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An Apartment Therapy writer reported donating 47 clothing items after using the “one touch” rule to sort her closet during a two-hour session. The method allows each item to be assigned immediately to a keep, seasonal storage or donation group, with no “maybe” pile. The result is a personal account, not evidence that the method will produce the same outcome for everyone.
An Apartment Therapy writer says she put 47 clothing items in a donation pile after applying a “one touch” rule to her fall closet during a two-hour session. The approach requires deciding immediately whether each item stays in the closet, goes into seasonal storage or is donated, rather than setting it aside for later.
The writer said she turned to the method after spending nearly 20 minutes looking for jeans in a crowded closet. Her seasonal clothes were mixed together, and she described repeatedly moving garments aside without finding what she needed. She then divided the closet into three destinations: clothes to keep accessible for fall, off-season clothes to store, and items to donate.
She began sorting in small batches, starting with the top rail, and made a decision as she picked up each garment. She initially used piles, then switched to bags and bins. At the end of the afternoon session, she counted 47 items in the donation pile. She said the sort also revealed duplicate clothing and a favorite sweater hidden beneath a coat.
The writer’s account describes what she chose to donate; it does not confirm whether the items were later given to a charity or accepted by a donation center. The total is her reported result from one closet-cleaning session, not a measured result for other households.
A Smaller Job, One Decision at a Time
The account offers a practical way to approach a task that can stall when people keep reconsidering the same garments. With only three destinations, the method gives each item an immediate outcome and removes the “maybe” pile that the writer said often grew during her earlier cleanouts. For readers facing a similar backlog, the main takeaway is the decision structure, not a promise that a particular number of items will be removed.
Reducing clutter can also make seasonal clothing easier to locate: the writer said she rediscovered a sweater and found duplicates while sorting. Those are personal observations rather than independently tested benefits. The story gives no information about the cost, environmental impact or eventual destination of the donated clothes.
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A Moving Expert’s Sorting Method
The source traces the rule to Sarah Balducci, identified by Apartment Therapy as a moving expert with BMS Moving & Storage. The writer said Balducci shared the approach as a way movers help clients downsize before moving. Its core instruction is to pick up an item once and place it directly in one of three groups: keep, store for the season or donate.
Balducci also recommended keeping sorting sessions to no more than two hours and using seasonal rotation for clothing that is out of season, according to the article. The writer adopted short, small-batch sorting and used the two-hour limit for her own session. She was not preparing to move; she said she tried the method to address her crowded fall wardrobe.
“Every time you pick something up, put it down, and pick it up again, you give yourself another chance to talk yourself into keeping it.”
— Sarah Balducci, moving expert at BMS Moving & Storage, as quoted in Apartment Therapy
What the 47-Item Count Represents
The reported 47 items were placed in a donation pile, but the source does not say whether they were subsequently donated, reused or discarded. It also does not specify the mix of garments, how many pieces remained in the closet, or whether the writer repeated the method in another session.
The account is a single person’s experience and provides no comparison with a different organizing method. It does not establish that one-touch sorting will take two hours or yield a similar donation count for other closets. The supplied source identifies Balducci’s advice but does not include independent research on the method’s effectiveness.
Donation and Seasonal Storage
The source does not report a follow-up on where the donation pile went or how the writer organized her seasonal storage after sorting. Her stated next step is effectively practical: use seasonal rotation and keep the fall items she wants accessible in the closet. Readers applying the method can follow the same three-way sorting structure, while checking donation organizations’ accepted-item rules before dropping off clothing.
Key Questions
What is the one-touch rule for decluttering?
It is a sorting approach in which each item is picked up once and assigned immediately to keep, seasonal storage or donation. The method does not include a “maybe” pile.
How many items did the Apartment Therapy writer set aside?
She reported putting 47 items in a donation pile after a two-hour closet-sorting session. The source does not confirm that the items were later donated.
How long should a one-touch sorting session last?
Balducci recommended sessions of no more than two hours, according to Apartment Therapy. The writer used that limit for her session; the report does not establish a required duration for everyone.
What should go into seasonal storage?
The method’s seasonal rotation step is for clothing that is out of season, while current-season garments remain accessible. The source does not prescribe a particular storage container or location.
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