How to Declutter Clothes Using Kon Mari Method //Clear the Clutter Challenge Week 3

We are back with another week of the Clear the Clutter Challenge. This week we are tackling master bedrooms and clothing. I am sharing how to declutter clothes using the Kon Mari Method including some before and after pictures!

Declutter Clothes Using Kon Mari Method

Everyone is talking about the new Marie Kondo show Tidying Up on Netflix. Have you watched it yet? It is hard not to watch the show and then want to drop everything and declutter your entire house!  I have watched the entire season and I have to say that she really gave me the extra push to tackle all of our declutter projects.

However, when it came time to this week’s Clear the Clutter Challenge, specifically the master bedroom closets, I realized I needed to get my husband on board with this decluttering process.  He didn’t have time to watch the show, and…let me be honest, I don’t think my husband has any desire to watch a TV show on decluttering! Can I blame him?! Therefore, I had to give him a crash course on decluttering clothes using the KonMari method, so that we could tackle his clothes once and for all.

We incorporated some of Marie Kondo’s tips and also modified her approach to fit our needs!

One| Enlist Help

Do you have trouble making decisions on what clothes to keep and what to get rid of? Or perhaps does your significant other struggle with decluttering clothes? My number one piece of advice is to work with a partner! If you watched Tidying up, you saw that Marie Kondo had each person work on their own. However, I’ve found that it can be helpful to work with someone else, especially at the beginning of the decluttering process!!

Sometimes, my mom and I work together on this and go through our clothes. Enlist your mom, friend or spouse! You will find that having an HONEST partner will be so helpful in the decluttering process. Now, I will admit, there can be some challenges when working with a partner, especially if you are helping someone who doesn’t like to get rid of things or isn’t excited about spending a day decluttering. Ahem. But, the end result is that you will get rid of more than you would be willing to on your own.

Make it fun but setting aside some time for this decluttering date! Bring a cup of coffee, turn on some music and expect to have some laughs!

Two| Take Everything Out of Closet

There may be some grumbling with this step (which I may or may not have had any firsthand experience with this). But, the best way to really get your hands on everything you own is to take it all out of the closet. You will find yourself more critical about what you are willing to put BACK into your closet.  Marie Kondo urges you to look critically at every single thing you own and to physically touch it and ask if it SPARKS JOY!

I know that if we had just gone through our clothes with everything still in the closet, we would have barely gotten rid of anything. We’ve done this in the past and we don’t get rid of much!

Three| Start with Less Sentimental Items First

It is a good idea to start with the low hanging fruit. The items that you have considered getting rid of but haven’t taken action on. Marie Kondo suggests to start with the least sentimental items first as well. We found this to be especially helpful with my husband’s closet. He has  A LOT of t-shirts and almost everyone one of them has a story. So, we had to save the t-shirt purging for farther along in the decluttering process, when he was more willing to let things go. It seems that once you start getting rid of things, you are willing to let more and more things go. You start to lose the sentimental attachment to everything and you start to focus on the things you TRULY love and want to keep.

Four| Consider What You Want to Keep (Not What You Want to Get Rid Of)

Marie Kondo encourages you to think about the life you want to live going forward.

What items do you want to keep that spark joy for you. You might be holding on to sentimental items because you think you “SHOULD” keep them. But when you hold these things in your hand, you really need to ask yourself if they spark joy for you!

When decluttering our clothing, we found it most helpful to TRY ON the clothing items in question. This really helped to figure out if the item made us feel good wearing it. We considered what items we wanted to keep in our closet that we enjoyed wearing and that made us feel good. Why hold on to an outfit that you don’t feel good about?? (Even if it was expensive, was a gift or is a sentimental item!!)

Five| Have a Maybe Pile if You Can’t Decide Right Away

At the beginning of the decluttering process, it can be hard to make the first few decisions. So, if you need to, have a pile of “MAYBES” that you save for the end. You will probably find that most of the MAYBES become things you get rid of. But it is nice to have this category, so that you can move through things more quickly in the beginning.

Six| Give (Or Ask) for Space When Needed

As I mentioned, Marie Kondo believes decluttering is a private process. My husband really wanted me to help him declutter his closet, however, I recognized that he needed to make most of the clothing decisions on his own. I piped in with an opinion when he asked  or if I really thought he needed an honest opinion. It is great to have a helper, but if you need some space, don’t be afraid to ask for it!  You might find that a combination of working on your own and then working with a partner is the best combination!

Seven| Don’t Overcomplicate the Organization Process

Once you have narrowed down the things you want keep, do not over complicate the reorganization process. I LOVE that Marie Kondo uses old boxes and containers to organize things. There is no need to go crazy at the Container Store on a ton of expensive new bins and baskets. KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Remember that all the fancy bins and baskets will not keep your things organized if you continue to have too much stuff!

Eight| Celebrate Your Success

Finally, this is a step I think is important (but that isn’t really mentioned by Kondo). Most likely you had to spend several hours working on this project, so be sure to celebrate your success. Take before and after photos to really document the progress. We didn’t manage to take any before pictures of our own closets unfortunately! Treat yourself and your partner to a cup of coffee or a lunch date! It can be a really fun bonding experience, so make the best of it! Take note of any clothing gaps you might have as a result of your decluttering project. My husband realized he was lacking in a few clothing areas, so he will need to go shopping in the near future.

FIVE bags filled with clothes to donate or throw away!

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I am so excited that we have clean and organized closets! It was a bit of a project but it is so worth it!! I told me husband that he will be so happy opening up his closet and seeing everything so organized. He didn’t exactly agree, but I know he will appreciate it in the long run:)

Last year, I organized my jewelry and accessories and I haven’t changed anything since! You can read all about my Jewelry and Accessory Storage Ideas HERE. 

Also, you can read about how I organized my kids bathrooms over HERE.

Are you ready to get started on Week 3?

1.Join our challenge so you can have instant access to our Day by Day Clear the Clutter Challenge Calendar! When you sign up, you will also receive a weekly e-mail with extra tips and ideas!

2. Connect with our Clear the Clutter Facebook Group for daily motivation and inspiration!

3. Follow the hosts on Instagram (Jaclyn, Keri, Brittany B. and Brittany W.)and use #cleartheclutterchallenge2019 with your new and improved spaces for a chance to win COFFEE FOR A WEEKEND!

Make sure to check out my co-hosts’ tips as well!

Brittany Dreams + Coffee

Brittany W. Our Homemade Easy

Keri Keri Lynn Snyder

Jaclyn Coffee, Pancakes and Dreams