’t worn in two years.
Since you’re in a rush and your day is already packed with finishing a client project and preparing dinner for the family, you rush out to the store and buy a new dress that costs $100. The day after the wedding, you come across the dress you were looking for and let out a sigh of frustration. You didn’t need the dress, but you were in a rush and couldn’t find your other one! The clutter has cost you $100! While this may be an extreme example, it does happen.
The Duplicate Red T-Shirt
Another common incident is when you own a red t-shirt, but you’ve forgotten you own one since it’s buried at the bottom of your closet. You go out and buy another red t-shirt that you don’t need since you forgot about the one you already own.
Declutter and Save Money
Incidents like the two above can cost you. When you have a clean closet where you can easily access clothing, you can save money from avoiding the mistake of purchasing duplicate items – whether intentionally or unintentionally.
3. Strengthen Family Relationships and Reduce Tension
Aside from feeling relaxed and more at peace and saving money, decluttering wardrobe items you no longer need can strengthen relationships. How exactly? If you live with a partner and he or she hates your cluttered mess, a cleaner closet will reduce tension. Got kids? When they see you and your partner living a more relaxed lifestyle, they’ll feel more relaxed as well. Additionally, when you commit to a clutter-free lifestyle starting with your clothing, you’re setting a good example for them.
4. Save Time When Moving
Decluttering before a move can help you save time. How? When you don’t have tons of junk laying around, you’ll spend less time packing. Additionally, you won’t bring the cluttered mess to your new home. Start fresh with a new home and less stuff – it’ll feel great! Decluttering before moving might be overwhelming. To avoid stress, try to declutter first. Take a week break or so before you start the packing process. When decluttering and packing, take breaks – for example, a 15 minute break for every hour of packing and decluttering. Small steps contribute to huge progress when decluttering for a move!
Steps to Undertake Before Decluttering Clothes
Step 1. Determining Your Reason for Decluttering Clothes
Before beginning the seemingly monumental task of decluttering clothes, the first step on your decluttering list is determining your ‘why’ and setting goals.
If you’re single, write down you reasons in a journal. Set aside an hour or so on a weekday or weekend evening to sit on the couch with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, a pen and notebook. Write down the following questions and answer them in your own words:
“Why am I decluttering my closet?”
“What will I gain from decluttering my wardrobe? How will I help myself and others around me?”
“How will I continue living a clutter-free lifestyle and continue owning a minimalist wardrobe?”
Journalling your thoughts will help you remember your ‘why’ and keep motivated. Decluttering can be a huge task and there’s no shame in admitting that it can even be overwhelming at times. However, it’s possible – if you put your mind to it! When you’re feeling overwhelmed about decluttering clothes, go back and read your journal. Reflect on your ‘why.’
Additionally, plan a reward for yourself once you’ve successfully completed your decluttering routine. This can be anything from simple pleasures such as making a homemade iced latte and enjoying it on the back deck to treating yourself to a mini getaway to a nearby town.
Step 2. Being Accountable with Family and Friends
While your main focus should be decluttering your closet and living a simpler, minimalist lifestyle, if you live with family, you’ll need to get them on board. Be sure to communicate with your parter or spouse about the process and reasons for decluttering. Since you and your partner live together, ask him or her whether he or she wants to declutter his or her clothing as well. While the ultimate decision lies with him or her about his or her clothing, it’s a good idea if both of you commit to decluttering.
If you’re single and live alone, you can find an accountability partner to help you. Why not ask a friend who wants to declutter as well? Set aside an hour per week to go out for coffee and talk about your struggles and progress when decluttering.
Like This Article? Pin It!
Decluttering Clothes – How Do You Organize When You Have Too Many?
So you’ve made a commitment to yourself that you’re going to declutter clothes from your wardrobe that you no longer need. You have a pile of clothes and shoes. A sense of overwhelm starts to set in. “How do I declutter when I have too many clothes?” Not to worry! Decluttering clothes is a simple process. Here are the steps involved in decluttering clothes from your wardrobe.
Step 1: Pull All Clothing Out of Your Closets and Drawers
First on your decluttering checklist: pull all clothing you own out of their respective storage spaces. Dump all clothing onto the floor or onto your bed. You’ll be sorting all clothing one by one. It looks messy now, but it’ll be worth it! Do a thorough sweep and dusting of your closet and drawers before you put any clothing back.
Step 2: Determine Whether to Keep or Get Rid of Clothing
For each item you own, you’ll need to decide whether it’s an item that’s worn out beyond repair, an item you don’t wear enough or a duplicate item of another piece you already own. If the item of clothing doesn’t fit into any of these three categories, you can safely re-hang it on your hanger or fold it to be put back in your dresser.
Here are the three reasons you should give away clothing, shoes and accessories. Before you go through each item of clothing, find 4 laundry baskets or large boxes. Sorting items into boxes will make decluttering fast – since you know where everything will go, you’ll save time when sending items to their final destination. Get a piece of paper, tape and a marker. Label each bin with ‘Throw Away,’ ‘Repair,’ ‘Donate’ and ‘Keep.’ Next, go through each item of clothing and determine whether to throw away, mend, donate or keep the item. Here are some handy tips so you know which items should be thrown away or mended:
1. Clothing Worn Out and Beyond Repair
The most obvious types of clothing, shoes and accessories that should be tossed: items that are worn and beyond repair. If your t-shirt has a rip on the seam and can be sewn, keep it – don’t throw away items of clothing that can be fixed. However, if your dress is full of moth holes or is completely piled, you can safely toss it in the trash.
2. Clothing You Don’t Wear Enough
When decluttering clothes, aside from worn-out clothing, any pieces that you don’t wear enough can likely be given away. Aside from special items you may only need once in a while such as a formal dress for a wedding, these pieces simply take up space in your closet. Additionally, extra clutter in your closet and drawers wastes your time. How? When you’re sifting through nine t-shirts to find the one you do wear on a regular basis, you’re taking time out of your day. A few minutes wasted here and there can really add up. If the clothing is in good condition or can be mended, put it in the ‘donate’ bin.
How to Declutter a Closet with the 30 Day Decluttering Challenge
Not sure if you should keep or give away an item of clothing? Learn how to declutter a closet or dresser easily by trying out the 30 day decluttering challenge. Place all items of clothing on the left side of your dresser and hang all items of clothing in your closet on the left side. After you’ve worn an item of clothing once, move it to the right side of your dresser. After 30 days, go through each item that’s still on the left side of your dresser. With the exception of speciality items or seasonal pieces that may hang in the closet for a few months (for example, you likely won’t wear sweaters when it’s July), you can donate the items.
3. Duplicate Clothing, Shoes and Accessories
No decluttering bedroom checklist is complete without finding and removing duplicate items. Do you own 3 pairs of black skinny jeans or 2 pairs of white wedge heels? If so, you can likely get rid of the duplicate items. With the exception of staple items like plain white or black t-shirts, duplicate items take up room in your closet. You don’t really need 3 red handbags that look the same, do you now?!
Quality vs. Quantity When Decluttering Clothes
If you own multiple items that are on the cheaper end, work towards a wardrobe of quality over quantity. For example, invest in one nicer handbag rather than three cheaper handbags. You’ll look nicer and you’ll own pieces that last longer.
When you buy higher-quality items that last longer, the cost per wear is generally cheaper. Here’s an example to demonstrate my point:
Cheap Flats vs. Quality Flats
Let’s say you buy a pair of cheap flats for $20. These flats only last you one season. Over the course of five years, you spend a total of $100 by re-purchasing the same pair of shoes five times. On the other hand, let’s say that going forward, you decide to invest in a higher-quality pair of flats. So, you buy a pair for $50. These shoes also last you 5 seasons. Over the course of 5 years, you’ve saved $50. While this doesn’t seem like a lot of money, investing in higher-quality clothing also:
- Helps the environment as you aren’t constantly throwing away shoes
- Saves you time by only needing to go to the store once instead of five times
- Allows you to look more polished – generally, higher-quality clothing looks better!
Again, $50 isn’t a lot of money. However, if you apply this principle to your entire wardrobe, you’ll save tons of money in the long run!
Step 3: Organize Your Clothing by Category
After you’ve sorted your clothing into your ‘Throw Away,’ ‘Mend,’ ‘Donate’ and ‘Keep’ bins, bring the bins to be donated and thrown away to a separate room – maybe even the front lobby in your home. Move the ‘Mend’ bin into your sewing room (if you have one) or set it aside for later – for example, if your family member is going to help you sew up your clothing.
Dump all clothing in the ‘keep’ pile onto your floor or bed. Go through each item of clothing one by one and determine its place. Fold clothing and keep alike pieces with each other – for example, jeans should be folded and stacked together. Find the matching pairs of socks and fold them in together. Socks are a common cause of wardrobe declutter. Can’t find the matching pair after 30 days? Get rid of it – you don’t need stray socks laying around! Blouses and shirts should be hung beside each other in the closet.
If any pieces of clothing are dirty or wrinkled, set them aside to be washed and folded first.
Step 4: Restock Your Wardrobe
You’ve completed the decluttering and organising part of the process. Since you’ve gotten rid of so many items, you may need to restock your closet with some essentials! Time to go shopping! Why no commit to stocking a minimalist capsule wardrobe where you only own essential pieces that can be mixed and matched with multiple items?
Go through your newly-organized closet and determine if you’re missing any items. “How many clothes should I own?” you might say. The answer can vary from person to person, but here’s a list to help you get started of the essential items everyone should own. Your closet should contain the following items:
- One plain t-shirt each in black and white
- Black blazer
- Black dress pants
- Dark jeans
- Leather jacket
- Denim jacket
- Black handbag (women)
- Plain white tennis or running shoes
- Trench coat in tan or black
- Black shoes – 1-inch heels for women or black dress shoes for men
- Neutral-colored silver or gold watch – or digital if you like!
Want to be even more frugal and thrifty? Try out thrift stores first before buying retail. Buying secondhand costs a fraction of the price of buying retail. By purchasing used, you’ll also help cut down on emissions factories produce when making new clothing.
Decluttering Clothes: Committing to a Clutter-Free Closet
So you’ve decluttered your closet and have stocked your closet with the essentials for a minimalist wardrobe. It doesn’t stop there! A clutter-free lifestyle goes beyond doing a one-time cleanup spree. Set aside 15 minutes every day to clean clothing off the floor and re-hang clothing in your closet.
When you clean as you go, you’ll avoid clothing piling up and won’t need to spend hours decluttering months down the road. You’ll also enjoy a more peaceful and relaxed life. When you aren’t spending your day looking at the mess in your room, you’ll feel less stressed out.
A Final Word on Decluttering Clothes
Decluttering clothes takes some work, but it’s well worth the effort. You’ll reduce stress, will save money and enjoy the benefits of owning higher-quality pieces as part of a minimalist capsule wardrobe. Not sure if you can commit to decluttering your entire wardrobe? Start with one area of your closet – maybe your t-shirts or sweaters? If you need more motivation, why not take a decluttering before and after photo to see the progress you’ve made in each area of your bedroom? You can also check Pinterest for some decluttering motivation and tips.
Set achievable goals and celebrate your accomplishments. Your mental and financial health are worth it!
Like This Article? Pin It!
Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
