As spring winds down and summer approaches, it’s time to prep for the season. Here are several tips to de-clutter your closet from top to bottom.
Clothes
This may be slightly concerning, but I keep an active list of my clothes. I have a younger sister who likes to borrow my stuff, so creating an organized list may help older siblings. I categorize everything by type, like shirts, pants, jeans, dresses, skirts, accessories, pajamas, activewear, and shoes. When I feel tired of my clothes, I go through the list I made and put an “X” next to what I want to donate. I keep track of patterns and styles I like so I don’t overbuy while shopping just because something looks trendy.
When donating clothes, I keep a donate box in my closet and keep it there for about 4-6 months. If I find myself frequently reaching for an item I threw in there once, I put it back in my closet. I tend to throw out things too quickly, which creates excuses to consume more (which is not good).
As you buy clothes, look at the label. I used to never pay attention to what my clothes were made of. Now, I realize that certain fabrics have drastic pros and cons. If you tend to sweat a lot like me (no shame there), do not buy polyester tees. I’ve found that when I sweat on them it smells worse and deteriorates faster over time. I try to opt for natural fibers instead like linen, hemp, cotton, or wool.
I love ThredUp. It’s an online used clothing store, which helps reduce some consumer waste. This is another option for sustainable clothing other than just going thrifting (which is fun, but it can be a long-winded treasure hunt).
Shoes
Use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to erase the marks on your sneakers. This works like a charm for me every time, and if you don’t have a magic eraser, try this solution. I use a mixture of dish soap, water, and baking soda in a cup and scrub the solution onto my shoe with a sponge. If your shoes are smelly, try mixing 1 part distilled vinegar and 2 parts water in a spray bottle and spraying the solution inside the shoe.
Accessories
When it comes to jewelry, it’s important to consider the quality of the metal. I hate when the metal corrodes and turns my skin green. I try to steer away from copper and invest in gold or sterling silver pieces. I’ve heard from friends and family members that covering the metal with clear nail polish helps protect the skin.
To try to make my jewelry last longer, I take my earrings out at the end of the day. I do it automatically, but if you have trouble remembering, maybe setting an alarm at night to put your jewelry away would help. I also have a cute little jewelry box where I tuck in all my jewelry at night.