How to Get Rid of Clothes (Without Wasting Them)
You open the wardrobe, look at a full rail, and still feel like you’ve got nothing to wear.
If you’re like me, part of the problem is that the clothes you love are squashed between the ones you don’t.
Getting rid of clothes is really two jobs: deciding what goes, and then finding the right place for it to go.
The first job is mostly about honesty, and the second is about not sending perfectly good things to landfill.
I’ve done this many times, before moving countries with two suitcases and in every home since, and here’s the method that’s worked for me.
How to Decide Which Clothes to Get Rid Of
Take everything out
Empty the wardrobe and drawers onto the bed, including the coats in the hall and the pile on the chair.
Seeing it all together is the fastest way to realise how many black T-shirts you actually own.
Ask five honest questions
Have I worn this in the last year?
Does it fit the body I have today?
Does it fit the life I have today, my work, my weekends, my weather?
Would I buy it again if I saw it in a shop now?
Do I feel good when I wear it, or do I keep changing out of it?
If most of the answers are no, it can go.
Use a maybe box for the hard ones
Put the clothes you can’t decide about in a box, write the date on it, and put it out of sight.
If you haven’t opened it in three months, you have your answer, and you can let the box go without looking inside.
Be gentle with sentimental pieces
A dress from a wedding or a jumper that belonged to someone you love deserves a different decision from a T-shirt you got free at a fun run.
Keep one or two that truly matter, photograph others before you let them go, and I wrote more about this in what to do with the sentimental things you can’t throw away and can’t keep.
If you’d like a sense of what’s worth keeping, my minimalist wardrobe shows what I ended up with.
Sort Into Four Piles
Once you’ve decided, sort what’s leaving into four piles: give, sell, donate, and recycle.
Clothes in good condition that someone you know would love go to the give pile.
Good-quality or branded pieces worth a bit of effort go to the sell pile.
Clean, wearable everyday clothes go to the donate pile.
Anything stained, torn, or worn out goes to the recycle pile.
Where to Get Rid of Clothes
Give them to people you know
Friends, younger siblings, and colleagues are often happy to take things, and it’s lovely to see a favourite coat on someone else.
A clothes swap is even better, because everyone brings a bag and leaves with a few new pieces, and whatever’s left goes to charity together.
Sell them
Selling takes more time, so I only do it for pieces that are in very good condition or from brands people look for.
Resale apps and websites, local consignment shops, and community marketplaces all work, and the best one depends on where you live and what you’re selling.
Take clear photos in daylight, give honest measurements, and set a deadline, because a pile waiting to be listed can sit in the corner for months.
If something hasn’t sold by the deadline, move it to the donate pile and let it go.
Donate them
Charity shops, thrift stores, shelters, and community organisations all take clothes, but each has its own needs.
Check what they accept before you go, because some only want seasonal items, and shelters may especially need coats, socks, and underwear in new condition.
Donate clothes clean, dry, and in a state you’d be happy to buy them in.
Larger thrift chains often have a plan for what doesn’t sell, and some Goodwill branches, for example, bale unsold textiles and sell them on for things like insulation and rags.
Even so, please don’t treat a donation bag as a bin for ruined clothes, because sorting them costs charities time and money.
Recycle what can’t be worn
Textile recycling bins, council or municipal collections, and clothing shops with take-back schemes can accept worn-out clothes.
What’s available varies a lot from place to place, so search your town’s name with “textile recycling” to find the nearest option.
Reuse them at home
Old cotton T-shirts make the best cleaning cloths I’ve ever owned.
Keep a few, cut them up, and let the rest go, because you only need so many rags.
Why Not Just Throw Them Away?
Because a lot of clothing already ends up in landfill.
The US Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in 2018, Americans generated about 17 million tons of textile waste, and around 11.3 million tons of it went to landfill, with only about 15 percent recycled.
Some of that is unavoidable, but much of it is clothing that someone else could have worn.
A little extra effort on your part, a bag dropped at a charity or a recycling bin, keeps your clothes in use for longer, and I wrote more about why that matters in why zero waste is important.
Get Them Out of the House This Week
The most common mistake I see, and have made, is letting the bags sit by the front door for a month.
Put them straight in the car, or by the door with a date to drop them off, ideally within a few days.
Don’t look inside the bags again, because second-guessing yourself is how half of it ends up back on the hangers.
If you’re moving, it’s even easier, because there’s a natural deadline, and I shared what worked for me in moving back home: 5 ways to get rid of unwanted things.
How to Stop the Pile Coming Back
Getting rid of clothes is pointless if the same number come back in by spring.
Use one in, one out, so every new piece replaces an old one.
Wait thirty days before buying anything that isn’t a replacement, and you’ll find most of the wants pass.
Build a wardrobe where everything goes with everything else, and here’s how to build a versatile wardrobe step by step.
And if you want a structured reset, a low buy year is gentler than it sounds.
Clothes are usually the first category in decluttering by category, so once your wardrobe is done, you’ve already finished the hardest part to start.
And Remember
The full rail that left you with nothing to wear will feel very different with half the clothes on it.
You’ll see what you love, reach for it more often, and get dressed faster.
The clothes you let go will get a second life with someone who actually wears them.
Start with one shelf or one drawer today, and you’ll be surprised how quickly the rest follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decide which clothes to get rid of? Take everything out and ask whether you’ve worn it in the last year, whether it fits your body and life today, whether you’d buy it again, and whether you feel good in it. Put undecided pieces in a dated maybe box and let it go if you don’t open it in three months.
What is the best way to get rid of clothes? Sort them into give, sell, donate, and recycle piles. Give good pieces to people you know, sell high-quality items, donate clean everyday clothes, and recycle anything worn out.
Where can I donate old clothes? Charity shops, thrift stores, shelters, and community organisations. Check what each accepts first, and donate items clean and in good condition.
What should I do with clothes that are too worn to donate? Use textile recycling bins, council or municipal textile collections, or shop take-back schemes, or cut cotton pieces into cleaning cloths. Avoid putting ruined clothes in donation bags.
Should I throw old clothes in the trash? Only as a last resort. In the US, about 11.3 million tons of textiles went to landfill in 2018 according to the EPA, and much of it could have been reused or recycled.
How do I stop buying too many clothes? Use one in, one out, wait thirty days before non-essential purchases, and build a versatile wardrobe where everything goes together.