Closet cleanouts can be tricky. If you wait too long to get to them… it gets much worse. Today I’m sharing with you 3 closet cleanout tips: how I purge, where the items go, and the best way to re-sell your unwanted items. I get questions about this pretty regularly and I’m excited to share with you. Cleaning out your closet will not only make the space look prettier, but getting ready in the morning gets much easier too!
3 Step Closet Cleanout Tips:
Step One: Sorting (Keep, Sell, Donate):
This one is the hard part. A lot of us hold onto items for the wrong reasons. Maybe it’s because it has sentimental value, maybe it’s the price tag you paid, and maybe it doesn’t fit and you’re hoping it will soon. You have to drop that mentality when it comes to sorting. Key rule: anything not worn within the last year has to go. My only exception for this is my wedding dress and shoes… everything else goes. Rule number 2: if it doesn’t fit, it’s time to quit! Let it go… if it doesn’t fit now, it shouldn’t be in your closet. Finally; don’t keep clothes that aren’t in good condition. If your soles are worn beyond repair… toss. If you have holes in your sweaters… toss! Just get rid of it!
I keep three tubs and label them. One is for keeps, one is for sell, and one is for donate. I keep them in a row and toss the items in as I go. I find this helps me go back in and re-organize my closet again after so it’s not only a De-clutter, but also a re-organization process.
Step Two: Sell or Donate:
Selling your unwanted items is a HUGE question I get. I’m a blogger so I have WAY too much on hand always. This means I have a lot of barely used items and can re-sell them. I sell items that really are mostly unused other than one wear and have no signs of wear at all. I’ve done a lot of different options to get rid of these. First I used my instagram closet account. Honestly, I hated this. Why? It takes forever! Especially when you are selling a LOT! Listing 100+ items is so time consuming and then the packing and shipping after. Too much.
Now for online re-sell I use poshmark for less expensive items and if I need to sell something higher end I use The Real Real. I’ve had good luck with both and they both are safe, secure, and streamline the shipping process for you. My favorite option is the twice per year event in our area called Statemint Consignment. This makes it so much easier because there is no shipping situation. I simply enter my inventory, hang, and tag. After that I drop off my items and watch the magic happen.
My good friend Sarah started Statemint Consignment in 2014 as a way to give back to the community and help us all clean out our closets and give our old items a new, loving home. All items are in amazing condition and there are strict rules on what you can sell to ensure the quality is always up to par. The event supports The Wesley House Community Center. All items marked donate after the event are also donated and help to care for children and senior citizens in our area. The Wesley House is amazing because it provides child care for working parents in need. They have after school and summer programs and are very focused on education. This means so much to me. (Hello teacher wife life!).
Statemint donates the items directly after. This is my first time not donating, but I am picking up what is left and sending it to a shelter in Houston next week. Either way, make sure you are giving back with this process. The annoying parts aren’t so bad when you know you are helping someone else.
Step Three: Organize:
My favorite part of all of this (I’m slightly OCD when it comes to closets…) is organizing afterward. I find new ways to hang my pieces and places to put other items during this and it makes getting ready a much smoother process. I love going into my closet and not feeling overwhelmed. After a purge my closet always is a happier place. I start working forgotten items back into the mix and creating looks is much more fun. I will do a full post on how to organize your closet soon with tips and tricks on what to use and what to put where. Stay tuned for that!
Statemint Consignment starts tomorrow and goes through Sunday! I highly recommend you check it out if you are in East Tennessee because I entered over 200 items and several designer items. This sale grows larger every single year and I know this year will be even better! Go here for more info!
How about you? Do you have any closet cleanout tips to share? Leave them in the comments below!!
I’m also so excited to be bringing you a giveaway today. Along with some of my favorite bloggers I’m giving away a Nordstrom Gift Card! Enter Below and Good Luck!
Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers
to give YOU a chance to win:
a $600 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for some fall shopping!
Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 9/20.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
