The Easy Seasonal Hack to Keep Your Closet Organized
posted on October 15, 2019 | by Caitlyn Campbell
When “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” came to Netflix, I was hooked after the first episode. Her method is considered revolutionary. It’s why the show and her book are so successful. But, for all that I loved watching people clean their houses, I cannot commit to the Marie Kondo method, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one.
I don’t have the time (or to be completely honest, I don’t want to make the time) to go through my entire apartment and figure out what brings me joy and what doesn’t. I don’t want to fold my clothes so everything stands up, and I don’t want to buy more little bins and boxes to put stuff in. It’s a commitment that I just can’t make. However, I do want to keep my closet and drawers organized, and so this is my quick, and easy seasonal hack that helps me do it.
Only organize the clothes for the upcoming season
I organize and clean out my closet twice a year. I do it in when fall begins (usually in October) and when the warmer weather hits in the summer. Since I live in Canada, it doesn’t actually get really warm until July.
I only do this twice a year because that’s all the time I want to commit to organizing and cleaning out my closet. I have things that I find more important to do and so I spend the minimal amount of time on this – but I still get the results that I want.
FIRST PASS: ANYTHING YOU DIDN’T WEAR LAST YEAR GET RID OF
My main rule for organizing my closet is anything that I didn’t wear last fall/winter gets donated. It can seem harsh, but hear me out. If I didn’t wear something last year, I’m not going to wear it this year. There’s a reason I avoided it in my closet. Maybe it was a gift I received that I don’t like, but never returned, or there are things that don’t fit properly anymore, or things that have bad memories attached to them. Whatever the reason it is, those articles of clothing have to go.
Following this one rule will reduce the amount of clothing in your closet decently well. You’ll be surprised about what’s in your closet that you don’t like enough to wear.
SECOND PASS: IF YOU DON’T FEEL GOOD WEARING IT GET RID OF IT
We all have clothing in our closet that we don’t like, or that we don’t feel good wearing. We all buy stuff that we wear once or twice and realize that we don’t love it like we thought we did. Go through your closet and if you don’t feel good wearing it, get rid of it. Too often we hang onto clothing because there’s nothing wrong with it, or we paid good money for it, or someone gave it to us, but if you don’t feel good wearing something – if you don’t look in the mirror and think, “damn I look good!” then it’s time for it to go.
DONATING AND SELLING
I personally haven’t ever sold any of my clothes because I’m lazy and I find donating easier. There are, of course, tons of places online where you can sell clothing…if you want to make the effort. You can also look into consignment shops where the shop buys your clothes from you or gives you a commission when they sell your clothes. If you’re looking to make a bit of money, it’s a simple way to go about doing it.
In terms of donating, there are so many options for you to choose from. Thrift stores will take your clothes, and so will church missions, as well as other charities like The American Red Cross. Obviously, only donate clothes that are in decent condition.
After you’ve gone through your closet for things that you haven’t worn in the past year, and gone through it a second time for the things that you don’t feel good wearing, you’ll be surprised about how much free closet space you have. Just remember the next time you’re shopping to only buy (or try and only buy) things that you love and feel good in. Happy organizing!
Little Fish Says
Good suggestion! Not only for clothes, I do the same for all of my stuffs too. Anything that has not been used, or even touched over a year, I will throw them away. If the items are in good condition or completely new, I will donate them to the charity.
Pingback: 7 Things to Do For a Feel-Good Fall – Advice from a 30 Something