The KonMari Method for organizing clothes instructs you to gather all clothes from the closet, drawers, and various other stash spots around the house in order to see them all in one place.
By all clothes, Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, literally means all clothes, until you are hip-deep in them. Kondo uses a category-based approach (all clothes) versus a location-based approach (the Master Bedroom closet).
One benefit of this method could be that when you see “Mt. Clothing” you are so horrified by the sheer volume of clothing that you are forced to confront the shame of owning so much. (Insert the sounds of the commoners chanting, “Shame! Shame!” at Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones.)
Another benefit could be that it allows you to see that you have 18 black sweaters and 23 pairs of jeans. You may not have registered the level of duplication.
I totally appreciate the truth-testing aspects of the KonMari Method. I did invent the Zombie Apocalypse truth-testing approach in my book, Who Am I Now? Realign Your Home and Life, that helps deal with the “what ifs” of organizing.
But, holy moly, the Mt. Clothing method is really not the lazy way to organize a closet.
It’s probably not a practical approach for someone with ADHD or children who want to be fed multiple times a day or anyone who easily fatigues.
That leaves highly-motivated, healthy individuals who live alone and can focus for long periods of time. If that’s you, stop reading this and go get Marie Kondo’s book.
If you are in the category of people who steal moments of time to do tasks you despise so that you can binge-watch shows like Game of Thrones or even Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, pay attention! I’m about to share my test answers with you.
The lazy person’s way to organize a closet is called the reverse hanger technique. It goes like this: 1) turn your hangers from facing the back of the closet (normal) to facing forward (abnormal). See photo below. 2) When you wear something, wash it and hang it in the normal way. 3) In 6, 9, or 12 months—depending on the length of this experiment—you will see what you do and do not use.
Voila! No closet vomiting clothes onto the floor and bed and making your bedroom unlivable because your twelve-year-old insisted upon you picking him up from school rather than hitchhiking home. (I’m kidding, people. The twelve-year-old should walk, not hitchhike.)
In case you had not put the pieces together, the final step of this process is to then donate or discard the clothing that you haven’t worn. No, “But I wear this every other year when the Harvest moon is full.” The jig is up.
There’s more to say about the mixed feelings you might have in letting go. I’ll address that in the next few blogs.
For now, get started on backwardsing your hangers. Don’t stop till your shoulders start hurting. Think of it as lazy person exercise.
May all your organizing be easy!
Kate Varness, CPO-CD, COC, MA, Green Light Organizing and Coaching
P.S. Get your copy of Kate’s book, Who Am I Now? Realign Your Home and Life on Amazon.
P.S.S. Schedule your complimentary strategy session with Kate to find out more about clearing your internal clutter. https://schedulewithKateVarness.as.me/
