Closet Clean Out: Tips for Purging

ClosetPurging

Nov 18

Deciding to overhaul a space in your home is no easy task. This process takes time, concentration and care. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed in the beginning of it all. Our job is to make this process a breeze for our clients. Over time, we’ve developed a strategy that works for us and that allows us to do our job quickly and effectively. This took TIME - so expect it to take some time for yourself to get in the habit of purging things you don’t need or want and then creating systems that are functional.

A great place to start is your closet. It’s a space in your home that you interact with on the daily, and coincidentally can have a huge effect on how you spend the rest of your day. We know this, because we’ve been there. Putting on a pair of uncomfortable pants because they’ve been kept in your closet, waiting for the ‘right’ moment, is a day ruiner. Here, we’ve gathered a few tips to get you started and off on your way to enjoying your space… and therefore your time!

Take EVERYTHING out

We do this for a few reasons, the most important being that you are able to see all that you own and truly get a picture of what’s in your closet. Second, it opens up your space to help gauge how much storage you have available and for what. Separate everything into categories: shirts, tank tops, pants, shorts, shoes etc.

Ask the hard questions

Now that everything is ready to be sorted, it’s time to ask yourself a few questions. When was the last time you wore the item? If your answer is any longer than 6 months to a year, then there has to be a pretty good reason to keep it. To discern if it’s something you should maybe hang on to, ask if the item is serving it’s purpose in your closet. Everything should bring you joy and function. Does it make you happy? Are you comfortable in it? Can you mix and match the item? Lastly, is the item still in good condition? Anything with stains, holes, pilling etc. has reached the end of its lease in your closet space.

Separate the emotions

It can be easy to connect with items due to the history of how you obtained it. If you were gifted a sweater from a loved one, bought a belt on a dream travel adventure or even saved up to buy yourself something nice, it can be difficult to purge these items. In order to separate yourself from the emotions that arise when trying to get rid of something, consider all of the wonderful memories you’ve made with the item, look back on them with gratitude and understand that those memories don’t go away when the item does. That sweater that your loved one gave you wouldn’t be too happy to know that it no longer sparks joy for you and sits in your closet, waiting to see the light of day. To make it easier on yourself, donate what you can and think about the person who may need a warm sweater (that they’ll actually wear) a little bit more than you.

Purging Your Closet - Tips from Life in Jeneral

Donate & recycle!

By the end of your purge, you might have a pile of items that you’re not quite sure what to do with. This is one of our favorite parts! We have a running list of charities for every city we travel to that are so grateful to have donations. There are so many people in need of functional clothing that you’re truly helping other people out when you get rid of things that you no longer need. Consider this idea the next time you lay eyes on something you haven’t touched for over a year. Is something unable to be donated? Recycle it. It’s our duty to try and reduce waste wherever possible and it’s incredible what can be repurposed these days. Unless it’s trash, there’s no need to throw anything away.

Create a game plan with your storage space

Now that you’ve come to the place where everything you have is something you want or need, it’s categorized and ready to be put back in its home, it’s time to designate said home to each item. This is why it’s important to take everything out and purge from there because you can see all of the storage space you have available. You will know if it’s important to relocate items or where to keep like items together. Additionally, this is a great time to consider how you want your space organized. Would it be beneficial to add a few drawer dividers or labeled baskets? Consider this before organizing back in.

Over time, this process will become easier and you’ll be able to do it without overthinking it. Organizing a home is no joke and takes a lot of time. In the end, you’ll always be better off for going through this process and we hope to inspire you to keep going! Send up your before and after pictures on instagram so we can congratulate you on a job well done!