People should judge whether their clothing adds value to their lives as the standard when tidying their closets ahead of the Lunar New Year, home space management adviser Sung Yung-hsin (宋永馨) said.
The Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac begins on Wednesday.
“Clothes that do not bring value to the people or space around you, are no longer comfortable or take too much time to arrange should probably be thrown out,” she said.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
Garments that are uncomfortable, ill-fitting, lack usefulness or evoke bad memories should be discarded even if they are in good condition, she said.
The sentimental value, price at the time of purchase or guilt connected to clothes are the most common reasons people feel conflicted about parting with them, Sung said.
Clothes with sentimental value can be stored in a box or container separate from other clothing to reduce clutter and prevent people from being stuck with something they feel indecisive about in the middle of cleaning, she said.
Keeping clothes that invoke nostalgia or are mementos of important events in life in one place would also help people decide which of these items are truly valuable and worth keeping, she added.
Expensive clothes can be sold online or at auction, donated to a second-hand store, or given to friends or family, she said.
Donating to charity is good for assuaging a lingering sense of guilt, she said.
Selling to a second-hand store saves time and putting them up on an online auction site gives the best chance of recouping monetary value, she said.
Clothes that have become threadbare or stained should not be donated, as such items are worthless to charities, Sung said.
“Everything has an expiry date and we should be thankful for clothes that have been our faithful companions to the end, while knowing when to let go,” she said.
People who are too conflicted about getting rid of household items can consult with a professional home space manager for help, she added.
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