One of my favorite things to do is help clients purge their closet. When I say closet, I mean wardrobe. Your wardrobe can hide in other parts of the house: Dad’s shirts housed in his son’s closet, mom’s shoes in the garage, or your blouses in the “ironing baskets” like we used to have in my house growing up.
You have so much stuff and so little space that you put things where they’ll fit. Totally understandable! You probably know where to find the items when you want them. The stress comes when you’re running from room to room in the morning, assembling an outfit. It just doesn't feel right to have your wardrobe spread throughout the house. It’d be so much easier to have everything in one place, and know exactly what you have.
So, you know that purging your wardrobe would reduce stress, but you’re overwhelmed and have so little time. Or maybe you have issues with attention.
Read on for my step-by-step method to easily and thoroughly purge your wardrobe, and get ready to say HELLO to all the shoes, sweaters, and bags that spark your joy!
Here’s the Secret...
You’re going to purge your wardrobe by category. This keeps the whole process manageable for you. Start today with shoes. Tomorrow, do work clothes. You get it!
Time
Choose a time frame to complete the whole wardrobe purge that fits you, e.g. 1 week.
Set aside an hour or two each time.
Tip: Do two or three smaller categories at a time, and give larger categories their own days.
Your Tools
Bin or basket for hauling items from one part of the house to another
Staging area
Bins, baskets, or bags for: donation, consignment, trash, repair.
Pen and paper for notes
Ziploc bags for small items
Tasty beverage and great music
Tips
When purging, the Organizer’s mantra is “keep, donate, trash, repair”.
Items in categories usually overlap… For example, you might wear a work blouse to brunch with friends. Put it into its most-used category.
You will only keep what sparks joy in you.
Your choice: start with your largest category or start with smallest categories and work your way up.
The Categories (for ladies and gents)
Everyday, casual tops: sweaters, t-shirts, polos, blouses
Everyday, casual bottoms: jeans, trousers
Work clothes
Dresses / suits
Workout wear
Shoes
Undergarments
Socks/hosiery
Bags
Accessories
Jewelry
The Method One. Do any remaining laundry. (I know, no fun!) You need to know what you have, and donated items must be clean.
Two. Know what you have. This means walking through the house and locating where all the items in that category are.
Tip: Want to feel like a pro organizer? Do what I do and mark the general items and their locations on a clipboard. Use a fancy pen.
Tip: Do steps one and two on the same day.
Three. Pick your category. Shoes? Sweaters? Dresses? Your choice!
Four. Set your intention. Setting intention keeps you focused and reminds you why you're purging. Example: "It's my intention to purge my wardrobe so I can stop wasting money and time, and feel great in my clothes."
Five. Set yourself up for success: establish your staging area which is where you'll be sorting and deciding. Set up your bins for donation, trash, and repair and consignment (if applicable).
Six. Bring all the category’s items from around the house to your staging area.
Seven. Separate them neatly into further categories, e.g. shoes into flats, heels, sneakers.
Eight. Decide, “Does this give me joy?”
Touch each item. Hold it in your hands and feel it.
Yes? Keep!
Meh or no? Get rid of it! Put it into the appropriate bin.
Nine. Clean up.
Throw away the trash.
Put donation, consignment, and repair bags into the car.
Put your clothes back into your wardrobe or storage.
Ten. Pat yourself on the back and reward yourself.
Good job! You did it!
Would you like guidance and accountability on your decluttering journey? Schedule a free in-home consultation with me!
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