Decluttering Clothes – How to Have Minimalist Approach to Your Wardrobe

 

How often do you stare at your closet full of clothes and think, “…I have nothing to wear?”

 

This used to be me all the time! I’m going to share with you how I went from hundreds of pieces of clothing, down to approximately 50 pieces in my closet.

 

I want you to be able to find peace in your bedroom by decluttering clothes in your closet.

 

 

Before Decluttering My Clothing

 

I use to be so bogged down with clothes. We have small closets.

 

The first couple of years in our home, I had clothing in our bedroom closet, in the closet in the spare bedroom, a dresser in our bedroom, and in a small dresser in the spare room.

 

I had so many t-shirts, I wish I had counted how many I have gotten rid of. I was only keeping them because of the memories I thought they held.

 

The day came when I got pregnant and we had to change the spare room into the nursery. I had no choice, but to get my clothes out of there.

 

I did my best, but there were still many clothing items in the nursery closet.

 

After the baby came I was constantly getting frustrated with all of the “stuff” in our house. We felt cramped and everything seemed cluttered.

 

It was like this strange, heavyweight that sat on me every time I opened a closet or dresser drawer.

 

What was I going to do with all of my clothes? My daughter would one day need her own closet.

 

I dreamed of a beautiful, oversized closet and practically drooled over others’ walk-in closets.

 

I started reading about ways to organize your clothes and even bought a few organization items. Then, one day, I read a quote like this:

 

“Do you need to get more organized or do you have too much stuff?”

 

That was it. Something changed that day. I started going through my clothes and really analyzing them.

 

I’ve spent a year decluttering clothing multiple times. It has been so refreshing to do an ongoing purge of my closet and dresser.

 

 I’d be lying if I said I didn’t daydream about a walk-in closet, but I no longer feel envious of those that have them.

 

I actually smile when I look into my half of the closet and all of my favorite pieces are hanging right there in one place.

 

Turns out, those t-shirts I had, still have the memories, even though they are gone.

 

After Decluttering Clothing

 

I currently have roughly 50 pieces hanging in my closet.

 

This includes my nice shirts, dresses, skirts, jackets, hoodies, and one pair of slacks.

 

My t-shirts, jeans, workout clothes, comfy clothes, and undergarments are in my dresser.

 

My dresser is not overflowing and has plenty of wiggle room.

 

There is room in there for my hair products and other random items we need to store in the bedroom.

 

Finding a home for items that normally sit out is what really creates peace for me in the bedroom. A cleared-off dresser somehow brings a clearer mind.

 

What Decluttering Your Clothing Will Do For You

 

• Decluttering Clothing will leave only the items in your closet that you love. It will be easier to decide what to wear each morning.

• You won’t feel guilty when seeing certain items that you’ve been holding onto our of a sense of obligation.

• You will learn what your style is.

• You will notice how much money you have wasted on clothing and begin to make smarter purchases.

 

Doesn’t all of this sound great?! Let’s get started!

 

Tips for Your Decluttering Clothing

 

How to declutter clothes fast

 

You, too, can have this peace within your bedroom and not be overwhelmed with clothing and material items.

 

Here are some quick tips for clearing out your closet and how to declutter fast.

 

1.) Get prepared

 

Designate a space to put the items you are going to get rid of. I recommend having a couple of trash bags and/or boxes handy.

 

You will need 4 piles:

 

• trash

• donate

• sell

• unsure

 

Decide beforehand what will be happening with your unwanted clothes.

 

Will they go to a donation center, will you arrange for a pickup, or will you sell them? More on this later.

 

2.) Start taking items out of your closet, one by one, and make 4 different piles.

 

You need to touch each item and decide what to do with it as you take it out. Make the decision fast, don’t linger. Even though I had you make 4 piles I really want you to try and focus on just two piles.

 

Focus on loving your item or leaving your item. This means most items need to go in the donation or trash pile and the pieces that you absolutely love you can keep.

 

You are here decluttering clothing. You are not here to go through the process, only to end up with a closet that is still full of clothing.

 

You of course still have the other piles as well, so utilize them. I will speak more on your “sell” and “unsure” piles in a minute.

 

Go through the process of deciding to “love it or leave it” until all of the clothes are out of your closet.

 

3.) Go through your “sell” pile

 

Okay so while l do understand that selling the clothing you have decluttering sounds like a wise thing to do.

 

I think it’s a great idea to try and get back some of your money, but this prolongs the process of getting the clutter out of your house. 

 

I have had very little luck selling clothes from my closet after have decluttered my closet.

 

This takes time and effort that I’m not always willing to put in.

 

If you are willing to take the time to sell your decluttered clothing then go for it. Just don’t let the clothes sit in your home forever, unsold.

 

Decide what will be worth selling and what needs to really go in the donation pile. 

 

Immediately take pictures and place the items on Facebook, Poshmark, or platform of your choice. Do not put this off. 

 

4.) Go through your “unsure” pile

 

You need to quickly make one last decision about this pile. Here are some quick tips for dealing with decluttering clothing from your unsure pile:

 

• try things on and only keep what fits and flatters you

 

• donate items that don’t fit anymore – do not hold onto things hoping you will fit into them later

 

• if you think you might fix it… just get rid of it, you haven’t fixed it up to this point, what makes you think this time will be any different

 

• if you feel guilty because someone gave it to you, it’s okay to get rid of it, you haven’t been wearing it anyways

 

• if you feel guilty because it was an expensive piece, it is okay to get rid of it, you already spent the money on it, just let it go and learn from your buying mistake

 

4.) Say Goodbye to Your Clothes

 

Put the trash bags, full of donation items, in your car so you can drop it off at a donation center when you are out and about.

 

You can also arrange for a donation pick up online, with Veterans of America. You set the items out on your doorstep and they will come to pick them up.

 

Scheduling for a pickup can help motivate you to get the decluttering done.

 

5.) Put Your Clothes Back and Organize Your Closet

 

Now is the time to put your clothes back and organize your closet. If you are finding that your closet is still very cramped then you may need to consider decluttering more clothing than you already have.

 

Having less stuff makes it way easier to stay organized, especially if you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to buy all of the organization tools.

 

If you like everything super organized like me, and don’t have built-in shelves etc. in your closet then here are a few of my favorite closet organizers. Reading my post, Simple Ways to Organize Your Bedroom, would be helpful at this point as well. 

 

Adjustable Closet Organizer Kit – great for small closets with no built-in organization

 

Wire Cubes Stackable Storage Shelves – great for shoes, t-shirts, purses and, hats, and more

 

Hanging Closet Organizer – great for adding extra storage space when you don’t have a lot of floor space or drawers

 

Pants Hangers – save space with these hangers specifically made for hanging multiple pairs of pants

 

I truly hope you find more peace in your bedroom once it is decluttered. For me, I now have more space in the closet for shoes that once cluttered the floor.

 

My bedroom is a peaceful and happy place to be and yours can be too through decluttering your clothing. 

If You Need More Help Keeping A Clean Home

 

This blog is full of resources to help you achieve an enjoyable and comfy place to live in. I love helping others find a simple and productive way to become the best homemaker they can be. 

 

I will always recommend two main things to get you started. Declutter your entire home and start a cleaning routine.

 

If you want to know more about my cleaning routines. I suggest checking out my free printables library. I have made multiple checklist and printables that you can print out and use to help you build these daily habits. You also get a copy of my Ebook – Simplify Your Life With a Cleaning Routine. This book will help you design your own cleaning routine.

 

If clutter is your problem. I suggest either my 3-day challenge or my Declutter Handbook.

 

3-day challenge – Declutter Your Bedroom in 3 Days.

 

Declutter Guide – Declutter Your Whole House In Your Own Time.

 

Also, check out the list of other related blog posts, below.

 

Thanks for stopping by! Come back anytime. 

Read More:

Declutter Your Whole House – 101 Things to Get Rid Of

Find Peace In Your Kitchen Through A Kitchen Declutter

Decluttering Sentimental Items :: How to Let Go