Closet
My closet. What can I say about it? It's pretty small.. has sliding doors and some shelves on top, but what I really mean to talk about is what's in it.... A crap ton of stuff. Slowly but surely I've been getting rid of some of it, but I've learned some things along the way that I'd like to share.
1) Take Everything Out
Literally anything you read about cleaning/minimalism will tell you this, but it's true, so do it. This was probably one of the most eye-opening steps because it really shows you how much stuff you actually have. As I started sorting my clothes into piles (Keep, Sell/Donate, Toss) I realized the true number of items I had collected over the years. This also gives you a chance to clean your closet, which is something that like never happens (at least for me). It's really a great technique, and for me it made the work go a lot faster because you can see how much you have left. After that, hang the "Keep" pile back up, put the "Toss" pile in a bag, and take the "Sell/Donate" pile and start Selling/Donating!
2) When you're on the fence...wear it
This is probably the most useful tip I discovered that I didn't find online. So for my "Keep" pile, it ends up getting separated into 3 more piles: Definitely, Maybe, and Out-of-Season. The "Definitelies" get put back into the closet, and the "Out-of-Seasons" get stored, but the interesting part comes with the "Maybes." The hardest part about sorting clothes is the memories that come along with it. When sorting, there are always those items which, for some reason, you want to keep. Even if you don't wear them, even if you haven't in years, these items stick around. But never fear, because I figured out a way to combat this. Wear it.
Take the maybe pile, and separate it from the rest of your clothes. Then, for the next "x" number of days, wear only those clothes. Now, obviously if you only have shirts pair them with a pair of pants you like, but try to wear those clothes. Then, when you come home at the end of the day, evaluate the item(s) from the maybe pile. In my experience, there is usually something about the item that I didn't like during the day, and I can take it off, say "It was a good run, and a good last day," and toss it onto the donate pile. This tactic is basically foolproof.
First, if you get up in the morning and see what you have from the maybe pile, and dread picking out something to wear from it: Get rid of it
If you get home at the end of the day, and didn't enjoy the item you wore that day: Get rid of it
On the other hand, if you get home and you really enjoyed wearing that piece, and can (now) see how it fits into your wardrobe...good for you! Keep it
This is a great way to see if those maybe's are something you'll actually wear, and if they're not, having one last hoorah is a great way to say goodbye
3) Repeat
The last trick I learned is that once you're done sorting. Do it again. Take the clothes that you decided to keep and wear them for a week, or a month. Wear them consciously. Think about how you feel when you wear them, and how they fit with the rest of the clothes you have. Then go back through and start the purging process all over again. I was surprised at the amount I could still get rid of.
Cleaning out your closet is a slow process. It takes time to organize it the first time, and repeating it only takes longer. It does, however, get easier, and I can promise you that it feels better.
Let me know your closet cleaning stories, and let me know if any of these tricks helped you.
Happy cleaning!