closet declutter Archives - Bella Organizing | San Francisco Bay Area Professional Organizer

When I acquire new clothing, I have a rule to let go of as many as I bring in to make room for the new and stay uncluttered. I reinforce this rule by only owning a certain amount of hangers (I hang up EVERYTHING.) How to decide what to let go? Here are tips I use myself.

I let go of clothing when:

I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing.
I have not worn it for an entire year.
It is no longer my color, size, or style.

skirts on hangers — Two of these five skirts have recently gone bye bye because they are no longer my style.

To elaborate…

I let go of clothing when:

I’ve worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stretching, or tearing. Why stroll around in public with a shirt that’s old and raggedy? The only old T to own should be for events such as gardening or changing the oil. And if there’s something waiting to be mended and it’s been waiting a LONG time, I need to either GET IT DONE or GET RID OF IT.
I have not worn it for an entire year. If I have not bedazzled my body with a certain piece of clothing during the last winter, spring, summer, nor fall, I likely never will. This includes my “skinny” clothes…the things I keep telling myself one day I will fit into.
It is no longer my color, size, or style. Why wear something I get annoyed with every time I put it on? Not my color? Not tailored for my body? Just a little too tight or baggy? If it doesn’t make me feel fabulous nor fit just right, I get rid of it.

Common Questions from Clients

I cannot throw away things that mean a lot to me. What should I do about sentimental clothes I don’t wear?

Take a picture to preserve the memory or limit yourself to one or two pieces for the memorabilia box.

All my clothes look great and I’ve paid a lot for them. Why should I get rid of them?

Try everything on. Do not look at something and keep it because it’s cute. It must be cute on YOU, not the hanger. You also should be absolutely comfortable in it…which means you should be wearing it often enough to make it worth what you paid.

We’re thinking about having another baby and want to hold onto our child’s old clothes until we do. Should we just get rid of them?

Good for you for thinking about reusing and recycling! Go ahead and hold onto the best of it for now (be sure to box and label) and donate the rest to charity.

Thinking about letting go of clothes that are still in new or near new condition? It’s possible to make money back by consigning. Read up on some of my favorite north and east bay furniture and clothing consignment shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Are your clothes being rejected by consignors? Simply Google “Places to donate clothes in [your city]” and plenty will pop up. My recent favorite online clothing, shoes, and accessory consignment resources are Thredup.com (low to medium-end) and TheRealReal.com (high-end).

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Moving soon? Now’s a good time to shed unwanted items…don’t pay to pack and ship them. Start a few weeks to a few months in advance (depending on the size of your home and time off work,) go at it one room at a time, and beat the clutter.

Bella Organizing Downsize Project – When spaces are too challenging for you to tackle alone, we’re here for you.

Start with an easy room.

This is an area that won’t slow you down to reminisce and in which you are less likely to get overwhelmed. Bookcases and clothing closets are good places to start, the kitchen (old food, dishes, and cooking utensils you never use) or with nic nacs around the house. Leave paperwork and photos for later; they can be a time and energy stealer, better saved for last.

Set up three boxes and label Give Away, Sell, and Donate.

1) The Give Away box is for things you want to give a friend or loved one.

2) The Sell box is for yard sale, consignment shop, or online sale items.

3) The Donate box is for charity. If all you need is a Donate box, more power to you!

Set up Trash, Recycle, and Shred bags.

You are likely to come across plastic, paper, cardboard, and non-recyclables to place in the trash. Have bags ready to declutter these items.

Don’t know what’s junk and what’s worth keeping? Read tips on how to decide.

Having trouble deciding which clothes to purge? Read more here.

Hazardous and e-waste disposal

Paint, light bulbs, used batteries, cell phones, engine oil, broken electronics including anything with cords and wires, refrigeration, televisions, computers and monitors should not be put in the trash. They are considered hazardous or e-waste and need to be disposed of properly. Community organizations commonly hold free e-waste drop-off events on weekends, and many cities have daily drive-through and drop-off options. Visit Earth 911 to find a location near you.

Interested in making cash off your unwanted items? Read more on how to here.

Tip: Don’t take a chance on identity theft. While decluttering the office, set aside paperwork to shred.

Got paper clutter?

Don’t take a chance on identity theft. While sorting through the office, set aside paperwork to shred including documents with names, address & contact information, account numbers, social security numbers, and other information you prefer no one get their hands on in a recycle bin. Shred tons of paper at a time quickly and inexpensively at a local office supply store such as UPS, or with a shredding specialty company such as Berkeley Shreds.

Considering using donations as a tax write off?

Play it safe, take photos and make an itemized list with estimated fair market or appraised value of each item (see Salvation Army Donation Valuation Guide here). Save this and donation receipts for tax records. In the case of an audit, you may need these as proof of donation. A high-value donation write-off can be a red flag for audit at tax time. Refer to the IRS website for the latest rules on tax-deductible donations.

Isabella Guajardo has provided professional home organizing and residential move management services since 2007. She has worked with hundreds of individuals and families from all walks of life including single parents, public school teachers, college professors, lawyers, doctors, Pulitzer Prize winners, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The thing 90% of them had in common? They had too much clutter and needed to downsize and reorganize.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.