There’s an op shop crisis in Australia.
More families are turning to thrift stores for clothes and other essentials.
At the same time, donations to ops shops, thrift stores, and charity-operated stores are falling.
Yet most of us have closets full of clothes we never wear. It’s estimated that UK wardrobes contain £30 billion worth of clothes not worn in the past year.
To raise awareness and boost donations, the first National Op Shop Week is this week.
Perhaps you’re thinking what I’m thinking – in today’s economic world, this problem isn’t limited to Australia.
So wherever you live, why not do something to help families in need – and do yourself a favor at the same time.
Declutter Your Closet For Charity
Here are some tips on decluttering your closet for charity:
- Look for clothes, shoes, boots, coats, scarves, gloves, and other items of good quality
- Focus on closet clutter that:
- Doesn’t fit you
- Doesn’t suit you
- Is a poor color, shape, or style for you
- Is uncomfortable
- Has negative memories
- Hasn’t been worn in the past 12 months, for whatever reason
- Ignore how much something cost you – if you’re not wearing it, it’s now costing you space and mental clarity. Instead, let someone else enjoy it.
- Encourage your kids, spouse, friends, colleagues to do it too
- Don’t over-think the task – here’s how to declutter your closet in 30 minutes.
Get It Out Of Your House
As soon as you’ve got a bag of stuff ready, either:
- Take it to your local thrift store right away, or
- Take it out to the car to drop off when you’re next running errands.
Resist the temptation to leave it in your house for later. This is simply clutter relocation. And it makes it too easy to rummage through the bag and rescue items.
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been meaning to declutter your closet for ages.
Let this donation crisis be your motivation to do it – this week.
Will You Do It?
How many bags will you donate?
hyperlink decluttter s/b declutter — delete one t. This is a good article.
American translation: thrift store or re-sale store.
Thanks heaps Julie – I’ve updated the post. 🙂