The Reverse Hanger Trick for Decluttering [Does It Work?]

When decluttering my closet I came across the reverse hanger trick and wow does it work great. If you are looking to declutter your wardrobe over the next few months then this is the trick for you.

The reverse hanger trick or switching hanger trick is very simple and over time will show you what you have worn and what you haven’t. This trick isn’t going to work overnight, but it will point out the items that are never worn.

What is The Reverse Hanger Trick?

Simply hang all of your clothes with the hanger facing the wrong direction. As you wear each item and go to rehang it, put the hanger going in the correct way. Over time this will point out all of the clothes that you rarely wear. After about 6 months to a year, you will start to see there are clothes that you never wear.

This Decluttering Hanger Trick is Great For:

People who have a hard time letting go.
Anyone who thinks they need a lot of clothing options.
You are afraid that there are some items you will need “just in case”
Letting go of past trends is hard for you

With this trick, you will solve all of these problems by clearly seeing what was used.

Does the Switching Hanger Trick Really Work?

So does this reverse hanger trick actually work? Last winter I realized I had a lot of pants and I wasn’t sure if I really needed all of them. I decided to use this hanger trick which I have used many times in the past.

I switched all my pant hangers around so they were facing the reverse direction. As I wore each pair I put them back with the hanger facing the “correct” way. When the season ended I noticed there were 4 pairs that I hadn’t touch.

So YES this trick does work for pointing out what hasn’t been worn. Now does that mean I have to immediately declutter those pants? I decided to pull them out and analyze why I hadn’t worn them.

Two of them didn’t fit so I ended up donating them and the other two were for a cooler climate and we had a warm winter.

This trick won’t give you a perfect answer of what to declutter, but it WILL show you what isn’t getting any use.

Flip the Hanger Declutter Trick

When To Start Using the Reverse Hanger Trick

I recommend using this reverse hanger trick AFTER you have already decluttered the obvious items from your closet. This simple hanger trick is not going to help with the first time you declutter because it takes a while to see what has been worn.

I found the switching hanger trick is great for becoming more minimal and decluttering even more after the initial declutter.

More Methods to See What You Wear

What if you put most of your clothes in drawers? Well, you are in luck, because I have a few more decluttering hacks to share!

The Safety Pin Declutter Method

If most of your clothes are stored in drawers you won’t be able to use the reverse hanger trick, but this pinning method is very similar. Just add a safety pin to the front of each item that is in question.

Try to pin the clothes in a way that does not hurt them. Through a buttonhole or loop in your pants.

As you wear each item you will remove the safety pin. About 6 months down the road you can see exactly what was worn.

Drawer Declutter Method

If you are really struggling to declutter clothes you might want to try the drawer method. At least that is what I am calling this.

Get some laundry baskets or a bin of some kind. Now empty all of your drawers into the bins. You might want to keep all the clothes you know you wear all the time in the drawers to make it a little easier, but it’s up to you.

As you wear an item from the bin you will put this back in the drawer. After a month or two you will see all the clothes that are never worn.

I would only suggest this for the current season of clothing you are in. For instance, this isn’t going to work if all the clothes left in the bin are Winter clothes and you are currently in Summer.

One Side of Closet Trick

Shift all of your clothes to one side of your closet. Now hang a scarf or something to split the closet in half. Anything that will mark the separation of clothing.

As you wear an item return it to the closet hanging on the OTHER side. This trick is almost exactly like the reverse hanger trick! The main difference is this trick can be easier to remember, because you see the marker or scarf as a reminder.

Decluttering Trick Drawbacks

Of course, there are drawbacks to any declutter “trick”. Some things to keep in mind when you are trying out these declutter hacks:

Think about the season you are currently in. I like to try these tricks at the beginning of a certain season. Last winter I tried the reverse hanger trick on all my warmer winter clothes. If I had turned all my hangers it would have shown me that I didn’t wear my summer dresses. Which wouldn’t have helped me at all.

Once we moved into the warmer weather I switched all my summer clothes around.

Keep in mind these tricks also take some time, usually about 3 to 6 months. If you want to see a difference now then these declutter hacks are not going to make a huge difference.

These tricks are for when you don’t mind decluttering slowly. Check out this article by Peter Walsh for some organizing tips.

Conclusion: Reverse Hanger Trick for Decluttering [Does It Work?]

In conclusion, YES this trick does work! With time and patience, you will see all of the clothes you are NOT wearing.

All of these hacks have their drawbacks, but if you are really struggling to see what you don’t need these will help.

I want to HELP you Declutter! SOMETIMES ORGANIZING JUST ISN’T ENOUGH. Gaining some much needed time is what we really want.

If you are struggling with all your clutter and it feels like a never-ending process, check out The Declutter Your Home Minicourse. I created this course for you! This course is easy to follow and helps you figure out a decluttering schedule so you can declutter your entire home from beginning to end.

This is the perfect course for you if:

You worry about your home before having people over (aka shoving things in closets).
Things are always “missing” in your home.
You wonder why your home never looks clean or tidy, no matter how much cleaning you do.

If you need direction on how and where to start on your decluttering journey check out The Declutter Your Home Minicourse!