I tried the reverse hanger trick to see if it could help clear out my overflowing wardrobe - this is what I learnt

I wouldn’t call myself a hoarder, but I’m definitely someone who likes to keep things ‘just in case.’ And, being a ‘just in case’ advocate perhaps wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t enjoy shopping… a lot. So whilst I amass more, I also rarely have time to properly sort through what I no longer need. Needless to say, a thorough wardrobe clear-out has been on the cards for a while. Therefore, when I heard that the reverse hanger trick is easy to implement, I thought it was high time I gave it a go.

And it seems I’m not alone in needing help figuring out how to organise a wardrobe. A new survey by Wren found that around a fifth of people overspend on clothes due to their cluttered closets, with the average Brit spending £400 on clothes and shoes each year.

The survey also found that most people tidy their wardrobes just once a year, and disorganised storage spaces cause almost one in five people anxiety.

The link between excess clutter, jam-packed wardrobes, and mental health is an interesting one. Helen Sanderson, author of The Secret Life of Clutter explains, ‘Keeping an up-to-date and organised wardrobe supports mental clarity and emotional well-being. When your wardrobe is cluttered, it contributes to mental chaos, making daily decisions more challenging and increasing stress.’

Okay, after hearing that, I was sold, it was finally time to declutter my wardrobe. But first I had to find out what is actually entailed in this hack I keep hearing about.

What is the reverse hanger trick?

Decluttering expert Hayley Forster from Simple Joy explains, ‘The reverse wardrobe hanger method involves turning all of your hangers so they face backwards. Then every time you wear something, you hang it back with the hanger facing the right way.

'Over several months, you will be able to identify which items you frequently wear from your wardrobe and which ones you don’t. It is quite a straightforward way to declutter your clothes and it’s perfect for those who feel overwhelmed by the thought of sorting through a lot of their clothes at once as it is all about gradual decision-making rather than emotional decision-making.’

What you need to know before trying it yourself

Helen Sanderson explains, ‘The beauty of this hack is its accessibility. You don’t need any special equipment, it’s free, and there’s no complex system to maintain.’

However, before you race to try this decluttering method, know that as with everything, there are downsides. Since, for it to really work, you have to dedicate months or even an entire year to seeing which way the hangers face, it could be used as a procrastination tool. Helen says, ‘One caution with the reverse hanger trick is to be aware that it can be a way to avoid decluttering and putting off making decisions for another year.’

Hayley also adds ‘You may also want to consider doing a separate purge for special occasion outfits or seasonal wear. The only other thing I would say is that this method doesn’t address the sentimental value of certain items, so be prepared to process those separately,’ she explains.

What happened when I tried the trick?

I’m already in the habit of changing the items in my wardrobe around seasonally, pictured is my autumn/winter edit, (I’ll admit my spring/summer clothing is tossed into laundry bags every September and haphazardly stored in the loft).

Knowing I needed enough space to easily change the direction of my hangers, I naturally had to edit out some of the items I knew for a fact I wouldn’t be wearing. In the past, I’d have still hung them up, since they’ve historically been part of my standard A/W wear, for example, office attire. I now work from home and don’t need to include all of the shirts and shift dresses I would have in the past since my home winter work wear mostly consists of cosy jumpers and comfy trousers.

Already, the trick had helped my wardrobe appear more organised. Next, it was time to put the rest of the hack into action.

Did it help clear out my wardrobe?

The one thing that I had to really concentrate on was remembering to turn the hangers around when I wore something. I was often on autopilot at the end of the day, just hanging jumpers and jeans up any which way. But I soon got into the habit and a few months down the line it became obvious that:

1. I have more than enough striped jumpers

2. While I do like the other items in my wardrobe, there are a few staples that I rotate and am drawn to for daily wear.

Seeing the hangers the wrong way, clearly highlighting the items that were totally unworn, made me pull them out and question if they should stay. So I’ll definitely keep going and use the trick right through to my spring/summer clothing.

What are long-term benefits?

Hayley Forster thinks the reverse hanger trick can actually help your personal style as well as streamline your storage space, ‘You’ll create a clothing collection that fits your current lifestyle and style preferences. This often leads to you becoming a more intentional shopper as you start to understand what it is that you wear/don't wear.

'Also overall, one of the biggest benefits is that with fewer, more well-loved items, mornings become much easier and gives you much less stress!’ Hayley says.

Now, if only there was a reverse hanger trick for my overstuffed drawers, eek.