Recently I cleaned out my closet as the first step in tidying my home, but I was left with a bunch of clothes with different futures and not a lot of very present options for what to do with them. I’ve done a little research, and started to figure out what to do after cleaning out my closet. I’ve broken it down into 6 easy steps for what to do after cleaning out your closet.
1. Sort
Give each item a once over. Assess it for quality and value. Items that are like new and name brand can probably be resold easily. Items that are gently used probably won’t sell as easily but can be donated. Items that need repair can be fixed and reassessed, and items beyond repair should be recycled or trashed. I usually sort my items into four piles; Sell, Donate, Repair, and Recycle/Trash. Sometimes I keep a couple of items aside for a friend or two as long as I think it is something they might genuinely like.
2. Repair
For items that can be repaired easily, make the amendments yourself, or have them repaired by a professional. If they are well-beyond repair, they are recycled or trashed.
3. Sell
When I decide to sell something, it has to be worth my effort. I don’t have a lot of extra time to spend, so my sell step goes in the following order:
- Thred Up
I use Thred Up to sell items that are like-new, name-brand, and in season. It might not be the most profitable of the options, but it is the easiest. You simply request a bag, fill it up, and send it back using the pre-paid label. They pay out lower priced items right away, and pay others as they are sold. You can choose to have them send back rejected items for a fee, I always do this. - Poshmark
Direct sales of items to other users. They keep 20% commission. I will be listing quite a few items on my closet soon, so keep an eye out. If you signup with the code JEKZF, you will receive $10 off your first order. - Ebay
I haven’t bothered with eBay before, but know plenty of people who sell on there with lots of luck. They also just launched a ‘sell it for me’ type of service, which I might have to try out. - Craigslist
I use Craigslist quite often, but haven’t sold many clothing items on it. I think it would work well for items such as handbags that don’t require a try-on process, or for selling bundles of clothing that are the same size and style at a deeply discounted price. Otherwise you may spend a lot of time trying to sell items and it won’t be worth the effort. - Clothing Consignment
Look for a consignment retailer in your are that accepts the type of clothing you want to sell or get rid of. I’ve never had time to go donate, but some in my area are Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads Trading Company. There is also one called Kid to Kid that deals with kids clothing specifically. - Totspot
This is an app that started out with kids clothing only, but has recently expanded to include men and women’s as well. I am looking forward to listing more kids clothing on it. Use the code GRXGAU for $5 off your first purchase.
4. Donate
Do a little research into who you donate to, and what they do with the clothing afterward. I am always hesitant when I donate clothing, but am so frazzled by the time it comes down to it that I just drop items off at Goodwill. I know it’s not the best though, so I’m trying to do better.
- Friends & Family
I usually save items I know that some of my friends and family would love (and that are their size). I have a friend that I routinely gift the boys old clothing to because she has 3 boys all younger than mine. - Schoola
This is a company that you can send items in good-working order (kids & women) to, and then they will resell them on your behalf and donate the proceeds to a school or cause of your choice. They provide a postage paid bag for you to donate. - Goodwill
Aside from regular donations to Goodwill, they also accept clothing and textile scraps that are recycled and used to make industrial rags. - Hanes Give Back Box
You can print a shipping label and your clothing donations will be distributed to non-profits. - Amazon Box Program
Use your empty Amazon box to donate clothing, accessories, and other household items via a free shipping label.
5. Recycle
I recently found out about clothing recycle companies in my area, you can find one (near you, hopefully) by using this website. You can also use this website to find out how to recycle just about anything.
6. Trash
This is an ultimate last resort. I would rather donate items for recycling, and you should too.
Do you have any tips for what to do after cleaning out your closet? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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