Step-By-Step Instructions for Today's Declutter Task

We're moving to the closet for days 4 and 5.  Let's start with tops.  Deciding to sort through all of our tops in one go might be overwhelming, so I'd like you to choose a sub-category to work on. 

We break decluttering tasks down into small, manageable sub-categories to give us quick and easy wins, which are important to building up our purging muscles, and also motivate and inspire us to keep going.

Here are some sub-categories to consider for today's task:

•  T-shirts
• sweaters
• button down
• collared shirts
• tank tops

You could even break those sub-categories down further:

• solid color t-shirts
• v-neck t-shirts
• graphic t-shirts
• gray t-shirts
• long-sleeve t-shirts
• concert t-shirts

 Here's another example using sweaters:

• crew neck 
• v-neck 
• cashmere
• turtleneck
• wool
• gray
• blue  

After you've gathered all pieces from your sub-category, start making decisions.  Take a look at each one and decide if you'll keep it, or purge it.

Ask yourself these questions as you go through the process:  

• Does it fit?
• Is it in good condition?
• Does it flatter you?
• Do you like it?
• When was the last time you wore it?

And don't let the following factors deter you from letting it go:

• how much you paid for it
• what brand it is
• that it was a gift
• that you got a good deal on it
• that you are holding onto it until you lose those last 10lbs

Create one pile for the items you are going to keep, and one pile for those you're getting rid of.  If you have some pieces that you can't decide on, create a third pile for "maybe's" and then come back to it.

Just a friendly reminder -- it's perfectly okay to declutter in stages.  Do what you're comfortable with.

Now that you know what's staying and what's going, put the keepers back.  

Keep the concept of prime real estate in your mind as you put the keepers away.  Organize them in a way that makes sense for you, based on how often you wear them.  Things that you wear frequently should be the most easily accessible.  Things that you wear every now and then can be placed further back.  Use that same principle for whatever you organize -- from clothes and shoes to small kitchen appliances and office supplies.

Now that you've got the keepers squared away, what are you going to do with the rest?  

If you are planning to donate them, keep in mind that some clothing items shouldn't be.  Clothes that have seen better days need to be tossed, plain and simple, unless it can be recycled.  

If you have pieces that are torn, stained, or otherwise in poor condition and you find yourself thinking, "I'm sure someone could use this," I urge you to walk directly to the trash can and toss whatever it is directly into it.  Trust me, the donation center doesn't want it, and there's no sense in creating extra work for the staff or volunteers.

Put the donations in a trash bag, a brown paper bag, or a cardboard box.  Let this part be easy.  You want to be able to leave the entire thing at the donation center, so don't use a container you'll want later.  Most importantly, get the donations out of your house ASAP!  Otherwise, it runs the risk of becoming more clutter, and that defeats the purpose, right?

If you're struggling to decide what to keep, check out this article from The Spruce to help with decision-making:

https://www.thespruce.com/laundry-tips-before-you-donate-clothes-4046404

As promised above, here's the process with photos:

Location:  Closet

Focus:  Tops

For today's challenge, choose a sub-category of tops to declutter.  As we've been talking about, break that task down even further, if needed.  You can see me declutter sweaters in the video above.  The text and photos below are from when I decluttered skirts.

 Supplies: 

• surface for sorting
• bag or box for donations

Process:

Reminder - before you begin, make sure you have a place to do the sorting.

Step 1

Gather the items to declutter and place them on your sorting workspace.  I chose to declutter skirts.  

Step 2

Decide what you'll keep and what can be purged.  

Those that are ripped, stained, or that have seen better days, are great candidates for purging.  They are not, however, good candidates for donation centers or yard sales.  Just toss them.  

Step 3

Return the keepers to the closet or dresser and put the donations in a bag or box.

Pro Tip:  When decluttering, professional organizers tend to use clear trash bags for donations, and bags you can't see through for trash.  It's an easy way to differentiate between the two categories.  Plus, using a clear bag allows you to see exactly what's being donated, making it easy to identify something that might have mistakenly been put in the 'donate' pile. 

 Is decluttering getting easier?  The more you do it, the easier it becomes, so stay with it -- you're doing great!