Three Easy Questions to Answer When Addressing Closet Clutter.

Closets can quickly become cluttered and chaotic. Rarely do clothing items leave at the same rate they come in. When deciding whether to keep an item of clothing, ask yourself these three questions.

1. Have I worn it in the last 12 months?

2. Do I even like it, let alone love it?

3. If I didn’t own it, would I buy it again?

   
   

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to let the item go. Additionally, purge clothing that is two sizes too small or too big for your current body. There’s nothing worse than feeling emotionally burdened by your clothing every day. One exception to this would be post pregnancy as you would need a good deal of time to discover whether or not you will go back to the same size you were before being pregnant.

While decluttering your closet, you might find items that you answer “no” to all three questions, but could still justify keeping. These items would be sentimental items like your high school letter jacket, your sorority sweater, your wedding shoes, or a tshirt signed by your favorite band. These items should not occupy valuable space in your closet unless you have room to spare. Consider having a separate memory bin in the garage or a storage space for special items like these.

Another exception is in the costume category. These items can also have a separate bin or area as you are likely not dressing up in costume on a regular basis. If you are being brutally honest though, you can probably say goodbye to the opportunity to wear a costume for a second time.

Tip: Keep a donation bag or bin near your closet to regularly declutter items. If you find yourself avoiding a certain sweater because the neckline drives you crazy, don’t put it back in your closet, just throw it in the donation bin. Additionally, as you wear your clothing, you can rehang it with the hanger the opposite direction (backward instead of forward) to see which items you have not worn. Note the date that you begin this practice and after 6-12 months you can easily see which items you have not worn, making their trip to the donation bin an easy decision.