Inside this edition: Is the follow up to your closet clean out. How to get rid of your clothing after a closet purge.
Hey y’all. It’s your girl Rainey with a follow up for YOU – my tribe – the Rainey Crew. So you attacked the closet clean out. You used the question guidelines to help you decide what stays and what goes. What now? I have gone through this process over the years and it never gets any easier. The good thing is that you have three options to move those items you have now deemed no longer wanted. Here is what you do to get rid of clothing after a closet purge
Phone a Friend
Give the items away whether it be clothes or shoes. While you are deciding if you should keep an item, keep a running tally in your brain of friends or relatives who may be of a similar size. Maybe they expressed interest in the item in the past. The object of the closet clean out is to gain control of your closet and clear the space. The sooner you can get the items out of your closet and your house the better. I have fallen victim to this trap of clearing out and not having an immediate home for them. They hang around our home days if even weeks. You are not really free of them until they are gone.
If friends and relatives are not an option consider Freecycle. Membership is free. Just sign-up and go through the process to offering your items. You can find or offer pretty much anything on Freecycle. Also, another option you may want to consider is your neighborhood listserv if you have one. This will give your neighbors an opportunity a first grab at your unwanted treasures.
Donate to a Charity
When you go through that clean out, pay special attention to the items that have not been used or gently used. The target locations for these items is the Salvation Army or Goodwill. In the county where I live we have a volunteer center with extensive list of charities. Reach out to your local volunteer center as a resource to find charities that may be interested in your donations. GreenDrop Charitable Donations is another organization that accepts all clothing, so you have no excuse to keep anything.
Going, Going, Gone
My least favorite option is selling the items as a way to get rid of clothing. I would recommend selling items only if they are of significant value. Selling items online sounds simple, but requires more effort and time that you may not be able to put in. Apart from that, you have to wait for someone to show interest in the items all this time the items are still in the house occupying space. You could also take the time to host a yard sale, but again that requires time and a great deal of organization to pull together. One more selling option would be consignment or second hand stores. There are quite a few online options for your consideration:
- thredUP
- The RealReal
- Poshmark
- Kidizen (kid’s clothing)
- Worthy (Jewelry)
Let it Go
The last option is to put it in the trash or recycling. This is another difficult move as you recognize that these are items you paid for and now you are literally throwing money away. On the other hand, holding on to it is not doing you any favors either. If you have read my other posts you know how I feel about throwing money away. However, I honestly feel if you do hold on to the old you can never make room for the new. Make this your last resort, but if all else fails let the items go and dispose them as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
I have outlined the options in the order I feel you tackle them. Giving it away means you know where it is going and it will be appreciated. Donating it means that it will be doing good for others. Selling it means that you could be getting something back, but it will never be as much as what you put out for it. Trashing or recycling is the hardest of them all, but needed if all else fails. So my Crew, what are you going to do? Take the next steps of your closet clean out today, and get rid of your clothing.