How to begin decluttering and organising? Start with your closet

The process of decluttering and organising is never a simple one. If you want to start on your journey to making spaces cleaner and neater, the first place to start is the closet.

For many people, excessive buying may rears its ugly head in the form of clothes. With the lower labour costs and massive sales, apparel has become largely affordable, leading to huge shopping sprees that cause the closet to keep on piling. Organising the wardrobe isn’t easy, but if you can do that, you can almost be sure that organising anywhere else would be a piece of cake. Here are some tips to declutter and organise your closet:

1. Prepare a positive mentality for decluttering

Organising and decluttering require the right mind-set. At the end of the day, it means being able to let go of things, and that may be difficult for some people. With the right mentality, getting rid of clothes would be less distressful. Think about the space you would have control over after the entire process.

2. Set aside 4 bags or boxes for organising

Before opening your wardrobe, find 4 big clean bags or boxes to place your clothes in. Label them as ‘Throw away’, ‘Donate’, ‘Sell’ and ‘Keep’. Some clothes may already be overused or damaged, so throw those away. For clothes that are still in good condition, you may choose to donate them, or even sell them for a bit of extra cash. And finally, for the clothes that you absolutely love, keep them. You know they will make you happy.

3. Fold or roll them up neatly to facilitate the process

Often, piles of clothes are messily strewn all over the place. In order to showcase a neater and more organised wardrobe to the world, fold your clothes neatly. Marie Kondo, a well-known organising expert, teaches that rolling clothes can also help to neaten the area. It helps to reduce the space taken up by the apparel so that more can be fitted into a single area. However, some people do prefer folding over rolling. There is no fixed method. Do whichever brings you more joy, but make sure the clothes remind neat.

Decluttering can be a tiresome journey, both physically and mentally. This is especially so for those who have too much. But it precisely that one has too much, that decluttering and organising would make a bigger difference. Keep in mind that things and stuff do not bring us true happiness. By the end of the whole process, you will find your closet more airy and spacious. And most importantly, you will feel lighter and happier. Decluttering isn’t easy, but it is definitely worth it.