Clean Sweep: Mum’s genius solution to wardrobe mess
Sick of feeling like you have nothing to wear but also have got no space left in your wardrobe? This Sydney mum-of-three has the solution.
Welcome to Clean Sweep, news.com.au’s home organisation series featuring exclusive advice on how to declutter your home direct from Aussies who have spruced their way to success.
“I have nothing to wear.”
It’s a frustrated feeling most of us can relate to, even when standing in front of our open wardrobe that just so happens to be chock full of clothes.
All too often it can seem like an impossible task to find that perfect sundress for your friend’s barbecue among a rack of heavy winter coats, or you can’t justify throwing out expensive work suits even though you don’t wear them anymore.
And while lots of us might like the idea of a capsule wardrobe, it can be unrealistic considering all the different items you need — activewear, work dresses, winter woollies — for modern life.
But don’t despair because there’s a solution, and the season change right now makes it the perfect time to do it.
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‘IT GIVES YOU MORE SPACE’
Sydney woman Lyndall Tolhurst has been sharing home organisation tips on her Instagram account @househomelove for the past two years and says doing a wardrobe rotation makes that overwhelmed feeling just melt away.
“It gives you more space,” she told news.com.au. “You’re able to make your outfits quicker and easier because you’re not rifling through things that aren’t even an option to wear.”
Twice a year the mother-of-three sets aside a weekend in which she can spend several hours switching out clothes and accessories in her wardrobe for the new season. She says the simple task has been life-changing.
“It’s how to maximise the space in your wardrobe for that particular season so you put away the things you’re not going to wear,” Ms Tolhurst said.
“So in summer you put away your heavy jackets, your boots, your scarfs, all that sort of thing.
“You put them away whether it’s under the bed or if you’ve got shelves higher up where you can put them.”
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HOW TO DO IT
Ms Tolhurst uses grey felt boxes she purchased from Ikea for her wardrobe rotation, moving the clothes she doesn’t need for the next few months to hard-to-reach shelves at the top of her wardrobe.
Others options include storing unneeded clothes under a bed or in a spare wardrobe in a guest room. For those who don’t have the luxury of storage, Ms Tolhurst recommends moving out-of-season items to one side of your wardrobe.
She always leaves trans-seasonal clothes like jeans, T-shirts, denim jackets and cardigans out as they can work all year round.
Finally, Ms Tolhurst organises her clothes first into type (skirt, blouse) and then by shade of colour, meaning you’ll never struggle to match your clothes again.
THE BENEFITS
Besides saving space, the benefits of a wardrobe rotation include being forced to examine all your clothes twice a year and take stock.
“Once I can see what outfits that I have I can see any gaps that I need to purchase for that season,” Ms Tolhurst said.
“It also gives you a good chance to go through your clothes and work out what doesn’t fit or is worn out or needs mending or what you just don’t like anymore.
“So you’re culling things at least twice a year … I think also with my shopping it’s helped in I can see the sort of pieces that I like, the colours that I like to wear.
And so now I just shop in those patterns and colours so that everything works together.”
A wardrobe rotation also doesn’t need to be limited to the seasons, with Ms Tolhurst packing away anything she doesn’t wear weekly.
“I’ve also put away all my eveningwear because as a mum you don’t go out that often, you’re not dressing for work or functions very often,” she explained.
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“I’ve actually even put away like dresses that I would wear to a friend’s wedding or engagement party or whatever it is.
“I’d roll those and pop them in boxes as well, just so that I’m not looking at that stuff and it’s not taking up valuable real estate in my wardrobe.”
Ms Tolhurst doesn’t just limit the wardrobe rotation to her own clothes and does the same for her three sons, who are aged three, five and seven.
“I do it for my children, also in the fact that I have three boys so I’m always constantly handing things down as well,” she explained.
“At the end of the season I would get rid of anything that’s worn out, choose anything I want to hand down to the next one or next one and just put away their heavy jackets and that sort of thing.”
Got a good home organisation or cleaning story to share? Email Clean Sweep at hannah.paine1@news.com.au
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