From The Straits Times    |
how to declutter things to throw away before cny singapore - thumb

how to declutter things to throw away before cny singapore

#1 THINGS YOU HAVEN’T WORN IN 6 MONTHS

There are several reasons we stop (or just never start) wearing the clothes we buy. Sometimes it’s a matter of the wrong size, other times the style just isn’t all that flattering, or your tastes may have changed over time. If an outfit no longer brings you joy or use within a six-month window, it’s probably time to get rid of it. Don’t forget to separate your clothes into donate or throw piles, because even if you no longer can or want to wear something, it doesn’t mean it’s worn out enough to warrant throwing it out.

If you have no idea how long it’s been since you last wore an item of clothing, then you might as well start counting now. One way to do this is to take all your hanging clothes and face the hangers the wrong way, and then as you wear certain items of clothes, put them back in your wardrobe with the hanger facing the right way. At the end of six months, pull out all the clothes you haven’t worn and sort! Of course, there are some special occasion pieces you may only pull out once a year, so as long as those still bring you joy, keep them.

 

#2 OLD ELECTRICAL DEVICES AND GADGETS

While it makes sense to keep your previous phone handy as a spare or backup in case your current one fails, some of us just hold on to old gadgets for years and years, despite the fact that we never get around to having any use for them. Get rid of all but the latest two phones you have, unless you’re prone to losing or breaking phones (in which case, you should also avoid expensive phones).

While we’re on the topic of gadgets, never keep a device with the batteries still sitting inside it. The batteries will eventually break down and leak all over the gadget or remote control and ruin it for good.

 

#3 TOWELS, LINENS, AND SHEETS

Whether you’ve accumulated these over time on your own accord or been given towels as gifts over the years, these are the easiest things to hoard without realising it. Do you really need to have eight different bath towels to choose from? Sure, they’ll take longer to wear out because there are more in rotation, but they’re dense and take up quite a bit of space that could easily be used for other things. You might only need two bath towels per person, with a couple to spare in case you have guests staying over. Pick out your faves, sort through the rest and decide if they’re good enough to be donated (some dog shelters always need donated towels) or even cut up and used as rags.

When it comes to bed linens, changing the colour theme of a room can render a set of bed sheets irrelevant. You might consider donating any that you no longer use, because there are definitely others out there who would find them incredibly useful.

 

#4 THINGS THAT ARE STORED IN HARD-TO-REACH PLACES

Some things end up untouched in storage for years, simply because they’re out of reach. That said, if you haven’t needed something in years, then you could definitely do without it.

If you want to keep things and make sure you use them more often, keep them in drawers or cupboards that are more accessible, or up on shelves that are more visible. Sure, opaque cupboards are neater on the outside, but they make what’s on the inside a lot more forgettable.

 

#5 SHOES

The thing about shoes is that they actually begin to break down a lot sooner when you stop wearing them. (Side note, I highly recommend never wearing shoes you haven’t worn out in about a year or more, unless you have a pair of slippers packed in case of an emergency.)

We rarely outgrow shoes once we hit our 20s, but if your tastes have changed or you’re no longer willing to sacrifice comfort for style, you should really force yourself to get rid of all the shoes you know you’ll never wear again. Shoes take up a lot of space and if you aren’t wearing them you’ll have to throw them away eventually anyway. You might as well donate the shoes that are still in decent condition or give them away so that someone else can enjoy them while they last.

 

READ MORE: 5 ways to declutter your wardrobe AND make some money, here are the style goals you should aim to achieve in 2017.

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