The following idea is not new. In fact, it’s a tip that keeps coming up. But I certainly think it is helpful and bears repeating. Why didn't I think of it years ago?
If only you could wave a magic wand and actually see into the future – so that you could know which clothes you’ll wear and which you’ll never put on again.
Well, in a way you can. Here’s the next best thing to being able to predict what you’ll wear -- and what is just cluttering up your closet needlessly. And the best thing about this method is -- it’s free! Oh, and it’s painless; and you don’t have to make any decisions; and it takes about five minutes max. OK, it actually takes a year.
Here’s how it works.
Pick a day that’s coming up soon that you’ll remember like Presidents’ Day, April Fool’s Day, or your birthday. When that day arrives, turn all your hangers backward in your closet. There, that’s it.
Well, not quite. Each time you wear something, hang it back up the right way – not backwards. And voila! After 12 months you can tell at a glance what you haven’t worn for a whole year. Look at all those backward hangers. Then be brutally honest. If you haven’t worn it the past year, do you really think you’ll wear it the next year? Probably not, so pass it along to your local charity and let someone in need enjoy it.
Of course, this doesn’t work with those few things that you need, but not often. For example, you might have a few party clothes such as an evening gown or a tuxedo. You know that you may wear only them once every few years, but they are handy to have when the need arises.
For the rest of your clothes, if the hanger is still backward after a full year, it’s a good bet that it’s time to pass the garment along.
There, wasn’t that painless?
