Today, when I returned home, I put the bag of clothes that I packed in the car last night into the recycling bin. There are boxes at nearby supermarkets and clothing stores where you can drop off unwanted clothes. They can be reused, and you can drop them off for free.
You can also take them to a thrift store or sell them online in exchange for money. However, since these clothes are worn out this time, I won’t do that.
As I hung a large number of clothes in the morning, today is the day to neatly fold them and put them away by clothing type.
I’ll go to the drugstore to buy drying agents to put in the color box. Until the next season, I won’t open the drawers, so it’s common to use drying agents and insect repellents as a precaution against bugs and mold. You can find them at supermarkets and other stores.
There are types that you hang in the closet and types that you place inside drawers. Depending on the quantity, they can be purchased for a few thousand yen.
When it’s time for a seasonal change of clothes, commercials for these drying agents start airing on TV, and it feels like it’s about time to switch out the clothes.
I’ll bring in the dried clothes and start sorting them by type. For tops, I’ll separate them into short sleeves, long sleeves, and sleeveless. Dresses will be divided into short sleeves, long sleeves, and sleeveless as well.
Thin innerwear, accessories, sportswear, and bottoms like skirts will be roughly sorted into long, knee-length, and mini. Pants will be separated into long pants, shorts, and short pants.
In Japan, there is a tradition called “衣替え” (koromogae), where people swap out their clothes in the drawers and closets for spring and fall. During this time, school uniforms also change from summer to winter or vice versa.
After separating the clothes, I’ll put them into the drawers. Before that, I’ll reconsider whether I should keep each piece.
By sorting the clothes, I can easily see if there are similar designs. I think about when I would wear each piece, such as on a date or when dining at a favorite restaurant. Considering when I would want to wear them helps me decide what to keep and what to discard.
After sorting the clothes, I’ll put them in the drawers and add mothballs. To remember where I put each type of clothing, I’ll make a note in my planner.
Clothes take up a significant amount of space in the room, so organizing them is very refreshing and satisfying. I’ll stop the cleaning for today.
