These are the things you should throw out of your closet!
You surely know that there are many things you should throw out of your closet. If you believe that you are the type of person who likes to put almost anything in the closet, it is easy to notice that you should definitely get rid of some of that stuff. But do you know what the thighs are that you should throw out first?
We keep a lot of items in our closet that we should probably store in totally different places. And this is why we are here today. Wipe and Organize wants to help you learn how to better organize your closet and how to get the most out of the space that you have.
Get ready, and let’s see together what things you should throw out of your closet right now!
133 Responses
I take exception to this one. I wear mismatched socks every day!
I wear mismatched to keep my feet warm in bed at night, to walk around the house instead of going barefoot or wearing shoes, and when I’m wearing boots so that cover the socks.
Me too, after I apply lotion.
I use old socks on my Swiffers when I runout out of the actual Swiffers. I have a small swiffer as well as a large one. The real ones. We have only hardwood floors and thick slate floors in the bathrooms. The Dollar Tree swiffers I can wash the cloth ones. So I really love them. I have tons and I feel like I’m not throwing money away using the washable ones. I have also used old socks. Good luck
Don’t throw away. Donate clothes and household stuff. Clothes you haven’t worn in over a year is the first to go.
Thank you for the great idea that I will use for sure.
I wash the throw away swifter at least one time. Throw it in with cleaning rags or towels. You can use them just the same way.
Good idea
They make great dust cloths
And split in half make great grease rags for the shop.
I don’t have any mismatch socks. I have several pair of socks. I’m not a huge tennis shoe person so I don’t have a lot of socks. I also have about 10 pr or more of the thick winter mukluks. Got them years ago from Walmart on clearance for $2.00. I wear those all winter and I have slip on kind like soft house shoes where they have skid proof on the bottom. Plies we have hardwood floors
My feet are cold year round. I understand
Great idea, Thank You!! Cold feet can disrupt sleep. I am actually clearing out closets and drawers this week.
im alllllways in mismatched sox.. the one thing they won’t be is mis sized.. never will I ever wear one long and one short sock thhaaaat would look craaayzee. lol socks cover my feet. I could care less if they pattern match.. just be the same height.. ps im 61 and idc
💜💜💜💜
Upcycle those mismatched socks. Fill the foot portion with rice or oatmeal. Knot the cuff. Heat in microwave 90 seconds. Ta da! Heating pad , foot warmer. They morph to the perfect shape.
Sorry if this is a duplicate I love this so much. I have a few of the rice filled things because I have migraines. Never thought about using old socks with rice for migraines I have to share with my friends that have them and family!
So what does the Rice in a sock do for Migraines. Would appreciate an answer. Thanks.
Maureen at 201-916-1404 (text)would appreciate
great idea and cheaper than buying one at the store
When I was a kid I lived in a farm for awhile. The farm wife next door told me to heat rice in a sock for an earache. It really helps. It became known as the salt sock.
Agreed. I don’t throw anything away 6o
Only do this with socks that are cotton; synthetics might catch fire in the microwave.
I put baking soda in old socks, tie them close to the toe, put in shoes, boots, and/or slippers when not wearing and it helps with the smell some shoes get after wearing them alot. When I go to wear the shoes, I take the sock and put the baking soda sock in another pair of shoes.
Great idea for the sock to turn them into mini foot warmers! I buy the Cheeto Cotten wash rags at Walmart for that purpose however! I take 2 and sew them around 3.5 sides then close and sew securely and they are ready to heat and heal!! If I need I can toss them into the freezer for a bit for small cold packs as well.,, very handy!
Besides, once you throw lone socks away, the mate shows up,
lol I’ve had that happen and I just put in my hanging rad bag lol
Absolutely
This is so true !!!
Murphys law
Absolutely. 😉
I wear mismatched socks a lot because I teach 6th grade English.
Sometimes I even do it on purpose 😆
Me too!!! LOL
Me 2 lol
Of course! Who says socks have to match? Who bothers looking?
I do too, and so do my grandchildren and my great-grandgangels. We are not bound by matches but by comfort and convenience.
Hey that was a thing in the 70’s-to switch one sock with a friend! (at least in California it was!)
love to read your stuff.
I agree so far. I have plenty of socks I should get throw out those that don’t match. I came e across a pair of lizard shoes that were 29 years old. the purchase receipt was still in the shoe box. I was thinking of taking them to be repaired because the heels were loud. I decided I had gotten more than my money’s worth from them, and I hadn’t worn the in at least 7 years. The were also getting hard.
I always say that if we forget about things that are stored in boxes, it’s time to get rid of them because we don’t need them anyway. Recently, I cleaned out a very large box that was full of pants and tops. Took most of the contents to Goodwill. I obviously didn’t miss the contents anyway, and didn’t need them.
I agree with you that if we forget about the items, we no longer need them! However, I would suggest that you donate to someplace other than Goodwill. They pay their employees less than minimum wage, while their CEO makes over $600,000 per year! I find other thrift stores, such as Salvation Army and local charities to donate to instead. Also consider donating to a domestic violence shelter, because many of the women and children have had to leave their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. All your donations are really appreciated there.
That was funny,I’m surprised that they hadn’t grown a tail💖😂I don’t mean to offend.
I have a friend that shared this tip. When you first go through your closet, turn all the hangers back wards on the rack. As you then wear that item, hang it up properly. At the end of 6 months or a year, if you haven’t worn it, (by the hanger facing) then get rid of it. We have several charities around town that provide clothes for homeless or those trying to go back to work and needing good clothes. If all else fails, try Goodwill!
Do not support using Good Will any longer. They oftentimes accept clothing you think will end up on the racks of one of their stores to help less fortunate individuals, only to find out they destroyed a lot of the clothing and sold it as rag weight price which gave them a guaranteed instant profit! How disappointed I was to hear that happened VERY routinely in many of their MI locations.
Some clothing donated is not wearable. Faded, holes etc.
I totally concur with your statement. I found the same issue with Goodwill.
We give our things to Crisis Assistance.
Give to Friends of Recovery, it goes to the Oxford Houses that help recovering addicts and their families
Not to mention the crazy amounts they pay their CEO’s. They are definitely not for profit.
NO, to Goodwill! Women’s Shelters and ,Nursing Homes are a good place to start. Even the Salvation Army gives clothes and goods to families in dire need. Goodwill doesn’t help the poor. Their CEO makes a fortune and the executives take most of the money.
Try Salvation Army or businesses that support domestic violence victims and their families. Or ask nursing homes if their residents could use clothing or personal supplies.
The Salvation Army is a wonderful organization whose leaders are paid minimally compared to other organizations. They do lots of good for all communities.
I gave up on Goodwill years ago. I only donate now to AMVETS.
I agree with you
AmVets is my go to drop off donations. They appreciate everything and they have an excellent rating on Charity Navigator. I base my donations on their ratings.
AmVets is my favorite place to donate. Highly rated on Charity Navigator. I drop off things I don’t need anymore at the thrift shop and send monetary donation every Christmas.
How awful of them to do that when there are so many homeless shelters and homeless people needing clothes and shoes.
I give to Catholic charity thrift shops where I know they will be put to use as intended.
So true.
I worked for Goodwill for two years and I can tell you that you haven’t scratched the surface of what a miserable company that it is. I hate Goodwill!
I worked there when I was a very poor single young mother of two children/ I NEEDED clothes for my children and myself. They were very clear that taking any thing from the donations was STEALING, although people donated things to help others. Then , they would load up tons of bags , never even sorted through and take truckloads to the dump! What a scam , and uncaring operation.
I’m going to take to the local BOCES. Did that before. The women there were so grateful.
What is the BOCES?
I Am gonna find the sick
Omg! I didn’t think about this idea. Thanks for sharing!
Also some of Goodwill pricing is that of a regular department store. Goodwill now charge you $0.10 for their bags and this is supposed to be a non-for-profit store?
A lot of them do that. My husband has some old pants that are torn and have holes them. They keep telling him to go ahead and donate them because they can make money off of them as rags.
And Goodwill is NOT a NONPROFIT organization. They want us to believe that, but it is a profit organization all the way. (Check out how many millions the CEO makes.) Their prices have risen dramatically so that most of the time you are better off buying new…. Anyway, we have lots of other places that really need things from your closet–homeless, ASPCA thrift stores, St. Vincent, etc.
You are correct , I don’t use anymore since I saw a full truck of clothing to sell as rag.
I like this tip! Will greatly help me weed out things I no longer pick as a “favorite”. Thanks!
Love this tip! I will begin using it today. It will help me weed out things that are not my “favorite”. Thanks for sharing!
What about seasons?
We live in Minnesota and have tried to follow a bit more seriously the kind Larry method in our closets most everything has it stays there all year and we live in a very crazy weather of Minnesota. I find it easier to layer deal with our weather keeping vests and outerwear in a separate closet and storing away only the very heaviest sweaters and down coats when winter is over. The clothes closet in the bedroom never really changes except if some new layer is added. Then, I find 3 items to move out for each added one.
Good tip
I NEVER donate to Goodwill! They pay their employees less than minimum wage, and their CEO makes over $600,000 a year! Salvation Army helps out the underprivileged and have thrift stores in many communities. Also donating to domestic violence shelters, since often the women and children have left home with nothing but the clothes on their back.
Good idea. Thank you. The Salvation Army is also a good place to
donate.
I love this tip! Thank you!❤️
Many other charities to donate to besides Goodwill. Found out years ago that their CEO receives an exorbitant salary each year! Many other places put their donation $ to better use.
I do this and it WORKS!!! If the hanger is facing out after three -four months that item is GONE!!
Local women’s shelters are a great place to donate. Not just for women’s clothing, but children’s clothing and toys as well as nice household items.
I enjoyed this article. Some I already knew or already did. But someone guilty of and it helps to hear it from another source. I’ll try and keep it in mind when I clean my closet.
Great hints, also, hang cloths backwards so the hook faces you, if you don’t wear the item in 6 months or so, then get rid of them.
Great way to stay on top of a clean and functional closet. Sounds great for kiddo’s closets
Please remove extra info from room and especially cabinets and beab bags with good go r and brilliant pads8
What does this mean? (Confusing remark)
Individual socks can be used for sock animals – like colorful snakes. Monkey or bear. Makes a great gift for a little one or on the children’s hospital wing. Only requires hand sewing the face and sewing the stuffed individual socks together.
Be creative with high heels, flip flops even boots, put a plant or cactus in it for the garden. Whimsical
I throw out torn, no stretch, too small underwear (yup, I am a guy) mismatched/stretched out socks, old, non valuable “t’s” , dress shirts that are stained, sports shoes that are not usable, and bedsheets I rip up and use for throw away cleaning rags, keeping them in an old pillowcase. Sports coats that no longer hang right on me, I return hangers to the dry cleaners and recycle them. I do cut off all of the buttons from throwaways – keeping a few for myself abd give them to alteration seamstress once a year who will then usually sew up a small rip in a yardwork or shop jacket/shirt or mend a small rip/missing button . . mostly for free. I hold onto almost all kitchen equipment and election cords, power supplies etc as they can be reused buI have a full attic over a three car garage that I have put shelves in and it is neat and organized. I also save the shipping boxes Amazon etc ships products in.
Loveit!
Thank you. I really appreciated the thought about turning the hanger backwards. I am definitely going to do that!
Can’t get to the article
Well duh. Common sense. Nothing I did not know.
I leave single stocks hanging up (over the lid of an item which is out of the way), and usually the other one shows up. Of course any ones that have bad elastic or holes get thrown away.
Whoops, I meant socks.
i am in need of someone to help me destash, downsize and sell items. plse email me at motek50@aol.com,
area south florida.miami. thank u.
So. Very hard to clean out stuff for Everything is my treasures..and other than stuff like ole papers I hate to toss…..but still I do
Papers, journals, religious books, ugh. I have great difficulty disposing of them. I hoard such things and want to reverently perhaps pass on religious items in particular to others that might appreciate them. My church is one place I could bring to. Organizing my things is a challenge. Sorting I used to enjoy. I too like the backwards hanger idea.
I have started taking photos of treasures and dust collectors. I put them in my scrapbooks with short stories and photos of family and the garage sale or donate the items and let someone else do the dusting.
I am new to this site, but am LOVING it.
Wow….I need this
I don’t wear socks any more. I painted my ankles with a washable magic marker. I can can change the color.
Are you serious?!
That is crazy. As long as it makes you happy. Enjoy life.
Great ideas for people that are ready to let go and grow away from clutter …But pack rats, hoarders, junkers etc. can’t let go, they always want to recycle their junk and give it to other people!! I say just throw it away. Don’t make anything out of it like stuffed animals, blankets and etc. ☝🏽
I find it important to checkout my belts I’ve been storing. The style has changed since I last wore them and sorry to say my waistline has changed too!
Donate to those in need!
Where’s the seven things to identify, as all I see are ads then comments. One comment made me think socks, and another was box with forgotten pants and shirts. Scrolling down and up I still seen no “seven things” to get rid of.
I didn’t see it either; then I scrolled back up and found the numbers 1-7 under an ad. They are all there.
Numbers 1 – 8 in little blue ovals just before the comments. Click on each one to read about each item.
Debra, You have to scroll down and click the numbers at the bottom of the article. I’ll save you the trouble though but do go back and read it because they do explain why they chose the item.
1. Trash
2. Is it missing its match?
3. Shoes you are not using anymore
4. Clothes that no longer fit
5. Winter gear
6. Things you received as a gift
7. The stuff you held onto the last time you cleaned the closet
Exactly what i see
Here’s easy tip for decluttering your whole house. If you haven’t seen it in six months or used it in the last twelve months get rid of it. Yard sale, donate, trash, etc just get rid of it. You don’t need it and you’ll save a lot of time in the future by not having to dig through it to find something.
I always buy at least 2 pairs of any style socks. That way, if one sock is damaged or lost I still have a useable pair (and a spare). When my kids were small I would buy 10 pairs of the same socks and they would last forever..or at least until they were outgrown.
Check with thrift stores about specific charities. I designate Veterans as the charity I want to support. Everything sold goes to the local Veterans.
I rotate okd shoes to the garage and wear them to mow or do yard work. I have a clothes hanging with a bunch of clips for the odd socks so the mate sometimes shows up.
I keep a box of old socks to dust. Just slip your hand inside like a mitten and dust away. Throw them in the wash or toss them.
I just want to say that I strongly encourage donating your old clothes and shoes. Before you run straight to Goodwill, check with local schools and community theater groups. They often need clothing that can be altered as costumes. If you have a stack of old t-shirts, ask your local kindergarten and elementary school if they could use them for Art to protect the students’ clothes. If your clothes are in decent shape and would fit a middle or high schooler, ask if they have a clothing closet or donation drive anytime during the year. (I once taught in a school where students had really tough lives and needed more than one change of clothes.)
Thinking out of the box can put your “donate pile” to good use.
Goodwill is awful! When they came to aid us after the hurricane they had what was supposed to be free water bottles, and they were charging $1.00 each!!!
Be realistic. If it’s going because you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit but it’s in very good to excellent condition then donate and good for you! But if it’s faded out of shape, stained ,etc., don’t insult people by donating it. Throw it out
Great advice. Thank You.
My husband and I lived in the guest house while we were renovating our kitchen, we took minimal amount if clothes and kitchen things it was blissful, really made a lot of sense we buy and buy to filll our hearts, we don’t heed 12 of this and 12 of that , we had two of each but if course no one came around. If you like to entertain that’s the problem.
Do Not Donate to Goodwill, They Sell your Stuff At a high Price, Donate to any other place
I regularly go through my clothes and shoes. I even have pierced earrings that I bought the I never wore. I donate to St. Vincent DePaul or Havin. I donated a blank to the animal shelter. We pass books around in my family and then donate to the library or the cubby box in town where it’s take on leave one.
I live in Minnesota. I need my warm clothes 7-8 months a year. My coats, hats and mittens are all in my back entry closet. And a bin for mittens and a bin for hats. My snow pants and ski wear are all there too. My winter boots live in the back entry closet. But, in my closet I keep sweaters, sweatshirts, warm underwear garments, etc. so I do not store my winter attire. I need it!
Thank you for your comments about Goodwill. A few months ago I donated clean, ironed, neatly organized clothing that could have gone directly on a sales rack. I placed them neatly in my trunk. When I arrived at the drive-in location. the guy just pulled them out in a wad and threw them in a big bin. I went away feeling disrespected because of the care I had taken to provide things in good condition. I also had told the man that they were clean, read for sale, etc. I definitely will reconsider any future donations to Goodwill. If clothing all goes to “rag” tons, I will give them rags! The socks, shorts, long pants, good sport shoes, etc (all clean and neatly folded–some new or nearly new) will go to the church homeless ministries. I’m sorry that this is what Goodwill has become.
What to do with old cable connecting wires that we don’t use because technology changes repaidly.
any creative project?
What is BOCES?
I can see it?
I put all mismatched socks in a zip lock bag and toss it into the sock drawer. I check the bag whenever I wash again to see if there are any matches, and I almost always find the matches.
Yes, we all do it, as I was SMH and smiling while reading this.
Wife gets on me about the stuff in my closet. Will clean it out over a weeks time.
It is things & not thighs you should throw out. ROFLOL
It really hit him we on the last item to throw away . The one that said if your holding onto things that you told yourself I’ll hang onto it for another yr and it’s been like 4 yrs now ,but you tell yourself another yr I’ may wear that this yr . I told myself .,””oh”” come on,, get rid of it .
I didn’t see any list of things that I shouldn’t keep in my closet……
Great tips. Thank you!
Mismatched socks I fill with catnip and tie the end-perfect catnip toy and my cats love them. Otherwise wear around the house, who really cares?
I keep the socks many reasons, to reuse in different ways. The clothes I find I can’t wear, or in recent case, my husband’s clothes, I donated to a local nursing home. Many old people who are in these facilities barely have enough money to stay, don’t have any family or family not in good standing to help. So they wear rags, unless someone donates clothes they can wear. A friend of mine who works at one of these facilities told me this.