How to Purge: Spring Cleaning 101

Last summer on the way home from a vacation, I stumbled across a copy of "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" on a discount table in the Denver Airport.

I'd read about the book online and heard only positive things from those who had read it, so I handed over my debit card and cracked open the book as I waited for my delayed flight.

I've always enjoyed a semi-annual purge, ridding my closet of unwanted pieces at the end of every winter and summer, but this book had a different take on how to tidy up.

Go through your possessions starting with clothes, then books, papers, and finally miscellaneous. Hold each piece, consider it carefully. Does it spark joy? If so, keep it. If not, discard it.

This was a novel idea to me. I'm not sure what criteria I used to clean my closet before this, but I realized as I emptied out my closet and held each item of clothing that I'd been holding on to a lot that no longer sparked joy for me. I'd kept these items for other reasons: I'd purchased it when I was living in Paris, my mother bought it for me, I wore it on one of my first dates with my husband, it was a gift from somebody I love who clearly doesn't know me well. Nostalgia and guilt were crowding out my closet.

Halfway through my "spark joy" purge, I came to an impasse because I realized this method doesn't necessarily account for what we absolutely need that doesn't spark joy. For example, Hilary and I live in areas where there are distinct seasons, and those seasons come with absolute necessities. Neither of us cares for the day to day reality of winter, and snowboots do not "spark joy," but they are a must so they remain in our closets.

When I finally accepted that some items, such as snow boots, were non-negotiable for my northern Idaho closet, purging resumed and I did not resent those necessities that remained. Instead I adapted Ms. Kondo's test to fit my needs: 1) Does the item spark joy? If so, it stays. 2) If not, then is it a necessity? If so, then it stays. If not, get rid of it.

I asked myself these two questions during my spring cleaning and found myself with more space.

Hilary has not jumped on the Marie Kondo train, but she does purge her closet continuously throughout the year, often after a visit to the States to make room for new purchases made during her visit. In order to avoid unnecessary accumulation and make space in her closet, she sticks to her own cleaning rule: if an item hasn't been worn in the past, appropriate season, then get rid of it.

Either way it's important to find a cleaning method that works for you because periodic purging allows you to make space in your closet for pieces you love.