Several weeks ago I organized my bedroom closet, and this organizational mini-project led to the removal of several articles of clothing. Whenever we clean out or organize our closets we are left with a decision: What should we do with the clothes we purge?
Today I am sharing what I do with the clothes I purge from my closet.
(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links.)
I begin by doing a quick assessment, and then sort the clothes into piles determining what should be tossed out, given to friends, donated to an organization or sold.
Toss Out: Sometimes an item has to be tossed out. I don’t like when clothing becomes trash, but sometimes it has to happen. If I find clothes with holes, rips or other damage I toss them out. (If I am able to make them into rags then I do that.)
Give Away to Friends: I sometimes see an item and know it will be a good option for a friend. This happens most frequently with my children’s clothing. It’s nice to be able to share the love and pass along items that no longer fit my kiddos.
Donate to an Organization: We have many Red Cross and Salvation Army donation boxes around us. I limit the amount of clothing I leave in these boxes; I know these organizations are often overloaded with donations, and I am not fully certain about what happens to the clothes I donate. We have a local family pantry that receives clothing donations so that has become my first choice when donating to an organization.
Sell: There are times when I choose to sell my gently used items that no longer work for me because it is a unique way to make a little money. There are a number of consignment shops in my area, and there is one in particular that I will consign with if I choose to sell locally. More often than not, if I am choosing to sell, then I will do it online.
My number one online option for selling my gently used clothing is thredUP. I buy from thredUP and when it makes sense, I sell to them. The process for selling your clothes begins with ordering a clean out kit. The clean out kit consists of a large plastic bag (to fill with your clothes) and some basic info and instructions for sending your clothes to thredUP.
Poshmark is another option for selling your clothes. I just heard about and am trying Poshmark for the first time. I have listed just 2 items, and I will let you know if I have any success!
When donating or selling clothes, I like to take the time to make sure the clothes look as good as they can. There are two tools I use to make this happen: a lint roller and a fabric defuzzer.
Remove the lint!
Get rid of the pills!
What about you? What do you do with the items you purge from your closet? Leave me a comment; I would love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Charissa
When Reaching Your Financial Goals Means You Don’t Look Like Everyone Else
This post has encouraged me to do some spring cleaning! Every time I look at my closet I have anxiety about all the work it will take… but really it won’t be too bad :). You have some great ideas for selling clothes too! I’ve never really had much success, so I’ll have to try them!
Hope all my tips are a help to you, Terrin. 🙂
This came at the perfect time! We are spring cleaning!Love the tips xo
Glad you read it at just the right time, Ashley!
I usually donate all of my clothes. But I never thought about selling them. I use Thredup to buy clothes, never sell. I might have to change that.
Ordering a clean out bag from ThredUP is quite easy. 🙂
I’ve never used Thred Up. I’ll have to try that!
ThredUP is great, April!
I’ve always wondered if those defuzzer things really work. I have some clothes that are in great condition overall, other than having all the little pills, so I’d love to give them a refresh.
The defuzzer does refresh clothes quickly and easily, Meg. 🙂
So many great options for recycling your clothes! About to do that now that I’m postpartum with my 3rd and last baby!
It’s a good time to go through your clothes!
Great ideas and so timely for me as I am doing this to all of our closets this week!
Happy closet clean out, Lisa!
I’d never heard of Thred Up until recently. I think I need to really try them out!
ThredUP is a great option for buying and selling clothes, Corey. 🙂
I used to sell my stuff on eBay, but I’m thinking of giving Poshmark a try too. Great post!
I haven’t tried eBay yet. Lots of good options out there!
I’m packing up for a move to a new house and I’m going to organize everyone’s closets in this manner. The donate pile will likely be the biggest!
Yay for donation piles!!
It sounds like you and I have a very similar process! I need to look into ThredUp, though! I used to do Poshmark a loooooong time ago but have been thinking about starting again. Great post!
ThredUP is a great option, Shannon. 🙂