7 Items You Should Throw Out of Your Closet

For some people, the closet seems to be a place where just about everything is tossed. But there are some things that really have no place in a closet, and if you want to be organized, you might want to consider getting rid of some of these items or at least moving them out of your closet.

Here are just a few things you may want to relocate.

High school and college garb. We all have an emotional attachment to the past. Some of us can’t seem to let go of clothing that brings back happy memories. But those high school or college hoodies and jackets have probably seen better days, so if they’re still hanging in your closet and you really want to keep them, they might be better off in a storage box in the basement or the attic.

If it doesn’t fit… We all hope that we’ll be able to fit into those old jeans again one day. Chances are, however, they’ve been hanging in your closet for years. Any items that don’t fit don’t belong in your closet. Consider donating them to charity or giving them to family or friends.

Outdated stuff. Everything old is new again may be true, but those 80s blazers with the shoulder pads have got to go! Fashion is cyclical, but it may be decades before some garb comes back into style. If it has been two or more years since you’ve worn something, it’s time to get rid of it.

Stained anything. Any article of clothing that shows your eating history in any way—be it ketchup or mustard stains or the remnants of that red wine spill—should be given the heave ho! Don’t believe it’s not noticeable. It is.

Torn or ripped. Those pieces of clothing that are unintentionally ripped, torn or threadbare have no place in your closet. They belong in the trash if they can’t be mended.

Runners that have seen better days. Old running shoes that are stained, have barely any tread or are ripped also belong in the rubbish, as do any shoes that are worn out.

Shrinkage or shapelessness. If something shrank or stretched in the wash, wearing it would not set any kind of positive example. There is no kind of magic that will restore an item of clothing back to its normal shape and size if it shrinks or stretches. It’s got to go.