Are you sick of me talking about purging closets yet? I know, I know… I talk about it a lot. Especially on Instagram and then last week with my minimalism challenge. I swear it comes from a good place. Cleaning closets & organizing junk around the house is something I firmly believe in doing on a regular basis to keep myself sane. So, I thought it may be fun to share my closet clean out rules. I have a pretty good routine down when I start a closet clean out and below I have three rules I keep in mind while deciding what to keep, what to donate & possibly sell.
Keep the classics if in good condition
All I’m saying here is… know when it’s time to part ways. Classics such as black dresses, blazers, good denim, and white button-down tops are all great to have year-round and what I consider to be investment pieces. However, if that black dress has lost it’s shape or the denim looks a little too worn, it may be time to part ways. And re-invest. Hopefully, if you bought quality items to begin with, you’ve already had the pieces for a few years. That should justify your upgrade.
Try to make money, but also donate
Honestly, the more I realize how much money I can make getting rid of clothes, the more I want to do it. I don’t make a fortune, or near what I paid for all the clothes I sell. But, I do get something back. And the amount may be good enough to foot the grocery bill for a week or buy a new trendy handbag. So I’m all about it. Outlets I use to sell my used clothes are local consignment shops, Poshmark (only my new with tags or very gently used items) and ThredUp. All three have been a recipe for success for me, so I’m sticking to it. I’d also like to stress donation on items that may be too worn to sell. Never throw away your clothes unless they are beyond wear or repair. Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any local organizations can take them and repurpose for those in need.
The one year rule
I’ve come across of lot of statements such as “if you haven’t worn it in 6 months, get rid of it”. Well, in the Midwest, our winter alone can last six months, giving our poor summer wardrobe barely a chance to be worn anyway. So, I go by the one year rule. If I bought an item last summer and didn’t wear it this summer, get rid of it. Same for winter. If it hasn’t seen the light of day for over a year, what are the chances it will again? I totally understand the one-off scenarios, but be honest with yourself and simply get rid of it when it’s time.
Do you have any rules you stick by when cleaning closets?
xoxo. B
