Cleaning Out a Closet: Sorting Through Excess Clothing

Many people have more clothes than they will ever be able to wear, most of which they have probably collected over many years. Most people would like to get rid of the clutter in their homes, and yet many people cannot seem to be able to get rid of the large amounts of extra clothing they own. This can be difficult for people to accomplish for a couple of reasons. These people might hope they will once again be able to fit into clothes that they cannot fit into currently, they might get overwhelmed and are not able to finish sorting through their clothes every time they attempt to complete the project, or they may not be able to bring themselves to get rid of any of their extra clothes for fear they think they might need to wear them someday. The process of going through a person's closet and working out clothes to sell or donate to charity can be a simple, stress free and rewarding endeavor.

1) New With Tags

"New with Tags" is a phrase that is commonly used on online auction sites to represent an item that has never been worn and still has the tags attached to the garment. The first and easiest step in eliminating excessive clothing is for a person to sort out the articles of clothing that is "New with Tags" and those clothes that a person has just never worn. This would not apply to an outfit a person has purchased for a special event in the future. It is important to remember that if a garment was purchased more than six months before the day a person chooses to clean out their closet, then a person will most likely never wear the garment. The value of these items will be less then the original price of purchase but a person can still make some money back on an article of clothing that will most likely just sit in their closet, through selling them at a second hand store or on an online auction site.

2) What a Squeeze!

It is often hard for people to get rid of clothes that no longer fit, because the hope and plan to be able to wear those clothes again. There are several keys to deciding which clothes to keep and which of these clothes to get rid of. It is defiantly okay and justified to keep a person's skinny jeans, but clothes that a person has not been able to wear for more than two years or that are more than three sizes too small should be sold or donated for a couple of reasons. First, if a person can wear these clothes again they will most likely be out of fashion. Secondly, if a person loses any significant amount of weight these articles of clothing will most likely not fit the person well. Additionally, as a reward for someone who has lost weight and a way of motivating them to remain healthy they can purchase new clothes that make them feel confident.

3) Do I wear that? Will I wear that?

If a person has not worn any items of clothing in over a year then that is an article of clothing that they can justify getting rid of. If a person is not sure if they wear will or do wear an item of clothing then there is an easy way to determine how often a person wears an item of clothing. Simply place the hangers in a person's closet so that they are facing the door of the closet and then when a person hangs items back up after they have been washed they will hang them normally. After a certain period of time a person can go back through their closet and see what items of clothing that they have worn during the period. After, enough time has pasted a person can get rid of the items that they have never worn.

4) Second Hand
When sorting through the clothes that a person does not want anymore there are several ways a person can get rid of these items. If a person would like to sell the clothes online or at a second hand store there are some characteristics of the items to consider. If the clothing is ripped, stained or other wised damaged they will not sell well at any second hand store or online, so something else should be done with these items of clothing. The clothes should also be sorted by quality. Higher quality items such as prom dresses, coats and other items should be sold at higher end women's used clothing stores. While, lower quality items such as jeans, T-shirts and some shoes should be taken to just a plan second hand store. By following these tips a person will be able to receive more money for the clothing items that they do not longer want.

5) Donation

Items that are too worn to be sold or are slightly damaged can be donated to homeless shelters, churches or the Salvation Army. By donating items this is an easy way to clean out a person's closet and a person's old clothes will be beneficial to someone else.

6) Other Uses

There are other ways that a person can use their used clothing or those clothing items that have sentimental value to the person. If wanting to do something with clothes that are highly worn, a person can cut the clothing into rags that can be used for many purposes. If a person has clothing items that have some kind of sentimental value to the person, they can place the items in a shadow box, make the items into a quilt, or make the articles of clothing into new and different garments.