So, we all have those days when we stand in front of our piles of clothes on the floor closets and don’t know what to wear. If you’re anything like me, while you look for a shirt or pants you pass about 6 items and have a perfect excuse about why you cant wear that today…”it’s too tight”, “i can only wear that color when I’m tanner”, “that only fits if I’ve had E Coli for two weeks”…you get the picture. Then you go back to your favorite comfy pants/pair of jeans or worn in t-shirt that you wear at least 3 times a week and call it a day. And in a few days you’ll do the same thing over again…and those 6 or more items that sit in your closet, forever unworn, just sit and collect dust and take up precious space in your closet.
So–go get a plastic trash bag, go through your pile on floor closet and with no abandon grab the items you never wear and give them away! There are people who could actually make good use of your excess that you won’t even miss. You can donate used items at local Salvation Army drop-off points, or at Goodwill Store & Donation centers.
A friend of mine just went through her closet and it has inspired me 🙂 So I’m off to tear through my closet on this lovely Sunday afternoon and see what damage I can do (in a good way)!
Cheers to getting organized & helping others too!
-kate
JillandKate's Blog 
June 6, 2010 at 2:44 pm |
kate girl, you’re a big inspiration to me.. So.. i’m cleaning my closet.. just for you 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 2:45 pm |
ooh and for the people who need my clothes.. 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 2:46 pm |
I like this blog… it’s always a nice reminder. 🙂
And those excuses? Very true, haha.
I’ve been cleaning my room the last couple weeks – a two week project for a very small room – and have had a growing pile of clothes to go donate.
June 6, 2010 at 2:51 pm |
I do that once every year 🙂 and we always take our extra stuff to the Salvation Army or have Purple Heart pick it up right off the doorstep…it is very freeing and you know it’ll go to good use that way. Sadly, I think I have a few things in my closet that I don’t (and won’t) wear that still have tags on them
It’s amazing how much I can get rid of every year and still have no extra room in the closet though…maybe it’s time to donate the countless stuffed animals and games that are for preschoolers age 3+ or end in “junior” lol
June 6, 2010 at 2:51 pm |
I very much approve of this!
I did this a couple of months back. I ended up filling up 5 bags of clothes. 5 BAGS!! That’s a damn shame that I was able to fill up 5 huge garbage bags full of clothes that I don’t wear. It just shows how wasteful we are (or well, I am)!… and that I might also have a shopping problem. Haha. About 1 bag went to my friends (they couldn’t let me give away my clothes before claiming something they wanted), but the rest went to charity. It felt really nice, plus bonus, it gave me more space in my room.
By the way, I feel you. I have a pair of jeans that I’ve had for yearsssss now. I wear them at least twice a week, if not more, and they’re literally falling apart, but I refuse to get rid of them. Ughhh. They’re just so awesome! I mean, they’re the kind of pants that look great on my “skinny days”, still fit me nicely on my “fat days”, and make my butt look awesome pretty much every time I wear them. How can I let go!?!?! They’re just too amazing. Good thing distressed jeans are popular. Haha!
June 6, 2010 at 2:53 pm |
I do this all the time, although I still seem to have more clothes than sense.
It tends to be my niece and sister who get first dibs on my old clothes though before the charity shops haha.
My niece has become attached to all my t-shirts I haven’t worn for a good year or so, so it’s nice to see them getting some wear.
This is a nice reminder though for me to clear my wardrobes (And the pile of clothes beside it) to get rid of some stuff ready for new summer clothes.
June 6, 2010 at 2:53 pm |
P.S. Good timing Kate! I was bored, so I was like “Hmm. Let me check JK’s blog.” Nothing was there, then bam! You blogged. Haha. Today is such a dreary blahhh boring day in New York, so I’m happy you updated!
June 6, 2010 at 2:55 pm |
ha this is funny, i actually did this 2 days ago. i got rid of 3 bin bags full of unwanted stuff !
its in my hallway waiting to go to the charity shop.
its really freeing to get rid of stuff i know that i dont use. plus extra space for nice new things 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 2:57 pm |
I do that once a year. If I have not worn something in over a year (usually the items at the most distant recess of the closet) it goes. No ifs and or buts.
BTW – the Salvation Army takes shoes and coats as well. How many pairs of shoes have you not worn in 2 years? How many coats?
June 6, 2010 at 3:01 pm |
i do this about once a month…yet i constantly keep buying clothes so it keeps piling up. (my closet is overflowed so i have resulted to Tupperware containers…ok done rambling).
if you don’t want to drive (or can’t drive like me), Vietnam Veterans http://www.clothingdonations.org/service.htm and the Red Cross can come to your house (depending on where you live) and pick up any clothing you want to donate.
but Kate this wasn’t a convenient time to post this. i’d totally clean up right now, but my 2 papers are calling me. 😦 haha. but now i have a project for next Sunday!
June 6, 2010 at 3:02 pm |
Oh I can so relate to this one today!! I was having a bad day at Army drill because I wasn’t feeling well. To get away from people, I decided to clean out my car. Seeing it become clean felt so wonderful! I even hooked up a hose outside and washed it. Such a nice day for it! I’m so inspired that I am going to go home and clean my apartment now 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 3:03 pm |
I’m so that way…I’ll be like “that was my favorite shirt!” (2 years ago….) and so wont’ want to get rid of it. Don’t wear it anymore. . .
June 6, 2010 at 3:07 pm |
Actually just did this yesterday. Donated to Goodwill 🙂 Happy cleaning!
June 6, 2010 at 3:09 pm |
-I do that every other week; give my clothes to charity. I always end up changing my mind about clothes I like or don’t like – or fluxuating weight ofcourse, haha.
-but that’s awesome about mentioning it for everyone! a selfless good deed 🙂 – even though on f.r.i.e.n.d.s they say apparently there is no selfless good deed haha!!
-and btw about the mess you were saying in your closet (or wardrobe) there’s a good facebook group for that: ‘you call it mess; I call it my floordrobe’ LOL
okay, long comment – over 🙂 xoxo.
June 6, 2010 at 3:10 pm |
In our family we actually do this every two weeks or so. We don’t even buy new clothes that frequently but theres alwasy something you keep that you swear to yourself that you’ll wear but then never do so you have to go back and throw out more. All our clothes (theres 5 of us) give our unworn clothes to the local Salvation Army Centre.
Glad you felt inspired to do the same Kate 🙂 Making more space for more awesome clothes that you will actually wear is a fabby feeling! 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 3:13 pm |
I have this exact same problem, I trash my closet with clothes (that I don’t even hang up sometimes) then I clean it up and get rid of some of the clothes that I don’t wear anymore. I even have a shirt that I wore when I met a celeb and I won’t wear it anymore but, I also won’t get rid of. I’m such a wierdo..
June 6, 2010 at 3:18 pm |
i do this once a year. it’s about that time again. it’s supposed to storm this afternoon and this sounds like a pretty good thing to do during that time.
happy cleaning everyone
June 6, 2010 at 3:24 pm |
Totally agree. I do that a few times a year. Someone can always use the clothes I don’t usually wear and it cleans up a lot of space.
June 6, 2010 at 3:27 pm |
Is it sad that I probably do this once every month!! I’m actually anal about my closet and drawers being clean lol! But good for you Kate!! Attack that (piles of clothes on the floor) closet! Lol ; )
can’t wait for July 1st!!!! Woohoo!!!!
June 6, 2010 at 3:28 pm |
haha this made me laugh because thats what I do about once every year when I’m feeling motivated. The last time I did it I ended up donating about 8 garbage bags of clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Pretty ridiculous haha have fun! 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 3:49 pm |
You bring up some fine points. I’m pleased to say that I just cleared out some clothes back in April and a lot of other items this past December. It’s nice to free up some space, especially when you can donate to others, and that’s what happened to the bulk of mine. 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 3:59 pm |
I’ve done that really recently & ended up giving away a pile of clothes that, when stacked up in a heap, reached my waist. Now I may only be 5ft3″ but that’s a lotta stuff 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 4:10 pm |
I don’t gonna lie: i never do that in my short life yet. I don’t say i’m against donate used items at drop-off points, or other. But if i was a person in need i’ll be against to accepet used stuff. Even if it washed, or restored i think it’s better donate some new item.
Every day when i’m going and getting my coffee in 1000shake (a coffee house like starbuck) i always meet same guy (hobo, young) sat on the floor in the street, i said me: if i can have my delight (with my coffee) i give him some money and like this he has his delight too. And when i have time, i speak with him.
That’s my charitable moment.
June 11, 2010 at 3:34 am |
Nice post! Reminds me that it is already the time to clean up my closet. I still have to find an organization to donate them though. Don’t want to give my clothes to the wrong people.
June 23, 2010 at 9:54 am |
GIVINGETTING allow people to give and get stuff they no longer need or to get what they need and don´t have, donating or getting it for reuse, achieving longer product cycle and also keeping useful stuff out of landfills