Spring Cleaning Tips to Declutter Your Wardrobe | Hammonds

How to clear out your home this spring

We at Hammonds feel that nothing beats coming home to a clean atmosphere after a long day.

If you are looking to declutter, spring cleaning can be a great opportunity to part ways with old possessions and make room for something new. However, we know that this can seem like a huge task, and when clearing out your home it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or not know where to even begin!

In a bid to find out the nation’s cleaning habits, we surveyed 2,000 UK adults to see how often they go through items such as clothing with the intention of getting rid of them, and just how much we hold onto in our wardrobes.

To help you with this year’s spring cleaning, we also spoke to various de-cluttering and style experts about different approaches and techniques to get more organised, and why we don’t want to part with certain items.

How often do people clear out their homes?

Our study found that surprisingly spring is not the only time of the year for Brits to declutter, as the majority of respondents claim to clear out their home more than once a year.

Almost three in ten (29%) have a clear out of their homes as often as once a month, with one in twenty (5%) even claiming to clear out their homes at least once a week, meaning 2.6 million of us are culling our belongings on a weekly basis.

The most popular time frame was found to be once every six months, with one in five (22%) doing a bi-yearly clear out.

In fact, less than one in six (14%) say they clear out their home just once a year. Just 16% said that they leave it even longer, undertaking a clear out less than once a year, while only 3% say that they’ve never had a clear out.

Young people were found to be more likely to clean out their homes often, in fact a quarter of 25-34 (25%) year-olds claim to clear out their homes at least once a week. A further fifth (20%) say they have a fortnightly clear out of items they no longer want or need. 

18–24-year-olds are most likely (29%) to clear out their homes every three months, whilst almost one in five (19%) 18–24-year-olds have a clear out at least once a week.

In comparison, just 3% of 65+ year-olds have a clear out at least once a week. 65+ year-olds are also the most likely to clear out their home less than once a year (28%). 

But how much do we hold onto?

While many claim to be clearing out their homes often, our study reveals that many of us are still hoarding lots of unused clothes in our wardrobes – adding up to potentially billions of pounds across the country.

On average, respondents estimate that they have a total of £174 worth of unworn clothes in their wardrobe, equating to a staggering £9.2 billion in unworn clothes sitting in wardrobes all over the UK.

Overall, half of those asked (50%) estimated they have up to £150 of unused clothes at home. 

Despite claiming to regularly clear out their homes, 25–34-year-olds have an average of £145 worth of unworn outfits in their wardrobe.

Meanwhile, 18–24-year-olds have around £189 worth of unworn clothes stashed away, despite almost one in five (19%) reportedly doing a clear out at least once a week.

How does the data compare regionally?

Bristol topped the list when it comes to individuals most likely to clear out their homes, with nearly a third of Bristolians (28%) going through their belongings at least once a week. Yet over one in six (16%) of Bristol residents have unworn clothes in their wardrobe, which amount to an average value of £175.

The UK cities most likely to declutter homes out at least once a week:

1. Bristol (28%)
2. Glasgow (23%)
3. Sheffield (18%)
4. London (15%)
5. Belfast (15%)

In comparison, Norwich residents were found the most likely to hold onto their possessions. On average they have £173 worth of unused clothing in their home, coming in at just £2 less than the average Bristol resident despite getting rid of items less frequently.

The UK cities most likely to declutter homes less than once a year:

1. Norwich (23%)
2. Liverpool (20%)
3. Leeds (20%)
4. Cardiff (19%)
5. Nottingham (17%)

When looking at the value of clothing sat in our wardrobes, Belfast was found to have the highest value of unworn clothes with an average value of £255 of clothing stashed away. Edinburgh has the lowest average value coming in at £115 of unworn outfits.

The cities that are hoarding the most unworn clothes (average per person):

1. Belfast - £255
2. Leeds - £189
3. London - £189
4. Liverpool - £187
5. Cardiff - £183

Tips for approaching spring cleaning this year

Do you find yourself among those that say they have hundreds of pounds worth of unused clothes in their closet?

For those who are feeling inspired to start clearing out their own homes, we spoke with decluttering experts from the Spark Joy Collective on how to approach a clear out and ensure you don’t need to spend time going through your belongings on a weekly basis.

When it comes to the frequency of how often we should tidy our homes, Hester Van Hien from Tidylicious, advises that “you only need to do it once properly, and then whenever it’s necessary. If you declutter and organise everything in your home once, it’s much easier to keep on top of it and it won’t be such a huge job as the first-time round”.

Hester says that this makes it easier to keep on top of things, as people tend to “become much more mindful about what enters their home.”

Hester added: “Once you’ve finished deciding what to keep or discard for everything in your home, you will have made many decisions and your decision-making skills will be honed. Going forward, making decisions about what to keep or discard will be much simpler, making it much easier to keep your home clutter-free.” 

Certified KonMari Consultant and Professional Organiser, Mimi Bogelund from The Organised Home & Life recommends the Once-And-For-All inspired approach to tidying, inspired by Marie Kondo:

 

• Go deep into all cupboards and get out belongings, working in sections such as clothes, linens, toiletries, books etc. to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Go through everything, choosing what you love and need the most, letting excess go.
• Give yourself several months and work at regular times. Once done, you will never need to clear out radically again. A swift re-set every season is all you need.

 

Mimi said: “After this, one in, one out is an effective way to maintain your space after all the hard work. Every little thing you bring through the front door will take space somewhere in your home. If you try to avoid impulse buying and shop mindfully, you’ll cut back on effort and time needed to keep on top of things.”

When it comes to our need to keep unworn items, Style and Confidence Coach at The Style Editor, Samantha Harman says that for some, our need to hold onto these belongings goes further than liking a shirt:

“We end up with wardrobes full of clothes we never wear because we're buying for who we hope we'll become by having those things. We save things ‘for best’ or ‘someday’, and then day-to-day we’re wearing the same old scraggly items that don’t make us feel good, and don’t support us to take the bold actions we want to take.

We aren't lusting after a dress; what we're really searching for is the feeling of accomplishment/happiness we think we'd have if we were the type of person who wears that item.

And then in a clear-out, we end up keeping the clothes we've never worn, promising ourselves we will change. A month, six months later, we're clearing out again and realise we still haven't worn those items. It’s a perpetual cycle of shaming ourselves, when our wardrobes should be a celebration!

There's huge psychological benefit to wearing your best clothes - enclothed cognition. Studies show that when you wear clothes that make you feel good, you're more productive, visible and honest. Don't let your wardrobe be a museum dedicated to a life you never lived. Wear the clothes and live the life.

When it comes to getting rid of items, a good way to get perspective on what you're actually wearing (because trust me, we lie to ourselves!) is to turn your hangers around when you wear an item. If you have unworn items at your next wardrobe clear-out, they should be the first to address. I ask my clients to give each item of clothing a score out of 10 - based not only on how it makes them feel, but practicality, wearability etc.

And then I ask them; 'what is your minimum standard for how you need to feel in order to do the things in life you want to do?' If the item is a 3 and they want/need to feel like an 8 daily; the item doesn't make the cut. If it helps, think of your clothes as employees, or a team. Are they supporting you, or sabotaging you? Are you leaving great items on the bench and playing your duds? You wouldn't do that in any other area of your life - so stop doing it with your clothes.”

When it comes to expanding our wardrobes, Samantha says that shopping mindfully is key. Giving the following tips to approaching buying new items:

• Watch your mood - if you’re sad, tired or emotional, do something other than shop.
• If you are considering a new item - sleep on it. Online stores employ clever psychological techniques such as ‘X people are looking at this item right now’ so you’ll buy quickly, without really considering if you need it.
• Have a way of documenting your clothes digitally – you’ve got a million things in your mind, it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to remember all the clothes in your wardrobe too. When you’ve got them on your phone, if you see something you like when shopping, you can quickly check whether it goes with what you already own.
• Don’t buy it if you can’t think of at least five ways to wear it!
• Spend your money on the things you'll wear most. People end up with wardrobes of fancy frocks or suits they splurged on for a wedding and wore once and then when it comes to their everyday items that truly make the difference, they scrimp.”

Declutter your wardrobe with fitted furniture

For those of us not quite ready to get rid of all our unworn outfits, our storage solutions can be a great way to fit in all your extra items after your spring clean. Our fitted wardrobes come in a variety of styles and can help you stay organised year-round.

Decluttering will not only make your space (and yourself!) feel calmer but it will also make your home feel more inviting and give you the chance to display the items you really want to keep in your home. Read more about the benefits of decluttering on our blog to get motivated.

It’s time to start spring cleaning!