It’s time for spring cleaning, and that includes your wardrobe! Here’s how to declutter your closet and choose the best future for all your clothes.
Pull Everything Out and Sort It
This method is suggested in Mari Kondo’s wildly popular book on decluttering and works pretty well despite being a bit messy at the start. Start by gathering all your clothes into one spot to give yourself a realistic idea of how much you actually own. From there, create piles for:
• Keeping
• Mending
• Donating
• Recycling
• Repurposing
Be sure to put only items you like and will wear in your “keep” and “mend” piles. If you feel unsure about a clothing item that you haven’t worn in a while try repurposing it or donating it so that someone else can get joy out of it.
Get Rid of What You Can’t Wear
If you have an item of clothing you’ve been telling yourself you’ll fit into again “someday” for years, now is the time to part with it. The same goes for items with purely sentimental value and anything you’ve previously felt guilty about getting rid of.
As soon as possible, donate or sell items still in wearable condition, and recycle anything badly stained or damaged beyond repair.
Turn Old Clothes into New Treasures
Clothes in need of a little pick-me-up can be repurposed into new styles or entirely new items. Old t-shirts make great scarves or tank tops, too-small sweaters are easily refitted as cardigans, and oversized tees in good condition look stunning when they’re transformed into dresses.
If you’re in the mood to get even more creative, try:
• Turning jeans into a DIY draft stopper
• Using an old sweater to make a fun hat
• Creating hot and cold bags out of any colorful fabric
Start a Community Shoe Drive
You’re not the only one in the community doing spring cleaning, and sneakers are something just about everyone has hanging around in the back of the closet. Why not start an athletic shoe drive fundraiser to raise money for a local group, charity, or your own rainy day fund?
Athletic shoe drive fundraisers get new and gently-used sneakers out of cluttered closets and into the hands of people who need them while providing funds for the causes you care most about. By hosting a shoe drive through an organization, like GotSneakers, you’ll be able to earn $1 per pair of sneakers collected. Imagine how much you could raise if each member of the community donated just one pair!
Once you send in your collection bag, GotSneakers will sort and send the athletic shoes to impoverished countries around the world where they will take on a second life. Old shoes from your fundraiser could help citizens in these countries combat disease as well as gain admission to schools where adequate footwear is required.
Get started on decluttering your wardrobe today, and you’ll feel a lot better when you’re done. By weeding out the things you don’t really love, you can get a lot more enjoyment out of what remains in your closet.