Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Bringing Objectivity to the Closet

Welcome to the Great Closet Clean-out of 2011!

One of my annual New Year tasks is to CLEAN OUT THE CLOSET.  I've seen some scary closets in blogland lately and I'm very thankful that we're fairly tidy closet people.  No, we don't have some fancy closet system, but in the spirit of full disclosure, we're fortunate to have a spacious walk-in closet.

Sometimes, I'll do a quick cleanout in the summer too.  My usual cue that it's time to cull the old clothes is when I run out of hangers before the laundry is finished.  But in January, I'm ruthless.


I usually head straight to my neighborhood thrift store to donate, but this year I had a few nice sweaters in there and a practically new pair of boots that I had bought on clearance then decided they were too uncomfortable.  So I hauled them to one of those used clothing stores that will buy the good stuff on the spot.  So my closet clean-out made me $20.  Not too shabby.

Next step:  Everything left hanging in the closet, I hang BACKWARDS.


Then as I wear each item throughout the year, it is returned to the closet hanging FORWARD.


This makes the decision to toss a lot easier next January when I can see that a full year has gone by and I HAVEN'T WORN IT.  I'll make exceptions for some items, like special occasion dresses or suits.  For those rarely used items, I just judge how much dust is on the shoulders.  :)


I'm linkin' up...
Domestically SpeakingFunky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

14 comments:

  1. lol.. love the hanging them backwards to see which you wear! i am your newest follower..feel free to join me

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  2. What a great idea! I might have to try that! :D

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  3. I'm going to go do this right this minute. I'm never sure what clothes should go, but this is a fantastic way to figure it out.

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  4. you are genious! fantastic idea! i'm so going to do this!

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  5. What a great tip! I love clothes and accessories, and one of my "wishes" is for a walk-in closet. Our closet is long and very skinny, so it gets full very quickly. It's time for another clean-out at my house. :) I'm visiting from The Nester's Home Goals party. I hope you'll stop by my blog to say hi. :)

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  6. That is a great idea I will have to try it :)

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  7. My closets are usually under control too, but I love a good clean out. It's extra nice when you can make a little money off of it. Great ideas. Thanks for linking to We're Organized Wednesday.

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  8. What a great idea, and I agree January is the time to clean out! Thanks for your nice comments!

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  9. Such a great tip. I'll definitely be sorting out my closet and turning all the hangers around. :)

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  10. Thank you for that reminder. A major purge needs to happen to my "walk-by" closet.

    -Rene

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  11. Very cool idea! I would be honored to have you add it to my blog party

    Amaze Me Monday Blog Party

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  12. thAT IS A GREAT IDEA. IF MY OCD TENDENCIES ABOUT THE CLOSET HANGING PRACTICES IN OUR HOUSE CAN HANDLE THIS i AM GOING TO TRY IT.

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  13. You have great organization skills, I'll have to come back here more often.

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