1. PLASTIC CLOTHES HANGERS
'Plastic clothing hangers don't hold weight well and look cheap,' says Melissa Fiorentino, a professional stylist and trends forecaster at Editor's Faves. At Minimalism, we recommend these clothes hangers, at Amazon, which are inexpensive, available in a range of colors, and will keep garments in shape.
2. GARMENTS THAT NO LONGER FIT
There is a tendency to keep jeans and dresses that no longer fit us because they are too small with the hope that one day they will fit again. Juliana Meidl, founder of Detroit home organizers Serenity At Home says that as she and her team go through those clothes with clients, she asks them to 'really look at those items and decide if they get back to the smaller size is it something they will still want to wear.'
3. ITEMS YOU HAVEN'T WORN IN TWO YEARS
If you haven't worn it in the past two years, it's time to let go of it, argues Melissa Fiorentino. She says lots of us hold onto trendy items that we never wear or pieces that don't fit our lifestyle or the weather where we live.
As for items that we need to fix, she says 'it's a good idea not to throw away items with minor issues like small rips, missing buttons, or lose zippers, but it also doesn't help to hoard these at the back of your closet and forget about them.'
It can be hard to declutter sentimental items of clothing, so follow Brenda's advice and either take a photo of it and let it go or put it in pride of place. 'If you're concerned that the memories will fade over time without the item, then take a picture of the item and let the article go. I would even suggest framing a really special concert T-shirt,' she says.
4. TOO MANY DUPLICATES
There's absolutely nothing wrong with having the same classic T-shirt in every color or two of the same pair of jeans that just fit you perfectly, but professional organizers think we have a habit of holding onto too many items that are very similar to each other.
5. EXPENSIVE ITEMS YOU KEEP MEANING TO SELL
I'm certainly guilty of holding onto items of clothing that I have not ended up wearing because of the fact they were expensive. It feels like a waste to get rid of them – I could sell those jeans or dresses online but will I ever actually get around to taking photos, listing them, packaging them up, and sending them? Probably not. If that resonates with you, consider donating them to a charity.
6. DAMAGED CLOTHING
If you have items that are damaged or stained and have been holding onto them but haven't had the time to repair them, consider clearing them out. 'Anything with stains or holes should be gotten rid of, of course!' says Leslie Kilgour, professional organizer and founder of Get It Straight Organizing. 'You can always use these items as cleaning rags or donate them to a pet shelter,' she says. It can feel hard to part with things that were expensive initially, but they're taking up valuable space in your home that could be used for something you use day to day.
7. PLASTIC OVER-THE-WALL STORAGE
Melissa Fiorentino says that over-the-door organizers made of plastic tend to be flimsy and too small to meaningfully store anything. Fabric over-the-door shoe bags, at The Container Store are a more aesthetically pleasing alternative.