​The weather here in New England is finally warmer, which means it’s time for the winter-to-summer wardrobe switch! Even if you took my advice (see my 9/23/16 post) and set yourself up with a year-round closet that doesn’t require the semi-annual switch, it’s still a good idea to check your wardrobe a couple of times a year to weed out old items and keep your clothes in good condition.
 
This year, find some inspiration and motivation from this vintage WWII postcard that I found at the Churchill War Rooms on a recent trip to London.
 
In those days, people were trying to conserve all the resources they could for the war effort. Today, we have an interest in being thrifty and conserving for financial and environmental reasons.
 

As you go through your wardrobe, look at each item and consider:

• Do you still wear and love it? If so, does it need to be mended? If so, fix it or bring it to a seamstress, tailor, or dry cleaner right away!
• If you don’t wear or love it anymore, why not donate it so someone else can love it and wear it? It’s not doing anyone any good just sitting in your closet.
• If you wear it but you don’t love it, do you really need it or could you make do without it or replace it with something you prefer?
• If you love it but don’t wear it, is it still worth the space it’s taking up in your closet? Maybe it should be stored away for posterity or given to someone who can wear it now.
• If it’s made of wool and you’re concerned about clothes moths, put the DRY item in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes to kill any larvae or moths that might be hiding in the clothes. Warning: Do not put wet wool in the dryer or it will shrink like crazy!
• Is it clean? It’s important to make sure clothes are clean before you put them away for the season both because clothes moths love food and perspiration stains and because stains can set if left for too long. Wash it or bring it to the dry cleaner right away.

 
Although this sounds time consuming, make it a game to see how quickly you can accomplish this wardrobe pruning. If you’re having too much trouble deciding on an item, it’s OK to keep it for now and see if you wear it this season. Try the trick of putting the hanger backwards on the rod or putting a folded item backwards in the drawer or shelf. In the fall, when you go through your items again, you’ll know if you haven’t used it because it will still be backwards. It might be easier to part with it then.

Here are three options for what to do with the clothes you edit out of your wardrobe:
1. Consign them: This option is only for in-season designer clothes in excellent condition. Resale shops are picky!
2. Donate them: Find your favorite spot (donation box or thrift store drop-off) near you and take the clothes there right away.
3. Recycle them: This comes from my very first Tip of the Week back on 9/12. For those really tattered or stained items, H&M stores offer fiber recycling drop-off bins and they even give you a coupon for a percentage off your next purchase.

Finally, focus on the clothes you really enjoy wearing. If you “make do and mend” these beloved clothes, they’ll serve you for a long time.

Stainless steel appliances are great looking, except when they get all those smudges and fingerprints on them. Instead of buying expensive cleaning products with harsh chemicals, try this easy recipe: mix equal parts rubbing alcohol and baby oil (mineral oil). If you can find it, try lavender scented baby oil for a lovely, fresh fragrance. Each time you use it, shake it up to mix it and then dab it onto a microfiber or other soft cloth and swipe it across your stainless steel surfaces for an instant clean!

This week, I have another post for you inspired by what I learned from reading The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio. In a similar fashion to Dr. Zasio’s clarification of the distinctions between a collection and a stockpile, she also outlines the differences between “savers” and “pack rats.”
 
Of course, anyone who tends to have lots of stuff wants to imagine him/herself a prudent saver, but check out my outline of Dr. Zasio’s ideas to see if you might, in fact, be a pack rat.
 
You’re a SAVER if…

• You save an item because you have a definite, planned use for it in the future.
• You stop acquiring more of a certain item when you have enough (e.g. 2 boxes of bandages are enough) and more will not fit in the allotted space (e.g. more than 2 boxes of bandages will not fit in the bathroom cabinet).
• You will get rid of an item if it’s no longer useful (e.g. a cord that only fit an old camera that you no longer own).
• You will get rid of an item once you realize you’ll never use it.
• You will get rid of an item if you haven’t used it for a long time (e.g. a VHS tape) or if it is too old to be used (e.g. expired food).
• You will get rid of an item if you own another just like it that is newer or in better condition.

 
You might be a PACK RAT if…

• You keep anything you think you might use in the future or that could potentially be used by you or someone you know (especially a potential, unidentified someone).
• You keep acquiring more of an item just because you can (“It’s a bargain!” “One more can’t hurt.”), even if you’re running out of space for these things.
• You keep items that are no longer useful “because you never know” (e.g. broken items, single socks, expired medicine).
• You keep multiples or extras of the same item “just in case” even though you already have as many of these items as you use and need.

 
Notice that the Pack Rat has lots of vague rationales for keeping things: just in case, it’s a bargain, you never know, can’t hurt, maybe, someday…
 
The Saver, on the other hand, has plans for the items being kept and rules about when to get rid of items so as not to create a messy space.
 
Challenge yourself: If you realize you are a Pack Rat, maybe even when it comes to certain types of things or areas of your home, see if you can become a Saver instead.

If you’re struggling with clutter, I recommend you read The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio. Don’t be scared off by the title, this book is not just for hoarders but for all clutterers great and small.

I just finished the audiobook version – a great way to learn while on the go! Because the author is a doctor of psychology, the book provides great insight into the motivations behind why we hold onto things and get into trouble with clutter.

One part that I found particularly helpful details the difference between a collection and a stockpile. As I see it, a collection is an intentionally curated (and routinely culled) group of like items of value to you. A stockpile, on the other hand, is an accumulated mass of vaguely similar items. The distinction lies both in motivation and in method.

Here’s my synthesis of Dr. Zasio’s distinctions:
with clutter I urge y

Check out Dr. Zasio’s full list on my Pinterest page, “Clutterer Resources.”

Did you discover that you have a stockpile instead of a collection? Multiple stockpiles? If you're ready to start overcoming the clutter that's overtaking your life, drop me a line. I have strategies to help you work through the piles!