What was I thinking when I bought this dress? No way.
I look like a ghost in this shirt. Don’t think so!
Nein! Nope! Nicht heute! Das hier auch nicht! Sieht scheiße aus!
PANIK. No! Nope! Not today! Not this one either! Looks crap!
What should I do, heeelp! I’m in a hurrrrrrry!
At this point, my husband normally comes to the rescue. He’s good with that. He opens the door to my wardrobe, the one I slammed just a few seconds ago. Then, with focus, he flicks through my clothes, takes out a pair of trousers and two blouses. He inspects them carefully and holds them in front of my somewhat desperate face. “Ok, this one with this one will be fine.” Then he hands them over to me, putting back the blouse he didn’t choose, closing the wardrobe and leaving the room to continue with his morning procedures.
Having a wardrobe full of clothes that I don’t like is not fun. Neither is having the clothes I do like being so squished in-between all sorts of unnecessary purchases.
Spring means get tidy and clean up
Spring is around the corner and it’s time to do some decluttering and cleaning. It’s the season for getting sorted and fresh. And the best place to start your declutter journey is with your clothes.
This is a guideline from the tidying queen Marie Kondo. I love her practical and spiritual method and I have read her books which I highly recommend. She’s even on Netflix now, so get inspired!
The very first thing you need to do is, visualize the outcome. What do you want your wardrobe to be like? How do you want to feel when you open it? Or even better, what life do you want to lead in your home after you are finished tidying your whole house? Be as specific as you can. Answering these questions will also help you maintain your motivation and energy throughout the tidying process.
Kondo’s Basic Rules
Now, you are ready to start.
The important idea here is that you don’t decide where (by place or by room) you're going to tidy, you decide what you're going to tidy. You work by category. You tackle one category at the time. Gather every single item in the category from every corner of your home. Pile them in one spot. Like on your bed or the living room floor. This way, you can see exactly how much you have.
Ok, so how will you then get rid of things you don’t need. Well, to get the mindset right, it’s not about throwing things away. It’s about discarding whatever doesn’t “spark joy.” Discarding really means choosing what to keep. Marie says that the best criterion for choosing what to keep is this: Does it spark joy when you touch it?
This takes a bit of practice and her recommendation is to start with the easy things first, leaving the hardest things (like memorabilia) until last. This way you can gradually hone your decision-making skills. And the best category to start with is clothes.
Get going
Gather all your clothes, from every drawer, closet, room or corner of your home. Pile them in one spot.
Start with off-season clothes. If you need it now, you can’t judge objectively. You can judge easily when you don’t need it right away.
Follow this order as you sort through the clothes: tops (shirts, sweaters etc), bottoms (trousers, skirts, etc), clothes that should be hung (jackets, coats, suits, etc), socks, underwear, handbags, extra items (scarves, belts, hats, etc), clothes for specific events and shoes.
The next step is to take every piece of clothing in your hand and feel it. Does it spark joy when you touch it? If it’s easier you can also try it on.
Don’t worry, you will quickly get into the groove and really understand the method.
Kondo says that difficulties in decluttering often mean that we are trapped in the past and/or are afraid of the future. Tidying is really a way to confront yourself and set yourself free.
It’s about much more than just sorting your stuff, you are going through your life. And that’s why you start with clothes, the easiest category. Perfect, since this is what we want to do right now.
Thank your clothes that you discard, it makes it easier to say goodbye. “Thanks for teaching me what doesn’t suit me.” “Thanks for keeping me warm.” Thank them for whatever way they served you, even if it’s “Thank you for not taking up room in my closet anymore!”
Donate them to charity, a second-hand shop or take them to the recycling station.
Folding the KonMari way
Now, what do you do with the clothes that you’re keeping? You put them away, and Marie suggests that you fold almost all of them.
She says, there’s just one important point: Aim to make a smooth rectangle.
Then you store them upright and by colour in a drawer or in boxes - shoe boxes are perfect for this.
Kondo continues to say that as a rule of thumb, clothes that look like they would enjoy fluttering in the wind or that look too tailored to bend, should hang on a hanger. Also, keep the same category of clothes together.
Do you think folding clothes and storing them in a drawer is a pain? Would you rather just hang them all in the closet? Then you’re like me! But Kondo says that folding can solve almost all your clothing storage problems and I have decided to go through my closet one more time and use Kondo’s folding techniques for putting them back.
To get you going as well, here is a video with Marie Kondo, where she gives an introduction to her folding technique.
Clean it out
Before you put your clothes back, the ones that spark joy, use the opportunity to clean your closet properly, every corner of it.
Our cleaning product Ecoclean is perfect for the job. It doesn’t matter if your wardrobe is made of wood, painted, plastic or something else, Ecoclean is not aggressive on furniture or on your skin.
Ecoclean is also Vegan, we love animals, and we know you do too!
You can order in it our Ecoclean Homeline Webshop with free delivery within Switzerland.
After you clean all of the dust and dirt from your wardrobe, leave the doors open for a while.
Open the windows and let fresh air come into your house and wardrobe.
Ready steady go! Now you can put your joyful clothes back in. Yay!
Peaceful morning
So, your clothes that spark joy are back in your clean wardrobe. Folded and hanging properly.
Tomorrow when you open it, you won't have the stressful situation of not finding anything you want to wear since you love all the pieces in there!
The only thing you have to think about when you are choosing your clothes is what kind of activities you have on your schedule. So, what’s appropriate and what’s not. I mean, you love your bikini but probably wouldn’t wear it to work, anyway not in winter. Well, if your name is Pamela Anderson and you “worked” at Baywatch, the bikini would be your working uniform!
Speaking of Pamela Anderson, I’m a big fan – and not just because she’s pretty – but because she is a compassionate advocate for justice. And she doesn’t take herself so seriously. Check out this video to see what she reckons about certain clothes.
Enjoy the beginning of your tidying journey, and by investing in Marie’s books and a bidon of Ecoclean, you will save yourself a loooooooot of time in the future.
