filed in Daily Life
Change Agent
A few weeks ago, I looked at the motley configuration of hangers in my closet, and decided to mini-splurge on a complete set that matches. On Sunday, I rehung all my clothes, and giddily tossed the hangers in the trash (most of which I’ve had for decades). I realize this is a small tweak in the overall scheme of life, but it was very satisfying. What’s your quick fix?
Illustration by Jean Jullien
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12 comments for “Change Agent”
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I love the slim velvet hangers. My closet looks so much neater since I switched to those.
That’s what I’m using. Lots more room in the closet. I’ve already become addicted to them.
Purging is awesome then buying something new to replace it is even better in my world.
I think there are thrift stores that mught love your old hangers.
Good idea. I still have a big bag of them left.
Taking a big stack of stuff to Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity.
I just did both this past weekend, and cleared out a lot of space in two closets and my garage.
What a great feeling!
What kinds of things did you throw out? And was it hard to make that choice?
Not hard at all:
1. Clothing not worn in two years
2. A closet-hogging stack of new bed pillows, still in plastic – must have stocked up during a sale
3. A huge duvet – discovered I prefer layering blankets when it gets cold
4. Assorted tools and hardware that I know Habitat can use, and I won’t.
Beginning my ‘death clean’ (see “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning”) this year, so that my heirs won’t have to wade through mounds of stuff.
I’m going to push back a bit on item #1. I have a pair of jeans that I bought some years ago that were really wide legged – it was fashionable at the time. And then, the next year, I put them on and they just didn’t look right. And now, they look perfect again. So, I’m happy they’re still in my closet.
Love the velvet hangers. I’m transitioning to them myself. Thrift and donation stores love hangers.
I feel bad that I threw the first batch in the trash. But there’s still more to come.
I pick up and move around the world every 1-2 years, so I am pretty good at regularly purging clothing and other stuff. The question I have to ask myself is, “Do I want to pack and unpack this multiple times over the next few years?”
Do you literally move every 1-2 years, Heather?