How Often Should You Clean Out Your Closet?
The 1 Habit That Ensures a Clean, Clutter-Free Closet
Before the KonMari method inspired scores of people to get rid of items that didn't "spark joy," I was already constantly overhauling my closet. I live in a modest condo with a walk-in closet that I share with my fiancé. When I say "walk-in," don't picture Heather Dubrow's closet. It's not even Carrie Bradshaw-level. There are bars on either side, a solitary shelf on either wall, and a tall shelf at the back. The left side is inhabited by Blake's man clothing (boring). The right side houses every item of clothing that requires hanging. Board games and other random things line the top shelf. The space isn't exactly conducive to hoarding, but there's one thing that saves things from spinning out of control: I always have a donation bag open in the back.
Getting into the habit of cleaning makes it more of a lifestyle change than a chore. If you've ever gone through a Spring-cleaning frenzy and pledged to purge your closet, you know how hard it is. You look at everything you own, and suddenly you think that maybe you want to keep that plaid shirt. It's at home with all your other plaid shirts. You can't separate it from its friends! Well, you can. It's a shirt, not a puppy.
The truth is that you never know when you're going to get the urge to throw something away, so when you finally do get the courage to toss something, it helps to have a bag ready.
A lot of times I toss clothing into the bag because it randomly strikes me that I haven't worn it in a while or it's out of style. Rather than waiting until a designated "clean up" time, I just toss it aside.
Taking a critical eye to my collection on a regular basis forces me to see clothes in the cold, harsh light of day. That green blazer that I thought was chic until I looked at it in a certain light and realized it made me look like an old-timey movie theater attendant? I saw it from a weird angle one day and now it's gone. The trendy shoes-turned-torture devices? After wearing them all night, I couldn't get them in the bag fast enough. The patterned pants that worked on my tropical vacation but looked insane in the real world? On a Tuesday morning, I finally realized I would never find the right combination of accessories to make them work-appropriate.
Then again, having the bag there for a few weeks allows for you to change your mind. Say that plaid shirt is calling your name from the bag; just take it out. If it means so much to you that you're thinking about it even when it's out of sight and out of mind, then maybe you want to hold onto it for a bit longer.
The key is to think of your closet as a space to be celebrated, rather than an eyesore. Not only will you gain an appreciation for your go-to clothes, but you'll also feel better about your home as a whole. This is especially true if you live in a small space (our condo is less than 800 square feet) and every spare inch counts!
