Hand-washing is a dirty word, not least when it comes to caring for our unmentionables. The idea of tending to your smalls in the sink seems as quaint, if not totally unnecessary. Surely a washing machine can do the job? Not if you’ve caused it to choke on an errant underwire which it will chew and regurgitate with much in the way of hissing and spitting, not to mention a three-figure repair bill.
Looking to declutter with intent? Take the war out of weeding your wardrobe with these three simple tips.
Do the math: Have more than three wardrobes? Stuff stashed in the attic? What about the garden shed? Calculate your estimated closet inventory by the amount of time needed to clear it. g. 4 hours per closet x 3 closets = 12 hours plus breaks. That’s an entire weekend or one closet per night for three allocated nights of the week or month. I advocate the latter. Here’s why: The willpower required to tackle a project as emotionally-loaded as closet decluttering is enough to have you give up mid-way and commit to a life of chaos. Small and consistent increments (like starting with your underwear drawer) are key to easing anxiety, building personal agency and kicking procrastination in the goolies.
I am a stickler for hangers. When tasked with decluttering any closet, the first order of business is a deep and meaningful on proper hanger usage. I bring my own stash for demonstration purposes and back-up and a wagging finger of shame (patent pending) should things get ugly. This might be seen as taking it a bit too seriously. I say you can never be too serious about hangers. Why? Used properly, these humble tools can carry out a few basic but critical functions:
The gold standard in any closet is not having to think too hard. Six a.m. alarms, ‘late again’ dinner dashes and life waving its magic wand don’t always allow for elongated musings over the unusual pairing of mustard and peacock blue. Sometimes it’s a case of reach and run with barely enough time to hustle […]
Store or display? That is the question. And the answer? Anything in your wardrobe that doesn’t receive the hanger treatment is generally that which needs the most attention. Take a quick gawk into your storage space and you might find some tangled scarves, shoes still in their boxes, necklaces entwined together – you get the […]
What is it that makes you feel safe? Wearing black, notice-me labels, covering your figure in baggy sweaters? Whatever it is, you’re not alone. We’ve all got some sort of sartorial security blanket that takes up emotional and physical space in our closets. Ironically, the very thing that causes closet chaos is that which soothes […]
Everyone has one: a straight-up-no-chaser buddy whose regular shots of honesty make the room spin. Serving up reality in a full-length mirror is part of her charm so don’t ever try and change her. Why? Because it’s folks like the Frank Friend with No Filter that can fast track you from a state of closet […]
Procrastination. It’s got an addictive appeal, doesn’t it? Why black sack a small mortgage worth of clothes when you can binge watch all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad – again! Despite the mounting evidence (burgeoning clothing heaps, growing inertia, the smell of despair), there’s always a good reason to avoid tackling a closet clear-out. Why? […]
How do you feel when you open your closet? More to the point, how does your closet feel? Buried beneath those forgettable fads, questionable trends and ‘oh dear, what was I thinking’ is a pile of useless emotional baggage. Bet you didn’t see it. Well, guess what? You’re not alone. Your closet is more than […]
The process of decluttering can trigger some extreme emotions – fear, loss, shame, guilt. It can also make one feel like a rockstar bad-ass superhero capable of taking on the world and its mother. That bit generally comes at the end. The beginning and middle are often more complex. Here’s what you can expect. […]