Did you know that your wardrobe and drawers hold an average of 118 items of clothing, of which around one quarter (31 items) were unworn for at least a year.
These thought-provoking statistics from the organisation WRAP, combined with the fact that you might not be able to shut your wardrobe door, indicate it's probably time for a clothing clear-out.
In this article, we share some top tips on how to make organising your clothing clear-out even easier, and importantly what to do with your unwanted clothes.
Why have a clear-out?
For some of us, the thought of having a clear-out fills us with dread, especially if you know you haven't done it for a while and have a mountain to sort through. However there are some really good reasons why it's worth the time and effort, including:
You will create more space - this could be useful if you have other things that need to be put away and are cluttering other parts of your home. With more space in your wardrobe or drawers, then you can move these creating more room
It will help you find the things you love - we often lose clothes we love and it's not until we have a proper clear-out that we find them again. You can also weed out the things you have that you will never wear again, or bought on a whim and have regretted it ever since!
Do your bit for the environment - by having a clear-out and donating clothes, you are putting these back for someone else to own and wear, which hopefully means less new clothing is bought and less new textiles have to be produced
Help people in need - by donating your unwanted clothing, whether to a charity shop or a service such as reDonate (see below), that clothing can then be re-sold to raise valuable funds that will go to help other people (or even animals).
5 top tips for a perfect clothing clear-out
Here's our favourite tips on how to ensure your clothing clear-out goes smoothly.
Make it manageable - if you're finding the prospect daunting, then make it easier by just tackling a single wardrobe or chest of drawers, rather than expecting to do the whole house in one go. This will make it much easier and won't feel like too much of a challenge.
Get organised first - make sure you have plenty of strong bin bags or other bags, plus somewhere to put them once they are full. You might also want to ensure you've got some cleaning products to hand and even a vacuum cleaner.
Get some help - two pairs of hands are better than one, so find a friend or family member to help you. You will get it done faster, plus they can help to ensure you don't end up hanging onto lots of clothes "just in case".
Make the most of your time - set aside some time to do this, just in case it takes longer than you expect and don't try to rush it. Also make sure you take a few breaks, but don't get too distracted by some of the random or interesting things you're bound to uncover.
Organise as you go - whilst this is a clear-out exercise, you can also use it as a great opportunity to get organised. If you've found clothes you're going to keep, then make sure you fold them up neatly. You will be amazed at how much space that gives you.
What to do with your unwanted clothes?
So now you've done the hard part, but what next? And how do you avoid the scenario of having black bin sacks full of clothing sitting in your hallway for week or months?
Most people will naturally want to donate clothing to a charity, either by taking it to a local shop or clothes bank.
However this can sometime be a bit of a hurdle, especially if you don't have a car or have the time to do it when shops are open.
One brilliant solution is to use a service such as reDonate. They work by you booking a day that suits you, leaving your clothes (or other unwanted items they accept) in bin bags on your doorstep, then they come and collect it completely free of charge.
The team at reDonate sort and process the clothing, then make a donation to us!
This partnership has been hugely beneficial to us (and the people we aim to support) therefore we would love it if you would consider donating your clothing via them.
The currently cover the areas within the M25 with weekly collections, plus a wider area further afield with less frequent collections. To find out if they cover your area, simply head to our dedicated page on their website and enter your postcode.
We wish you luck with your wardrobe clearing and encourage you to check out more about reDonate here.
Photo by Nick de Partee on Unsplash
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