March 22, 2023
How to Stop Being a Clothes Hoarder
Today I am going to be talking about one of my favorite topics: decluttering your clothes and how to stop being a clothes hoarder!!
***Insert squeal of delight.***
I have a system for organizing clothes that I came up with many years ago. With this system, I never have to “clean out my closet” because it always stays cleaned out.
Oh, and yes, my clothes are still crammed in pretty tight because I do not have a great big walk in closet all to myself. I have a small walk-in closet that I share with my husband.
His clothes actually take up more of the closet than mine do, in my opinion. He might disagree with me though.
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Clothes are one of my favorite things in the world. If I were to hoard anything, this is what it would be. If you find that you have a tendency to keep too many clothes in your closet, and maybe even shoved into every closet in your house, this is for you.
The only Carrie Bradshaw quote I ever cared for: “I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.” (or something like that)
I have a surefire clothing closet and drawers organizing system that will help you stop being a clothes hoarder forever.
Step 1: Watch the video below.
I will write it out, but I explain and show you the whole system in the video. It explains everything.
Step 2: If you haven’t cleaned out your closet in a long time, go through your clothes one by one and pull out anything that is too small, too big, too ugly, or too uncomfortable.
If you never want to wear it, you don’t need it.
Pile all those clothes in a donation bag, and drop them off anywhere that accepts used clothes. If you notice, there are usually donation bins around even in grocery store parking lots to drop off clothes.
Step 3: Organize your closet into sections.
I divide mine into these sections:
-shirts and casual dresses for the current season
-shirts and casual dresses that are out of season
-jackets and sweaters
-event and church dresses
We added this drop-down rod to create another section to hang clothes in my little closet.
Step 4: Time to start your new system: Filing your clothes to the back to keep your clothes constantly rotated.
I explain this in the video more thoroughly.
Basically, every time you hang an item in your closet, file that item to the back of its section. This also helps make sure you don’t just wear the same five items over and over again.
Then when it is time to get dressed, you grab the first appropriate item for the occasion from its section.
You do not have to wear the very front shirt. But it helps you decide what to wear. I hate making decisions, so this is a HUGE reason I do this too.
I look at the front shirt, and if it doesn’t fit what I’m doing that day, I go to the next one, until I find one that is right.
Some days there are still days that NONE of my shirts are right. Ha! Then I just go back to the front and grab the first decent one.
This way you will rotate through all of your clothes. If a shirt spends too much time in the front spot, that is a red flag that you never seem to want or need that shirt. Maybe it is time to hand it off to the donation bag.
Obviously, super fancy clothes will not be needed often. I only own one that still fits, so no rotating required. I just keep it behind the rest of my event/church dresses.
I have been using this system for years, and I love the results of it. This is how I keep a reasonable amount of clothes in my closet instead of drowning in clothes.
Now I know when I see a shirt in front for several days, and I look at it and think, “Nyahhhh Bleh, not that one,” it’s time for that item to go.
Step 5: Set your drawers up for success too.
I do not do this with all of my clothing types, like pajamas and socks, etc. But maybe I should!
So this is what I do with pants. I have one drawer for winter pants and one drawer for summer pants/shorts/skirts.
I file from left to right. The left is the front, the far right is the back. When I add laundered pants, they go on the last row, and I scoot the others forward.
This works the same way as my closet. I discover which ones I actually never wear because they spend too long hanging out in row one.
Currently, that spot is occupied by my leggings, but I have to keep leggings because when I do need them, nothing else will do.
If a pair is often too tight, I move them to the back row the day that they are snug. Usually, when they come around again, they fit fine. But if they are always tight and miserable, they gotta go.
Then I have my in-between season pants, pictured here. Most of my shorts are packed and stored under my bed until summer. But these above-ankle length pants will get more space to spread out once I have stored a few of the winter pants away for the summer.
All total, I feel like I do own a lot of pants, but that is because I have finally managed to stay the same pants size for the past seven years. It’s getting iffy lately though….
So in conclusion, I think this is an AWESOME way to manage your inventory of clothes!!
It is so efficient for me. Now I just need to find a system like this for shoes!!
For more organizing and declutter tips, check out my articles on decluttering storage rooms or this one on a compact and safe way to preserve photos and memorabilia.
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