Yes, this is yet another sign for you to declutter your closet and help your clothes find a new life instead of letting them mess up your home.
Related: Here Are Places You Can Visit To Donate Or Buy Second-Hand Clothes
Is your room a mess? Are clothes starting to peek out from your drawers, overfill your hampers, or pile up on your bed or your chairs? You can tidy up, of course—stuff them back into your closet or tuck them away in boxes that will never see the light of day again—but when is it time to actually take your clothes out of your home and into the hands of people willing to buy them or places that take donations?
Decluttering can be difficult, of course. You tell yourself “No, I might still wear that!” or “No way, this means something to me.” But let’s be real—life can already be so chaotic. Why add the stress of mess to your plate? Clutter can negatively impact your mental health and the way you do your day-to-day tasks. So, if you find yourself relating to the signs below, it’s time to make some eliminations. Being critical and a little aggressive in the way you declutter your clothes allows you to find some relief in the cleanliness afterwards and also maybe help your clothes find new homes. Here are some signs to tell you when its time to fix the mess.
YOU CAN “NEVER FIND ANYTHING TO WEAR”
Drawers and cabinets overflowing with clothes and yet you can’t find anything to wear? That’s a sign. It means you either don’t like the individual pieces you own, or don’t like the way those pieces go together. Why keep clothes that no longer serve you? And trust me, if you haven’t worn in it a long time, you probably won’t ever. KonMari Method it.
YOU’RE SEEING CLOTHES EVERYWHERE
On top of a set of drawers in my room are folded clothes that I don’t even wear. They take up so much space that could be used for other things. My drawers won’t close, my cabinet’s a mess, hangers of clothes are packed too tightly in the closet—yeah, it’s time to declutter. If you see clothes where they aren’t supposed to be out of the corner of your eye, it’s time to get sorting and cleaning.
YOU FEEL AN URGE TO SHOP
One of the best pieces of advice floating around social media is if you want to buy a new clothing item, take away one item you already own and no longer like or wear. Donate, sell, or pass it down. This way you avoid hoarding. But if you feel an urge to shop, try decluttering first. It’s almost like shopping with the way you discover clothes you didn’t even realize you owned.
But decluttering isn’t an excuse to go ham on the shopping so you can “replenish” your closet. You can, of course, especially if you want to own clothing that’s made better and more sustainably or that fits you better. But keep in mind—this is an opportunity to be more mindful and intentional with the things you buy and wear.
YOU FEEL A LITTLE STRESSED
Sometimes, you just need to step away from whatever is stressing you out and focus on something else. And cleaning does help with feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Keep your devices away from you and sort through your clothing to allow yourself some room and time to breathe. The act of decluttering doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
CLOTHES DON’T FIT YOU THE SAME ANYMORE
Whether it’s because you’ve grown up or your body’s changed or you no longer have the style you did six or even ten years ago, sometimes you put on an outfit and realize you don’t like the way you look in it. Don’t hesitate—throw it in the sell or donate pile. You’ll feel better about letting your closet breathe and only keeping things you know you’re going to use often and feel great in.
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