Organizing
Decluttering
By
Elizabeth Larkin
Elizabeth Larkin
Elizabeth Larkin is a professional organizer with a strong interest in productivity, time management, and process refinement. She used her organizational skills and effectiveness to pen articles with helpful information on cleaning, organizingliving spaces, and decluttering.
Learn more about The Spruce'sEditorial Process
Updated on 03/03/23
Reviewed by
Katherine Picott
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Reviewed byKatherine Picott
Katherine is a professional home organizer and certified KonMari consultant with over 5 years of experience helping clients get their homes in order. She launched her own professional organizing business, Tidy Milso, in the summer of 2020, to help reorient those feeling overwhelmed with both clutter and disorganization in their homes. To date, she has logged over 500 hours of organizing with her clients using Marie Kondo’s KonMari method.
Learn more about The Spruce'sReview Board
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In This Article
Sell Gently Used Clothes to a Consignment Shop
Hold a Yard Sale or Garage Sale
Donate to an Animal Shelter
Sell Online
Donate to Vietnam Veterans of America
Donate to Dress for Success
Give to a Rummage Sale
Donate to the Salvation Army
Contact Local Homeless Shelters
Organize a School Fundraiser
Turn Into Rags
Give Away
Throw Out
Right now, you might have some clothes in your closet that you need to get rid of. Maybe the items no longer fit or aren't suitable for your lifestyle anymore. Perhaps you need to make space in your closet. Or you've decided to embrace a minimalist lifestyle and want to purge anything that doesn't bring you joy.
Whatever the reason, here are 13 ways to get rid of clothes you no longer wear.
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Sell Gently Used Clothes to a Consignment Shop
Find a consignment shop in your area that takes used clothing and bring in your items for a once over. If you have multiple consignment shops nearby, consider shopping around to see which will give you the best prices. Some stores will pay you right on the spot, while others might wait to pay you until your items sell.
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Hold a Yard Sale or Garage Sale
A convenient way to get rid of your clothing is to hang it up in your yard and stick on a price tag. Get the word out about your yard sale with posters around town and through social media posts in neighborhood groups. You can even have a joint sale with neighbors to draw a bigger crowd.
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Donate to an Animal Shelter
You can often donate linens, blankets, and towels to your local animal shelter. Call the shelter first to make sure it's accepting donations and inquire about the specific items you'd like to donate. Some shelters accept things that others do not.
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Sell Them Online
Poshmark, eBay, Thredup, andTradesy are just some of the many options where you can sell clothing online. Thredup convenientlymails you a large shipping envelope, so you can pack up your clothes and mail them. Once it has decided what it can sell, the company sends your payout minus the cost of the shipping bag. You can collect it via PayPal or a Thredup gift card.Tradesy works just like Thredup, but it favorsmore high-end fashion items.
The Best Ways to Sell Used Clothes Online and In-Store
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Give Clothes tothe Vietnam Veterans of America
Sign up online at Vietnam Veterans of America to schedule a pickup, and the organization will pick up your donation right from your home. You can leave your boxes and bags of clothes on the front porch. After your first pickup, the group will email you the next time it has another scheduled pickup on your street. This option is excellent for those who are continually decluttering.
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Reach Out toDress for Success
Dress for Success is a wonderful option if you've changed careers from attorney to yoga instructor. You may decide you no longer need five suits, and just one will do, or your sizes have changed one way or the other. Donate your used professional attire to Dress for Success, and it will get the items into the hands of women who have problems paying for business attire for an interview.
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Supply Them to a Rummage Sale
Many charitable organizations host rummage sales, which you can support by donating your old clothing. They'll often accept household items you'd like to get rid of. Common organizations include churches, children's groups, women's shelters, and more.
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Drop Off at theSalvation Army
You can drop off a bag or box of clothing, small home goods, and linens to the Salvation Army. The organization will sellyour items or deliver them to a shelter for those in need. The group also has a truck that will pick up donations from your home if you schedule an appointment.
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Contact Local Homeless Shelters
Call or email area homeless shelters to see whether they're taking clothing donations. Be sure to ask which items they will accept. Also, ask whether the items must be sorted or boxed in a specific way before bringing them in to donate.
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Organize a School Fundraiser
Get in touch with your local school administrators and suggest setting up a fundraiser to benefit the school. Everyone—students, teachers, and community members—can bring in their used clothing. And then, a group of volunteers can organize the items to be sold.
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Turn Used Clothing Into Rags
If an itemisn't in a condition to be worn again, you can often turn it into a rag for cleaning. For instance, cotton T-shirts are great for using as dust cloths. And you can even buff a table or other furniture with a hole-filled sweater.
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Give Away Hand-Me-Downs
If an item is special to you, but you no longer want to wear it, you can always present it to someone in your life as a hand-me-down. If necessary, have the item professionally cleaned and restored to make it look as new as possible. Even if you're not wearing it anymore, you should be happy to see it get a second life.
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Throw It Out on Dump Day
If all the other options don't work for you, see if your town has a dump day. Your municipality might call it bulky waste day or large trash collection day, but you can take advantage of it no matter what it's called. Box up your used clothing that's in no shape to donate or sell, and trash it on dump day.
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21 Signs It's Time To Declutter Your Closet
As an expert in organization and decluttering, my extensive knowledge in the field allows me to offer valuable insights into the concepts mentioned in the article by Elizabeth Larkin. My experience and depth of understanding stem from years of practical application and a genuine passion for helping individuals achieve organized living spaces. Let's delve into the key concepts presented in the article:
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Professional Organizers:
- Elizabeth Larkin is highlighted as a professional organizer with a focus on productivity, time management, and process refinement.
- Katherine Picott is introduced as a professional home organizer and certified KonMari consultant, emphasizing over 5 years of experience in helping clients organize their homes.
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Organizing and Decluttering Techniques:
- The article discusses various methods for decluttering and organizing, including the KonMari method by Marie Kondo. This method involves assessing items based on whether they "spark joy" and letting go of those that do not.
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Ways to Get Rid of Clothes:
- The article provides 13 practical ways to dispose of clothes that are no longer needed or wanted.
- Options include selling gently used clothes to consignment shops, holding yard sales, donating to animal shelters, selling online through platforms like Poshmark and eBay, and more.
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Donation Options:
- Specific organizations are mentioned for donating clothes, such as the Vietnam Veterans of America, Dress for Success, and the Salvation Army.
- The article encourages readers to schedule pickups or drop off items at designated locations for these charitable organizations.
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Rummage Sales and Fundraisers:
- Charitable organizations, including churches, children's groups, and women's shelters, are suggested as hosts for rummage sales where individuals can donate their old clothing.
- Organizing school fundraisers is proposed as a collaborative effort to benefit the school community.
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Creative Reuse of Clothing:
- Practical suggestions are given for items that may not be suitable for wearing but can be repurposed. This includes turning old clothing into cleaning rags or hand-me-downs for sentimental items.
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Last Resort – Discarding:
- The article acknowledges that if none of the other options work, individuals can consider discarding clothing on designated "dump days" or large trash collection days.
By incorporating these concepts, individuals can make informed decisions about decluttering their closets and contributing to charitable causes, thereby fostering a more organized and purposeful living space.
