Your Clothespins Can Tell You When to Do Your Laundry.

It’s a safe space where you can acknowledge that you don’t wash every piece of clothing every time you wear it. In fact, this is the place where we can celebrate your decision to use less water and not damage the delicate fibers of your fabric. However, the problem with not washing clothes after every wear is that it can be difficult for you to remember which items you have already worn once or twice. Putting them in a pile on a chair is not good as it only clutters up your space, but constantly putting them back in a drawer or closet after every wear makes it hard to remember when it’s time to toss them in the wash.

This tip has been roaming around Facebook for days after a user first posted it on the decluttering group. She said that while sorting through her late mother’s artifacts, she stumbled upon her method of remembering what clothes she wore and washed, and it was simple.

“She numbered the clothespins and hung them on the hanger of the item she was wearing. She once wore it 3 times…it went through the wash,” she said, adding a photo of a hanger full of clothespins numbered one through three.

When you put on a piece of clothing and put it back on a hanger or in a drawer, you simply attach one of the clothespins. You can even skip the numbering system if you remember that one pin equals one wear. As soon as three pins accumulate on one piece of clothing, you wash it and start over. Simply store all your marker pins on a separate hanger at the end of the rod in your closet.

If you want to start getting rid of unwanted clothes, consider going through your closet and drawers at the end of each month (or each season) and pay attention to which items don’t have clothespins. If an item doesn’t have pins and you don’t remember washing it recently, it could mean that it’s just not a major part of your rotation and you should consider donating it. Put it in “purgatory” for a month along with the rest of the stuff you’re willing to throw away and see how you feel without it.