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How to Get Rid of Clothes Moths Naturally: All the Best Ways

clothing handing in a closet
Rescue your wardrobe and get rid of clothes moths naturally

Inside: My detailed plan for how to get rid of clothes moths naturally, plus tips for prevention.

Reading in bed is one of life’s delicious pleasures. Snuggled under my duvet. Lights dimmed. A fresh book on the Kindle.

But recently, horrifying intruders have ruined my peace. Tiny moths flutter around the closet, looking somewhat drunk. Unfortunately, I know what that means. My cashmere is in peril.

I went through all the stages:

Denial: “Seriously? This can’t be happening to meeee!”

Anger: “I #$%& hate clothes moths!”

Bargaining: “If only I had protected my woolens from this scourge!”

Depression: “Only wine can fix this”.

Acceptance: “Apparently, we have a clothes moth infestation. Perhaps I should do something about it.”

Then I started Googling like a madwoman. Read on to learn about my findings and battle plan.

wool sweaters in drawer
clothes moths love wool, silk, leather, feather, and fur

What’s the big deal about clothes moths?

A couple of clothes moths might not seem like much to worry about. But they can be the first sign of ongoing damage. They have champagne tastes—and they will satisfy them on your budget. Cashmere, wool, silk, fur, feathers.

Once they settle into the dark corners of your closet or dresser, they are extremely hard to get rid of.

You need to take action. But first, let’s understand what we are dealing with.

Natural history of the sweater-munching moth

Time for a quick biology lesson. Why? It will help you to eradicate clothes moths from the face of the planet your closet. And justify my M.Sc. degree!

I’m not an entomologist but… Usually, we are dealing with the common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella).

Their life cycle takes 4-6 months. To save your wardrobe, you need to get rid of every stage.

clothes moths on trap
adult clothes moths caught in pheromone trap

Adult clothes moths

Seeing moths flying around is usually the first sign of an infestation. That and finding holes in your sweaters.

The flying moths actually don’t feed at all, so eliminating them doesn’t solve the problem.

Adult moths:

  • are small (~1/4″), yellow-brown, with a satiny sheen
  • avoid light and attempt to hide when disturbed
  • prefer to scuttle on surfaces rather than fly
  • live for 15-30 days

Moths flying around are usually males looking for some sexy time. The females tend to be too lazy to fly. Instead, they lounge on a sweater and wait for the males to come to them.

Females lay 40-100 eggs. That can hatch into 40-100 angora-loving larvae. Ugh!

Clothes moth eggs

Eggs generally take 3-21 days to hatch.

They can hatch in a wide variety of temperatures, from 50-91°F (10-33°C). Warm and damp is the hatching sweet spot (75°F/24°C) and 70-75% relative humidity).

Clothes moth eggs are surprisingly hardy. To break the clothes moth life cycle, removing and killing eggs is essential.

Eggs can survive freezing to -9°F (-23°C). The interwebs will tell you to stick your sweaters in the freezer. Unfortunately, at 0° F (-18° C), the typical home freezer isn’t cold enough to kill the eggs.

You can kill eggs with heat. It takes heating at 120°F (49°C) for 30 minutes or more. A typical clothes dryer on a hot cycle should be effective.

Clothes moth larvae

Hatching larvae are tiny. They hide away and begin to feed immediately.

The larval stage lasts between two months and two years. They wander around in the dark looking for your other cashmere sweaters. Eventually, they’ll make a cocoon. After pupating, the adult moth emerges and the whole thing starts over.

What clothes moth larvae find delicious:

  • silk
  • leather
  • wool
  • fur
  • feathers
  • human hairs, pet hairs, or clothing strands that accumulate in corners
  • synthetic/wool blends
  • occasionally cotton

Larvae particularly love to feed on clothing after it has been worn. Human body oil, sweat, and food residue is like gravy to them.

So you have #$%& clothes moths in your closet

My first idea was to get moth traps. After all, if I could get rid of the moths, the problem would be solved, right?

Wrong. Getting rid of flying moths doesn’t get rid of moth eggs, moth larvae, or lazy female adults.

My next idea was cedar. Or lavender. Or cloves. The problem is that these aren’t reliable for killing any stage of the clothes moth.

Let’s not even talk about mothballs. They deter clothes moths. But the smell is nasty! Plus we don’t want to be breathing that in.

How to get rid of clothes moths naturally

I did a tonne of research on handling clothes moth infestations.

I ruled out a lot of suggestions. Like freezing (impractical and ineffective). And baking clothes in the oven (that couldn’t possibly go wrong!). And parasitic wasps (I can’t even…).

I came up with my very own battle plan. AKA Operation MOTH-ageddon.

Read on to find out exactly how I plan to tackle this vexing problem.

But first, the dry ice safety chat

My plan includes using dry ice. You must take complete responsibility for transporting and using dry ice safely (here’s some info). I take no responsibility for the consequences of your use or misuse of dry ice.

Aeroxon moth traps
Aeroxon pheromone moth traps for hanging in your closet

Supplies

Next, let’s gather supplies.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Plan for Operation MOTH-ageddon

Here is my detailed plan for how to get rid of clothes moths naturally. It won’t be easy, but I hope that it will be a permanent solution.

  1. Supplies: buy and order (see above)
  2. Calendar: plan time blocks to get the job done
  3. Clothes/accessories needed for the next week:
    • put these aside
    • pretend you’re going on vacation, except no margaritas on the beach, or fun
    • preferably, pick items that you can wash and put in a hot dryer to treat easily
  4. Empty closet & dresser
    • set up a staging area that you can clean easily
    • I’ll be using clean sheets on the living room floor as my staging area
    • remove contents of closet/dresser and put into the staging area
  5. Sort clothes into categories:
    • bag and label accordingly
    • not heat sensitive: wash in hot water then dry using sanitize cycle (clear bags are fine for these)
    • delicates that are not impeccably clean: put in clear bags labeled either “dry clean” or “hand wash”
    • delicates that are clean: shake off outside, store in contractor-grade bags, and mark “Fumigate”
  6. Luggage:
    • vacuum
    • steam clean or
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  7. Shoes and handbags:
    • vacuum
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  8. Hangers and closet organizers:
    • vacuum
    • steam clean or wipe down with white vinegar solution
  9. Items stored in closet
    • some may need fumigation, especially: sewing supplies, Christmas decorations, craft supplies
  10. Laundry:
    • wash all the things
    • dry in a hot dryer until bone dry
    • to ensure that the maximum temperature is reached, put in fewer clothes than the dryer’s capacity
    • store in clean, clear bags until the closet and dresser are ready for clothes to be returned
  11. Hand wash:
    • hand wash delicates
    • hang or lay flat to dry
    • store in contractor-grade bags and mark “Fumigate”
  12. Dry clean:
    • dry cleaning will kill all stages of the clothes moth (except for alternative “green” dry cleaners)
    • take items to dry cleaner and mark calendar to pick up when clean
  13. Clean staging area:
    • wash sheets using hot wash/dry cycles
    • vacuum
  14. Get dry ice
    • review safety info above
    • plan to get dry ice right before you will use it
    • handle safely using long sleeves and thick leather gloves
    • wrap ice in newspaper or rags
    • transport in a cooler that is not airtight
    • do not transport dry ice in the main compartment of your car (I plan to attach cooler onto the roof of my car)
  15. Fumigate using dry ice:
    •  do not use dry ice inside your home due to the risk of carbon dioxide gas accumulation (I plan to use my balcony)
    • gather contractor-grade bags marked “Fumigate” containing clothes, shoes, handbags, and other items
    • this method “gives quick, satisfactory control and kills all stages of clothes moths”:
        • wearing thick leather gloves and long sleeves, wrap the ice in rags or old t-shirts then place in the contractor-grade bags
        • if you use a bag with a 30-gallon capacity, a 1/2 – to 1-lb piece of dry ice should be adequate (I’ll be using 1 lb for the 42-gallon bags)
        • seal the bag loosely at the top until all of the dry ice has vaporized; this will allow the gas to escape and keep the bag from bursting
        • when the dry ice has completely dissolved, tighten the seal, and let the bag sit for three or four days
  16. Install access panel
    • we have a plumbing access panel in our closet that cannot be adequately sealed; a readymade access panel will be easier to seal
    • cut drywall if needed
    • caulk the edges of the panel where it meets the drywall
    • seal panel door with tape
  17. Caulk baseboards
    • caulk any cracks or crevices where moths could hide
  18. Deep clean closets and dressers
    • vacuum
    • wipe all surfaces with vinegar solution
  19. Discard vacuum bag
    • seal in garbage bag first
  20. Put treated clothes back in closets and dresser
  21. Hang cedar in closet
    • the volatile oils of Eastern Red Cedar can kill small larvae and deter moths
    • fill mesh bags with fresh cedar chips
    • hang in closet using hooks
    • replace chips when they lose their scent
  22. Put lavender sachets in drawers
    • there is some evidence that volatile oils of lavender repel moths
    • replace sachets when they lose their natural scent
    • note to self: check if husband will tolerate lavender scent on his clothing…
  23. Moth traps
    • these will help you figure out if you have solved the moth problem or not
    • they also serve as an early warning signal if moths re-invade
    • check traps regularly
    • replace regularly according to manufacturer instructions
  24. Dehumidifier
    • set up in closet
  25. Mark calendar with reminders:
    • check moth traps
    • replace moth traps
    • sniff test to find out if chips or sachets need to be replaced
    • empty dehumifier

Phew! I feel exhausted writing all that out. But I know that having a plan will make the process more efficient and streamlined.

After I eradicate moths from my closet and life, prevention will be key.

Preventing clothes moth infestations

There are many ways to avoid the misery of clothes moth infestations.

Clothing storage location

Clothes moths and larvae like to live in dark, damp, and undisturbed places. So the ideal storage is dry and well-ventilated.

Vulnerable items might be best kept in airtight containers or bags. Beware of an imperfect seal though! If moths or larvae sneak in, they will find the ideal conditions for living and feeding due to the lack of ventilation. Taping seams and openings can help.

Sadly, I lost an heirloom blanket to moth damage when a compression bag seal failed.

Make sure clothing is clean before you put it away

Ideally, clothing is impeccably clean when you put it away. Especially if it won’t be worn for a while. Remember, munching larvae love nothing more than the traces of sweat, body oil, and food on clothing that you’ve worn.

But how realistic is that? Are you really going to dry clean your wool dress every single time you wear it? Or handwash a sweater after every wear? What about silk scarves?

A compromise might be to quarantine moth-prone items after wearing them. Extra vigilance with deterrence in your “lightly worn” quarantine area may help.

Brush and shake clothing

Moths and larvae hate to be disturbed. Brushing and shaking clothing outdoors can help to remove larvae and eggs. Getting into a routine of doing this every few months can’t hurt.

Spring clean closets and drawers

Periodically deep clean your closets and drawers. Any human hair, pet hair, or keratin-containing clothing strands that accumulate in dark corners provide nice food sources for larvae. Vacuuming can remove cloth moth eggs. Cleaning surfaces with vinegar can kill eggs.

Reduce humidity

Clothes moths love humid regions like where I live. A closet-sized dehumidifier can help keep your closet dry. Desiccant sachets can be used in drawers, storage bins, or trunks. These have the added benefit of keeping mustiness at bay.

Caulk baseboards and crevices

Remove access to dark crevices as much as possible. Fill holes and caulk baseboards to reduce areas where moth larvae can live undisturbed.

Bring light to dark corners

It helps to light up closets and spaces regularly. It won’t kill any stage of the clothes moth, but they won’t feel as comfortable moving around.

Use natural scents to repel moths

Both Eastern red cedar and lavender can be effective for repelling clothes moths. But only as long as their natural scent remains strong.

Quarantine vintage and thrift store finds

This is probably how some of us get clothes moths in the first place.

Any clothing, shoes, or bags from a vintage or thrift store should be kept in sealed bags. When possible, treat new-to-you items with dry cleaning, laundering (hot dryer), or fumigation.

Trap rodents rather than using poison

Okay, the ick factor is really high here. Clothes moths can feed on rodents that die in inaccessible places. So it’s better to trap and remove rodents rather than using poison.

Keep clothes in a freezer

Some go to the extreme of keeping their most precious items in a freezer. But that’s not practical for most. And keep in mind that freezing will only kill larvae and prevent eggs from hatching while frozen.

Yearly dry ice fumigation

I’ve already gone over how to use dry ice to fumigate items that may have clothes moth eggs or larvae in or on them.

Yearly fumigation can also be used to nip an infestation in the bud before there are visible signs. Blogger Erik Nillson’s write-up of his yearly routine for fumigating woolens makes for an excellent read (see his follow-up comments below the post).

Wish me luck!

So there you have it. Operation MOTH-ageddon won’t be easy. But the attack on my sweaters must end.

I’ll let you know how it went. And how many bottles of wine the whole process took…

Over to you…

Have you battled clothes moths? Did you win? Or have you given up and started pretending not to notice them? Tell me about it in the comments!

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How to Make a Vision Board That Sparks Joy

journal with KonMari ideal lifestyle brainstorm
Before creating my ideal lifestyle vision board, I did some journaling to explore my desires.

Inside: how to create a KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board as the first step in your tidying up journey.

I learned about the Marie Kondo method in 2015. I read the book and I drank the Koolaid. With the song “Turning Japanese” buzzing through my head, I made it well past the sock drawer. But, my efforts fizzled somewhere in the land of komono.

Yup. I became a tidying up dropout. And I know why.

I skipped visualizing my ideal lifestyle. The #1 mistake that KonMari newbies make. Instead, I wrote a vision statement:

A home that supports me as I live, love, work, and play. Luxurious emptiness around the beautiful and useful.

Yeah, it was about as inspiring as yesterday’s quinoa salad. I remember the thought process. If I could just get rid of stuff, my ideal lifestyle would somehow emerge. But it doesn’t work that way.

What stopped me from doing this crucial step? Truth? It was scary to let myself dream. Fear of disappointment had me holding my hands over my ears saying “la-la-la” during that part of the book.

But skipping that step held me back. Tidying requires sustained motivation and commitment for weeks or months. Without a vivid vision of my ideal lifestyle, I lost my tidying oomph. Items from abandoned categories still stare at me reproachfully.

So I’m starting over from the beginning. And this time I’m going to let a tidying expert boss me around.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through what I did to create a vision for my ideal lifestyle. Plus, I will go over everything you need to know about this first step in the Marie Kondo method:

  • why it matters
  • when you get stuck visualizing your ideal lifestyle
  • four ways to imagine your ideal lifestyle
  • how to create your own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board
  • my KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board reveal

Time to embrace the woo!

But first, if you’re starting or re-starting KonMari, set yourself up for success. Check out my post Why And How To Get Started With KonMari By Marie Kondo.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Why it absolutely matters to think about your ideal lifestyle

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The promise is right in the title.

My tidying process is not about decluttering your house or making it look neat on the spur of the moment for visitors. It’s about tidying up in a way that will spark joy in your life and change it forever. {Spark Joy}

I’ve adopted Marie Kondo as my personal development mentor. Some aspects of KonMari might seem odd, but she designed the method to be life-changing.

graphic with Marie Kondo's rules of tidying
Don’t miss this step!

The first step of KonMari—and the most important one—is to visualize our ideal lifestyle.

Marie Kondo gets that we’re impatient:

You would rather start tidying right away, would you? That is precisely why so many people suffer rebound after tidying up. When you image your ideal lifestyle, you are actually clarifying why you want to tidy and identifying the kind of life you want to live once you have finished. The tidying process thus represents a huge turning point in a person’s life. So seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire. {Spark Joy}

graphic quote by Marie Kondo: "Don't curb your dreams"
Can you allow yourself to dream?

When you get stuck imagining your ideal lifestyle

Marie Kondo makes it sound so easy. But people do struggle with this:

  • What did you picture for your ideal life?
  • Visualizing your ideal life?
  • How do you go about “Imagining your ideal lifestyle”
  • Trouble visualizing my ideal life – help?

Practical examples of how to visualize an ideal lifestyle can help. This post covers lots of specific ideas.

But some of us also need to give ourselves permission to dream:

Please don’t curb your dreams. Your ideal image is not an objective set in stone nor is it an obligation, so don’t hold back. Feel free to indulge your wildest fantasy. {Spark Joy}

(Note to self: add Häagen-Dazs to vision board…)

But it can be hard to let ourselves dream. The minute I fantasize about my dream house, my brain jumps in with 73 reasons why it can’t be mine.

We bury our desires beneath our doubts—Brooke Castillo

How do we overcome our fear of dreaming? Ask yourself these questions (inspired by this fun video):

  1. What am I afraid of?
  2. What would I dream of if I wasn’t afraid?

Muster the courage to go deep with this.

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. {Lao Tzu}

Four excellent ways to focus on your ideal lifestyle

Marie Kondo is pretty vague about how to visualize your ideal lifestyle. As with everything KonMari, that’s intentional. The idea is to tailor this step to your own personality.

But how do we actually do it?

These questions can help with picking an approach:

  • Do words or images inspire you? Or both?
  • How do you most easily express yourself?
  • Do you feel jealous of people who are good writers? or speak well? or are visually creative?

1. Sketch out your ideal lifestyle

Do you love to paint or sketch?

Marie Kondo suggests this as one of the ways to represent your ideal lifestyle. Your vision doesn’t need to be ready to hang in the Louvre—it just has to have meaning for you. Break out the pencils or brushes and let loose.

2. Write about your ideal lifestyle

Writing your vision down will have the most meaning if you’re the wordy type. Sometimes the act of writing makes it feel more real. Taking pen to paper can be especially powerful.

If you’re the verbal type, try talking about your ideal lifestyle. Talk to a friend or think out loud on your own. The voice memo app on your phone can capture your words. Then you can replay it and write down parts that make your vision feel real and vivid to you.

If you love to lose yourself in fiction, think of your favourite characters from books or movies. Do their lives embody aspects of your ideal lifestyle? (thanks to redditor Ermagerd_Unicornz for that tip).

Lifehack has some great prompts for writing about your ideal lifestyle:

  • What will you have accomplished already?
  • How will you feel about yourself?
  • What kind of people are in your life?
  • How do you feel about them?
  • What does your ideal day look like?
  • Where are you?
  • Where do you live?
  • Think specifics, what city, state, or country, type of community, house or an apartment, style and atmosphere.
  • What would you be doing?Are you with another person, a group of people, or are you by yourself?
  • How are you dressed?
  • What’s your state of mind? Happy or sad? Contented or frustrated?
  • What does your physical body look like? How do you feel about that?
  • Does your best life make you smile and make your heart sing? If it doesn’t, dig deeper, dream bigger.

And this killer prompt from Marie Forleo:

Wouldn’t it be cool if ___________?

Remember, there’s no right way to do this. Make sure that your written vision is rich in detail and inspiring to you.

My printable worksheets include these writing prompts with space for you to write down your ideas.

3. Find a single photo that represents your ideal lifestyle

Minimalists may enjoy this tip from Spark Joy. Find a single image that makes you feel: “Yes, this is the kind of space I want to live in”.

Start by browsing through interior decorating magazines. Once you find a photo that captures your vision, keep it in a spot where you’ll see it all the time.

For example, Meghann found a single photo that represents her ideal lifestyle. A house entrance image captures the welcoming feeling that Meghann wants. The colours, texture, and feeling of the photo resonate with her.

4. Create a vision board that represents your ideal lifestyle

This is another method that Marie Kondo suggests and there are a few ways to do it:

  • create a collage from magazine photos: A great example is Hannah’s vision board. She combined photos and words cut out from magazines. I love how specific she is in imagining her ideal lifestyle. Her vision is so relatable: wanting to be healthy, connect with loved ones, overcome fears, and rock a bikini body!
  • fill a Pinterest board with photos that inspire you: KonMari consultant Maria Leahey suggests pinning images of your dream spaces if you love Pinterest
  • create a digital vision board: Jera worked with a KonMari consultant to create her digital vision board. It combines inspiration photos of spaces, with written descriptions of her goals, what she wants from her spaces, and what she wants more and less of in her life.
  • create a physical vision board with photographs: This is what I did. Read on for my vision board reveal and a detailed how-to.
trimming edges from photos
After printing my photos, I trimmed the white strips from the edges.

This is how to make your own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board

As a visually focused person, photos do it for me. I decided to create a vision board with photographs to represent my ideal lifestyle. Of course, it had to be beautiful!

If you entertain your desires, if you talk about your desires, if you look at them and put them on vision boards and create visual reminders of what your desires are, your brain and your heart go to work on making them come true. {Brooke Castillo}

This is one of the most “woo-woo” steps in KonMari, so I made sure the mood was right. I found a time when my home was quiet, popped some roses into a vase, and lit a beeswax candle.

Supplies

1. Create a list of life areas that your ideal lifestyle will include

To start with, I used my bullet journal (my favourite is this one). I started by listing the life areas that I wanted my vision board to include:

  • health
  • career
  • family
  • love
  • friends
  • creativity
  • spirituality
  • finances
  • home
  • travel

I created a worksheet printable for you to make this easier. Feel free to add or delete categories according to what you want your ideal lifestyle to include.

using punch to round corners of photos
I used a punch to round the corners of my photos.

2. Use the categories to brainstorm desires for your ideal lifestyle

Still using my bullet journal, I used my category list to brainstorm what I want for my ideal lifestyle. Some examples:

  • friends: I want to have more dinner parties
  • creativity: I want to learn to play the guitar
  • home: I want to live in a small heritage house

I kept going until I had a long list of “wants”, leaving a few lines between each one for the next step.

3. Apply the “5 Whys”

The next step is the “5 Whys”:

Your next step is to identify why you want to live like that. Look back over your notes about the kind of lifestyle you want, and think again. Why do you want to do aromatherapy before bed? Why do you want to listen to classical music while doing yoga? […] Ask yourself “Why?” again, for each answer. Repeat this process three to five times for every item.

As you continue to explore the reasons behind your ideal lifestyle, you will come to a simple realization. The whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. It may seem obvious, but it is important to experience this realization for yourself and let it sink into your heart. {The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up}

Fascinatingly, this process of questioning was developed by Toyota in post-war Japan.

Under each of my “wants”, I wrote out my “whys” (there weren’t always five). Here’s an example:

I want to learn to play the guitar

Why?

Because I love music

Why?

Because it connects me to rhythm

Why do I want to be connected to rhythm?

Because it makes me feel alive.

My neglected impulse to learn to play the guitar feels irrelevant to my life. But this exercise shows me that it’s about an underlying desire to feel alive. And that shows me the depth of this want.

Wanting to be happy. Feeling alive. Our wants come back to simple underlying desires.

Try this, you might be surprised!

ideal lifestyle photos
My photos ready for arranging on the board

4. Pick a photo that represents each aspect of your ideal lifestyle

I loved doing this step because photographs inspire me!

Pick an image that gives the vibe of each lifestyle “want”. I found photos in my own hard drive, on Pinterest, and on Instagram. Take your time with this.

Don’t worry about whether someone else would understand the meaning of your photo. Pick photos that make you smile.

When I see that coffee pot boiling over a campfire, I feel alive! When I see those clinking glasses of rosé wine, my yearning to spend more time with gal pals wells up.

As you find inspiring photos, save them in a digital folder. Once you have a bunch, go through them and weed out ones that don’t make your heart sing.

5. Print out your ideal lifestyle photos

I used my printer (similar model) to print out each photo on glossy 4″ x 6″ photo paper. Uploading your photos for printing at a lab is another option.

Using a paper trimmer (similar one), I removed the white strips along the edges. Finally, I used a punch to round the corners of each photo. I love how that adds a retro feel.

6. Arrange photos on a board

Pick a background surface for your vision board. I used a piece of thin hardboard panel like this, cut down to 24″ x 24″. I could have painted the board, but I left it bare. I like that my photos stand out against the neutral buff colour of the background.

Then, arrange the photos on the board. Take your time placing them, overlapping or not, until the final result pleases you.

Finally, attach the photos with washi tape (similar). This tape works well because it’s easy to reposition.

Voila! You now have a vision board that represents your ideal lifestyle!

7. Put your board somewhere where you can see it often.

You’ll need inspiration for your KonMari journey ahead. Your KonMari vision board doesn’t look like a kindergarten project, so display it with pride. Put it somewhere where you can see it every day.

Ksenia holding her vision board
My KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board.

I made it! My KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board

Here is my very own KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board.

I won’t lie. I procrastinated on doing this. I found myself guzzling coffee and mindlessly scrolling instead of tackling this project.

But it was so worth it to overcome my fears, set the mood, and take my time.

Every photo on my vision board gives me inspiration for aspects of my ideal lifestyle:

  • a cozy heritage house on a quiet street
  • so many dinner parties
  • giving my passport a workout
  • big and small nature adventures
  • growing this blog
  • chilling with gal pals
  • launching my teens into adulthood
  • sharing a remarkable life with my guy
  • unleashing my creative side
  • a spick and span home
  • learning to play the guitar and dance
  • radiant health
  • and yes…rocking a bikini body!
KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board
I display my KonMari ideal lifestyle vision board in the living room, where it inspires me every day!

Bringing these photos together feels powerful!

Now that I’ve lived with my vision board for a while, I can truly say that it sparks joy.

Don’t become a statistic

People are diving into KonMari-ing their homes. But so many become tidying up dropouts.

The #1 KonMari mistake is not taking the time to imagine your ideal lifestyle.

Whether you’re a KonMari beginner or a reboot-er, let’s do this right, together.

Use this post to pick how you’re going to visualize your ideal lifestyle. Then take action by documenting your ideal lifestyle in writing or with a photo, a collage, a vision board, a sketch, a painting, or an interpretive dance piece. OK, maybe not the latter.

The feeling of joy that you get from your vision of your ideal lifestyle is what KonMari is all about.

Free KonMari Ideal Lifestyle Vision Board printable

Get the password for exclusive Indoor Mood content, including KonMari printables, by filling out this form:

Extra credit

More inspiration for visualizing your ideal lifestyle:

Over to you…

How are you going to imagine your ideal lifestyle? Or maybe you think it’s a silly waste of time? Have you created a vision board? Tell me in the comments. And if you created your own vision board, drop me a link…I’d love to see it!

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Why And How To Get Started With KonMari By Marie Kondo

historical scullery kitchen organization
pre-KonMari organization in a historical scullery kitchen

Inside: A guide for beginners (and those starting over) to Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up method, including a free KonMari pdf checklist.

Confession time.

In 2015, I decided to declutter and organize my home using Marie Kondo’s method.

I started strong. I geeked out and learned everything I could about her. I read the book. I watched every video interview. I read countless articles and blog posts. I joined a support group. I got through discarding clothes, then books, then paper.

But, I never finished. Yup, I’m a tidying up dropout. Insert embarrassed face emoji.

Now, I’m starting a KonMari “do-over”.

I’ve been craving more order in my home. After living here for 18 years, it’s time to freshen things up. We don’t have a lot of clutter, but I have that nagging feeling. The closets are stuffed. Storage is awkward. And then there’s the rented storage locker…

graphic with Marie Kondo's six rules of tidying up following the KonMari method.
The first step is making the commitment.

I’ll be sharing my journey and blogging about my “tidying festival” along the way. Whether you’re new to KonMari—or rebooting—won’t you join me? I’ll walk you through the entire process. This is the first post in the series (sign up for the Indoor Mood newsletter below to get updates).

The truth is that following the method can be overwhelming. Planning for success will help you get past the sock drawer.

This post is a beginner’s guide to KonMari. I’ll be covering

  • what KonMari is
  • why I recommend KonMari (hint: not just for decluttering your home)
  • KonMari myths you can ignore
  • steps to take before you start KonMari
  • things to keep in mind when you start
  • mistakes to avoid (including the “whys” of my own #konmarifail)
  • my free Indoor Mood KonMari pdf printable planning checklist (jump there)
  • KonMari resources I enjoy

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Who is Marie Kondo and what is KonMari?


Marie Kondo is a Japanese expert on decluttering and organization. Her 2014 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up launched her method in North America. More recently, many people have found her via the Netflix series Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.

KonMari is Marie Kondo’s method:

The KonMari Method encourages tidying by category–not by location–beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service–then let them go [konmari.com].

Marie Kondo quotation: Tidying is the act of confronting yourself
KonMari is so much more than decluttering and organizing.

Why the KonMari method?

People tend to focus on the decluttering and organization aspects of KonMari. For many, this method is the one that finally helps them to get their homes in order.

But KonMari is so much more than that.

Tidying is the act of confronting yourself [Spark Joy].

On a deeper level, KonMari is a personal development program. Does this sound far-fetched?

What I learned from my #konmarifail is that figuring out what “sparks joy” is hard. And sorting through my belongings brings up a lot of emotions.

Tidying allows us to develop those discrimination skills and work through those emotions:

The process of facing and selecting our possessions can be quite painful. It forces us to confront our imperfections and inadequacies. There are three approaches we can take toward our possessions: face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them until the day we die. If we acknowledge our attachment to the past and our fears for the future by honestly looking at our possessions, we will be able to see what is really important to us [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up; edited for brevity].

Marie Kondo’s method is about:

  • creating your ideal lifestyle
  • recognizing what brings you joy
  • cultivating gratitude for everyday things
  • improving decision-making capacity
  • becoming conscious of surroundings
  • letting go of attachments to the past
  • facing the future
  • relieving stress and anxiety
  • developing soothing rituals
  • restoring balance to our home lives

As I embrace midlife, I’m looking forward to my KonMari journey. I’m ready to grow as a person. Dust off the skeletons in my closet. Hey, it’s cheaper than therapy, right?

Marie Kondo's Tidying Up Method: A Guide for Beginners and Those Starting Over, with a free printable checklist
Pin this Marie Kondo Getting Started Guide for later! And don’t forget to grab the free KonMari pdf printable checklist.

Three myths about KonMari

First off, have you read about Marie Kondo in articles, blog posts, or social media? If so, I’ll bet you’ve come across some silly myths about her method. Don’t let these misconceptions stop you from embracing KonMari!

Myth #1: Marie Kondo promotes minimalism

Snarky articles love to portray the Marie Kondo method as promoting stark minimalism. Perhaps because North Americans associate Japan with minimalist interiors? Or maybe it’s because Kondo seems extremely enthusiastic about discarding? To the point where the result might be an empty room?

Nothing could be further from the truth. Kondo never tells anyone how much, or how little, they should own.

Kondo encourages us to reduce until we reach the point where something “clicks”. She’s very clear that the “click” point differs from one person to another:

For a shoe lover, it might be one hundred pairs of shoes, while a book lover might not need anything but books [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up].

Owning one hundred pairs of shoes isn’t exactly minimalism.

In another case, Kondo was asked about a situation that sounded like it was verging on hoarding. Even then, she did not judge the choice to own a lot of stuff:

If he is my client, I don’t think it’s important for me if he has too many items or not. I think it’s much more important to figure out if that person is happy with that amount of items. So I would probably recommend that person to imagine the ideal lifestyle for that person. I think your friend needs to figure out what kind of lifestyle he or she wants…what’s the realistic life your friend wants? So that he or she can figure out how much stuff to keep [at 34:46 in her 2015 talk at Google]

The Netflix series has helped to correct this misconception. Kondo’s non-judgemental respect for her clients’ spark-joy-meters came through. If a dizzying quantity of Christmas decorations sparks joy for you, go for it (see the Empty Nesters episode)!

Myth #2: Marie Kondo hates books

Faux controversy. The laziest tactic of journalists and social media darlings. In early 2019, some started insisting that Marie Kondo hates books. And the whole thing gathered steam…

This tweet summarized the situation well (sorry for the profanity!):

She had to set the record straight:

The most important part of this process of tidying is to always think about what you have and about the discovery of your sense of value, what you value that is important. So it’s not so much what I personally think about books. The question you should be asking is what do you think about books. If the image of someone getting rid of books or having only a few books makes you angry, that should tell you how passionate you are about books, what’s clearly so important in your life. If that riles you up, that tells you something you about that. That in itself is a very important benefit of this process [IndieWire].

Myth #3: Marie Kondo encourages us to discard important items

Does Marie Kondo tell us to discard important legal documents? Nope. Should we get rid of tools that we use regularly? Nope.

In Spark Joy, Kondo clarified how we should look at useful items:

the things we need definitely make our lives happier. Therefore, we should treat them as things that bring us joy.

She’s also blunt that we must keep some things, including contracts and important papers.

list of eight steps to take before you start KonMari
Want to remember this? Save this guide to getting started with KonMari to your favourite Pinterest Board

Eight things to do before you start KonMari

1. Which Marie Kondo book should I read first?

You can watch the entire Netflix series, read a summary of the method, and binge-watch YouTube videos—and still miss the point. I see this so often in KonMari support groups.

Read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. If you don’t like reading, listen to the audiobook.

It’s the best instruction manual for KonMari. Learning the method in detail matters. The book is also very important for developing the right mindset as you tackle this huge endeavour.

Fun fact: this book was initially intended as a stopgap for Kondo’s clients. “I had so many clients—a months-long waiting list,” Kondo said. “They requested that I write a book so they could learn about my method while waiting for their consultation” [The Cut].

2. Create a vision for your ideal lifestyle

This is the most important step to take before tidying. When we embark on KonMari, it’s because we want something to change in our homes and lives.

What is your ideal lifestyle? Kondo asks you not to curb your dreams. Indulge in exploring this in detail. If you want to live in a different home, include that too.

There’s no right way to create your vision for your ideal lifestyle. You could:

  • write out your vision in a notebook
  • sketch out what it looks like
  • create a Pinterest board with photos
  • create a collage or “mood board” from printed photos or cut-outs from magazines

As a visual person, I’ll be creating a physical “mood board” that represents my ideal lifestyle. Stay tuned for a “how to” post about this.

3. Commit and set a timeline

KonMari requires commitment and a lot of time. Kondo encourages us to

start by discarding, all at once, intensely and completely [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up]

But what does she mean by that? About six months. So, what is that going to look like for you?

Be realistic about the time windows—and physical space—that you have available.

Can you take weeks or days off to tackle this? Or will you be fitting KonMari into an already-busy life? It certainly was entertaining to see the rapid progress in the Netflix series. But, I’m guessing that most of us will have to take things a bit slower.

Do you have a lot of space that you can use for sorting and discarding? If so, you might be able to take on tidying huge categories in a designated area—without disrupting the household. On the other hand, if you live in a small space, you might only have room to go through small subcategories at a time (e.g. just t-shirts).

All sorts of tidying patterns are fine. Pick what best suits your lifestyle, schedule, and space:

  • add some daily tidying time to your consistent routines and get it done bit by bit
  • do it ”weekend warrior”-style by devoting a full day or two every week to tidying
  • if you have the freedom and stamina, take a week or two at a time to blitz through tidying

The longer the gaps between your tidying sessions, the more important it will be to boost your motivation.

In my 2015 #konmarifail, I tried to tackle large categories, too quickly. That didn’t work for me, because I got discouraged when my progress wasn’t as fast as I had hoped it would be. First, my home is small. Second, my responsibilities don’t allow me to devote huge time blocks to KonMari.

This time, I’ll be tidying smaller sub-categories. Instead of rushing the process, I’ll be satisfied with an hour or two, whenever I can manage it. This strategy is a better fit for my life. Tracking my progress with a checklist will help me maintain a sense of momentum.

4. Take “before” photos

So many regret not taking “before” photos of their spaces. People forget, or they just don’t want to immortalize the mess in photographic form.

But before and after photos are a great way to see progress along the way. Many say that they can hardly remember the “before”—it feels like their post-KonMari home has always been that way.

Kondo believes that photos can boost your motivation—she calls it the “clutter-photo shock treatment”:

The trick is to turn the current mess, which will soon be gone for good, into a source of entertainment. How? By taking photos while each room is still a mess. That’s right. I encourage you to click away, taking panoramas of each room in its entirety as well as close-ups of the contents of each drawer. A look at these photos will likely show you that your place is even messier than you thought [Spark Joy].

I didn’t take before photos when I started KonMari in 2015, but I’ll be careful to document my progress this time around. Stay tuned to find out if I decide to post them here!

5. Do the Mt. Vesuvius Method if your home is too messy or small

Sometimes we don’t have enough space to do KonMari tidying. Or we cannot even grasp categories because everything is mixed up. But you have to start somewhere, right?

Do any of these apply to your home?

  • you have “that room” full of unsorted stuff (or garage, basement, or storage locker)
  • it’s hard to manoeuvre around because there’s stuff everywhere (no judgement here!)
  • your home is small and there’s not a lot of space to work with
  • you have “panic boxes” from when you stuffed things away quickly

The Mt. Vesuvius Method might help. It was developed by Sandra Felton, a home organization guru who really gets the messy home predicament. Here’s how to do it:

  1. buy a large number of office storage boxes (like these) and assemble them as necessary
  2. pick a messy room or space (basement, garage, storage locker)
  3. in the room you are tackling, position six or more boxes, plus a trash can and recycling bin
  4. begin filling boxes rapidly with similar groups of things
  5. label each box with the KonMari category name (clothes, books, paper, komono/miscellany, sentimental), labelling sub-categories as necessary (e.g. komono/sport equipment or komono/craft materials)
  6. for papers, note where the papers came from on the outside of the box
  7. look for trash/recycling in the room, put items in the trash can/recycling bin, and discard immediately
  8. put the tops on the boxes and stack them against the wall or out of the way
  9. continue to the next room or space

It’s amazing how this process can clear areas and reduce overwhelm!

I did the Vesuvius Method in 2015 before I started KonMari. My home is small, my kids were younger, and the family’s belongings were more mixed up. Sorting items into categories helped me get a handle on my stuff.

Once you start your tidying festival, it’s super convenient to have items boxed up by category.

6. Create a discarding plan

Plan time (and help if needed) for getting rid of discards on a regular basis. When bags, boxes, and items to be discarded pile up, we feel overwhelmed because it’s hard to see the progress.

Almost nothing belongs in the landfill these days. Research where you can take discarded items. Find out what organizations will pick up items.

Figure out how you will discard:

  • nice clothing
  • stained or ripped clothing (some thrift stores accept these as materials for rag making)
  • books (second-hand books stores often accept donations)
  • confidential papers (shredding recommended)
  • other papers
  • household items
  • furniture
  • recyclables (including electronics, scrap metal, etc.)
  • computers and parts that are still usable
  • old paint and other controlled materials
  • valuable items

Grab my printable below—it includes a list of items to discard that you can fill in for your situation.

At one point in my previous KonMari attempt, I had a list that looked like this:

  • take items to thrift store donation centre
  • take box of old paint to depot that accepts it
  • take wooden studs from renovation to the wood recycling center
  • sell old filing cabinet on Craigslist
  • sell kids’ tall toy organizer on Craigslist
  • take refundables to depot
  • take kitchen renovation cast-offs to Habitat for Humanity ReStore

You can bet it took quite a while to check off that list!

Make sure that you have bags and boxes on hand for discarding. I recommend clear, heavy-duty plastic bags for donations. That allows both you and the recipients to see what items are inside. Recycled cardboard wine boxes are a convenient size for breakables.

7. Join a support group

KonMari support groups can be a lot of fun—Facebook has many. Share your progress with others. Get some cheerleading when you’re discouraged. Look for an active group that follows the KonMari method strictly.

8. Have a plan for when you feel like quitting

At some point, you’ll feel like quitting. KonMari is a huge undertaking done over a long period of time (for most). Keep some strategies in your back pocket to overcome the urge to quit:

  • Kondo’s remedy for this is spending 10-30 minutes making an inventory of storage spaces. Get a general grasp of categories of where things are stored. Seeing the big picture can help reduce anxiety and get you back on track with tidying [Spark Joy].
  • Look at your “before” photos and notice the progress that you’re making.
  • Get inspiration from the vision for your ideal lifestyle that you created. If it isn’t inspiring you, make a new one.
  • If you’re feeling burned out, Kondo also recommends taking photos partway through. Photos boost motivation by reminding you of why you’re doing KonMari [Spark Joy].
  • When she feels like she’s in a rut, Kondo says she crosses her legs and goes into zazen, or meditation [Fast Company].
  • Remember that “no matter how much stuff you may own, the amount is always finite” [Spark Joy].
Marie Kondo quotation: "I believe that tidying is a celebration..."
find the right mindset for your KonMari journey…

Three KonMari habits and rituals

Habits and rituals can help us with mindset. I’ll be paying more to the details during my festival this time around.

1. Remove distractions

Marie Kondo wants us to look at tidying as a special occasion, or “festival”, separate from everyday life. She recommends avoiding music, TV, and distractions while we’re tidying. As we evaluate each item, we need mental space to experience our feelings.

2. Greet your home

Viewers of the TV series will notice that Marie Kondo always greets her clients’ homes:

The first thing I do when I visit a client’s home is to greet their house. I kneel formally on the floor in the center of the house and address the house in my mind. After giving a brief self-introduction, including my name, address, and occupation, I ask for help in creating a space where the family can enjoy a happier life. Then I bow. It is a silent ritual that only takes about two minutes [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up].

Does this seem strange? This ritual helps to align us with our goal of pursuing our ideal lifestyle.

Kondo also advises that you start greeting your home every time you return: “Hello! I’m home!” You can even talk to your home while tidying. Again, cheaper than therapy!

3. Dress nicely when you tidy

When we plan a big decluttering session, our first instinct is to grab our grubbiest clothes. After all, we know that we will be going into closets and dark corners, and who knows what lurks there? Cue the skeletons and spiders. Neglected objects will be dusty. We will be lifting things and need ease of movement.

As usual, the KonMari method is counterintuitive. Believe it or not, Marie Kondo wears a dress and blazer for her tidying sessions! Sometimes she dons an apron when it’s called for. This relates to her tidying philosophy:

This is my way of showing respect for the house and its contents. I believe that tidying is a celebration, a special send-off for those things that will be departing from the house, and therefore I dress accordingly. I am confident that when I show respect by the clothes I choose to wear and begin the work of tidying by greeting the house, it will in turn be happy to tell me what the family no longer needs and where to put the things remaining so that the family can be comfortable and happy in this space [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up].

You won’t find me wearing a dress and blazer, but I will be mindful of my appearance as I launch into my tidying festival.

Seven mistakes to avoid when you start KonMari

Any of these mistakes can derail your progress, so beware!

1. Don’t skip over creating a vision for your ideal lifestyle

This was the number one cause of my #konmarifail in 2015. I wrote a brief and vague statement as my vision statement before starting my festival. Looking back, it wasn’t detailed, specific, or inspiring enough.

Kondo warns:

If you skip this step, not only will it delay the whole process, but it will also put you at higher risk for rebound. Goals like “I want to live clutter-free” or “I want to be able to put things away” are too broad. You need to think much more deeply than that. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free space [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up].

Clarifying why you want to tidy is the key to success!

2. Don’t tell everyone you’re doing KonMari

I’m telling my readers that I’m starting my KonMari festival, but I won’t be telling my friends and family. Why?

According to more than 80 years’ worth of research on the psychology of goal pursuit, people who talk a lot about how they’re going to achieve some goal end up being less likely to put actual work into achieving that goal [The Cut].

In fact, Kondo even advises against telling your spouse about your tidying festival:

You do not say anything to your husband. You don’t say “I’m over here cleaning and what are you doing over there watching TV?” You just do it. Basically you let the actions speak for themselves [at 46:43 in a 2015 interview with 92Y].

This is especially good advice if you’ve gotten the spousal eye-roll when you mention your latest decluttering or organizing project.

Most of us can get started tidying our own possessions by category without advertising it to everyone. If you want to share your progress, join a support group and get the benefit of “Konverts” who “get it”. And trust that family members will be receptive once we’ve become KonMari grads with our own stuff.

Of course, this is not what we saw on the Netflix TV series. But, it makes sense. You couldn’t exactly do secret KonMari…with a TV crew in your home filming it. Obviously, all household members had to buy into the process for filming to be possible.

3. Don’t terrorize your family with KonMari

So many KonMari beginners say things like this:

My kids and spouse are messy and they want to keep their piles of useless stuff. They are trashing my joy!

Sometimes we feel so enthusiastic about a new approach that we go overboard. Armed with contractor-grade garbage bags, we’re going to solve this for once and for all.

But Marie Kondo warns us not to be overzealous when it comes to converting our families. So…

  • don’t decide that your entire family has to be “on board”
  • don’t throw a royal fit and order a dumpster
  • don’t get your spouse worried that you will “disappear” their stuff
  • don’t drive your family crazy talking about KonMari
  • don’t force your kids to get rid of their treasures

Be fair to the innocent bystanders. Lead by example and let the KonMari magic work in your home…before offering to help family members with their stuff. We follow Marie Kondo’s advice because we deserve the KonMari magic!

4. Don’t let sentimental items bog you down

Sentimental is the last category of items to tackle in the KonMari method. But sentimental items can crop up in any category, and it’s important to be prepared for that from the start.

Whether you’re tidying clothing, books, papers, or miscellaneous, sometimes you pick something up…and experience waves of emotion.

We don’t always expect to find sentimental items where we do. For example, a box of old academic articles that I came across brought back a flood of memories of my grad school years. Oddly, they belong in the sentimental category for me.

Marie Kondo is clear about this: if an item in any category has sentimental value, put it aside and for when you tackle the sentimental category. Determining what sparks joy is a skill. Tidying sentimental items is an advanced skill. If you try to do this too early in your festival, you risk stalling out.

Getting distracted by sentimental items definitely contributed to my #konmarifail. My plan is to have a box labelled “sentimental” handy as I sort through other categories.

5. Don’t start planning storage before finishing discarding

Focusing on storage too early in the process can cause us to get sidetracked.

It’s inevitable. The minute we start decluttering, we start fussing over storage solutions. Once we have our joy sparkers, we want to organize them. But the KonMari method asks us to organize and store things at the end of the tidying festival.

We need to exercise self-control and resist storing our belongings until we have finished identifying what we really want and need to keep [The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up].

Of course, it’s okay to put things away in a simple way in the meanwhile.

Organizing happens after your festival is complete. Planning storage solutions will make so much more sense then. In the meanwhile, the Container Store, IKEA, and Muji will have to wait.

6. Don’t plan on selling everything

Selling used items seems like a great plan. Who doesn’t want to earn money by getting rid of stuff?

Unfortunately, selling stuff is very time-consuming and can become overwhelming. If you’ve never done it before, you might be surprised by how time-consuming it can be to photograph, describe, and price items. Not to mention: storing items in the meanwhile, monitoring queries, and generally dealing with flakey potential buyers.

I’ve had some success selling on Craigslist, but I’ve had many more failures. My worst experience was selling a functioning Volvo car for $400. The parts were worth more than that! But my ad attracted men who were into sniffing engines and generally wasting my time. Who knows what they were looking for?

Unless you have a lot of experience with selling, reserve this for very few items—ones that you know have high resale value.

7. Don’t decide that nothing sparks joy and go on a shopping spree looking for “joy sparking” replacements

Although Marie Kondo can teach us how to shop, this should mostly wait until the end of our KonMari festival. As we tidy, we may want to keep a list of items that we would like to replace with better versions. But there is no rush to do so.

Remember that we are building skills. Shopping will be so much easier when we can identify what sparks joy. And we might learn to better appreciate the everyday items that already serve us.

Free! Grab your Getting Started With KonMari pdf printable planning checklist

I’ve thrown a lot of advice at you in this post. I’ve covered everything I’ve learned from reading, watching, participating in support groups, and my own #konmarifail.

Whether you’re a beginner or a reboot-er, let’s do this right, together. Get my free planning checklist and start your KonMari festival! To get the password to access exclusive content, just fill out the form below.

Extra credit

Here’s more KonMari goodness:

Over to you…

Are you thinking of starting KonMari from scratch? Or have you already started or completed your festival? Maybe you’re a skeptic? Do you need free therapy like I do? Let me know in the comments.

Note: Marie Kondo’s words have been translated as she’s not an English speaker.

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Had Enough of Paper Clutter? This Is the Best System

paper clutter in basket
Find your zen when it comes to paper.

Inside: Conquer paper clutter and go paperless in your home.

I poked at the piles of paper in the fire, willing them to burn. Only a few reluctant flames appeared within the choking grey smoke.

After a marathon sorting session, I had packed a box full of paper clutter to get rid of. My genius idea was to burn it in the campfire on a family vacation. I pictured a raging inferno, but my plan failed. Surprisingly, piles of paper do not burn well.

Paper clutter happens

Oh, paper clutter. Documents. File folders. Reports. Brochures. Manuals. As a mom—and a professional biologist who works from home—I’ve had to deal with my share.

There’s the constant influx of mail, school notices, and children’s art. I had a behemoth of a four-drawer filing cabinet full of old business and personal files. Boxes held memorabilia and kids’ scribbles. And there were the piles that “needed sorting”.

In our small home, paper was taking up a surprising amount of real estate.

But even a small stack of paper can be overwhelming.

Should I sign my son up for this basketball program? Oh right—I have to review this insurance policy. Awww, here’s the card that my daughter made me. I thought I already filed these receipts for taxes! Hmm, will I need this later?

Handling papers can be exhausting. It seems like every piece of paper needs a decision. Did you know we make poorer quality decisions when we make too many? Decision fatigue is a thing.

But I was determined to power my way through the paper in our home.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Fujitsu ScanSnap, tool for dealing with paper clutter
My ScanSnap is an indispensable tool for taming paper clutter.

The perfect paper decluttering system

I finally figured out a paper decluttering system that:

  • saves space in our small home
  • is quick, with few steps
  • avoids the dreaded decision fatigue
  • lets me find documents effortlessly
  • ensures my documents are safe
  • allows me to tackle a small pile of paper, or much more.

This is how it works.

Every tool you’ll need to conquer paper clutter


Here’s a list of supplies you’ll need for this system.

  1. Inbox: I use a simple basket from IKEA that can sit on a shelf. Papers get tossed in there until I have time to process them.
  2. Fast duplex document scanner: I love the Fujitsu ScanSnap ix500. And I hardly ever love electronic devices, so that’s saying a lot. Scanning of documents is fast and effortless. Put up to 50 sheets in the scanner, press a button, and the document is saved as a PDF on my laptop. The ScanSnap is definitely a splurge, but it’s earned its keep.
  3. Computer: I use my laptop for everything. Working on professional contracts, following recipes in the kitchen, and blogging. My tech-savvy husband picked the HP Spectre for me and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. The specifications are beyond what I need. It also stands up well to my multitasking lifestyle. The touchscreen and metal body are sturdy and wipe-able. With sleek lines and rose gold accents, it never looks out of place.
  4. Paper shredder: You’ll need an eight-page (or more) paper shredder (this one is similar to ours). Don’t be tempted to buy one that is tiny or only shreds one sheet at a time.
  5. Online cloud backup: I use IDrive for daily automatic backups of my laptop files. This is a must. Anything can happen to a laptop—damage, theft, or malware. No matter what, I still have an up-to-date backup of all my digital files in the cloud.
  6. Small file box: The one I’m using isn’t fire-proof, but I’m planning to upgrade to this one.
  7. Art portfolio: You’ll need one for each member of the family. They are perfect for art and large format memorabilia (this one is similar to ours).
  8. Photo boxes: You’ll want boxes for storing loose photos and small memorabilia. These ones are acid-free and simple.
  9. To do list: Google Keep is simple and it syncs between my phone and laptop.
  10. Calendar: Google Calendar has worked for me for years. My multiple calendars—some shared—are always available on my phone and laptop.
  11. Notebook: I couldn’t resist the Leuchtturm1917 notebook with dotted pages
  12. Staple remover: Mine is similar to these ones.

Start organizing paper clutter

1. Set up cloud backup

This step is essential. Set up an online cloud system that backs up your computer files on a daily basis. Your digital files will be safe—even if your computer is lost, damaged, stolen, or corrupted. I’ve been happy with the cost and reliability of IDrive for years.

screenshot of IDrive online cloud backup software
IDrive—the online backup system I use and recommend

2. Create a workspace

Set up a temporary or permanent workspace for dealing with paper. The dining room table does the job for me.

  1. Sit with your computer, Scansnap, and staple remover on your work surface.
  2. Pick a pile of papers or files (don’t worry about whether they are sorted or not).
  3. Have the shredder and recycling/waste bins handy.
  4. Have the ScanSnap set up to scan documents in duplex mode, with the one-button “save to PDF function”. Select the default folder to scan to.

3. Paper organizing workflow

Take one piece of paper or document at a time. Handle each one according to its category:

  • papers that need to be scanned
    • this is the default category unless the ones below apply
    • instead of deciding whether to scan something—just scan it! (it’s faster and less stressful)
    • for multi-page documents: remove bindings or staples, then scan up to 50 pages at a time—they will be saved as a single PDF file
    • combine multiple 50-page PDFs into a single PDF if you have a long document to scan
    • if you know you’ll need the document in the future: immediately move the digital document into the correct folder on your computer as soon as you scan it (e.g. tax receipts, reference documents, etc.)
    • if you don’t know if you’ll need the document in the future: save time and leave the digital document in the default folder on your computer (you can always find it there later)
    • check with your tax jurisdiction to determine if you need to keep hard copies of tax receipts (digital is fine in my jurisdiction)
    • shred or recycle as you go (when you’re 100% sure your scanning and backup systems are working!)
  • manuals
    • download the online version (if available) and recycle the hardcopy one
  • papers that are definitely not needed
    • shred or recycle
  • papers associated with events
    • enter the event into the calendar
    • scan only if needed, otherwise, shred/recycle
  • papers associated with tasks that need to be done
    • enter the item into a to-do list like Google Keep, your bullet journal, or whatever system you use
    • scan only if needed, otherwise, shred/recycle
  • papers that must be kept in hardcopy
    • few papers fall in this category
    • keep hard copies of papers like diplomas, deeds, identity documents, legal papers, etc.
    • scan (so you have a copy on your computer), then store in the small fireproof file box
  • large format artwork or memorabilia
    • file these in an art portfolio (one for each person)
    • we’re just putting these aside here—don’t overthink this
    • evaluate and purge these as a separate project
  • photos and small memorabilia
    • file in photo boxes
    • we’re just putting these aside here—don’t overthink this
    • photo organization should be a separate project

4. Maintenance

Keep a paper inbox handy—mine is in a central area in the kitchen. I put mail, school notices, and all incoming paper there.

Carry out the paper organization workflow frequently.

Control the proliferation of paper:

  • avoid using sticky notes or bits of paper to record lists, tasks, or calendar items
  • develop a calendar habit (wall calendar or digital)
  • use digital reminders as necessary
  • use a to-do list system to keep track of tasks
  • if you like paper for writing down notes, lists, etc., use a notebook to keep things in one place
  • bullet journaling is a great notebook system to try
  • if you love sticky notes, consider putting them in your notebook

My paperless home

Many years have passed since the campfire incident. I no longer struggle to wrestle files into overstuffed drawers.

Today, our home is mostly paperless and we enjoy the space savings.

My 24 years of archived professional files live on my laptop. Tax and household files are digital. Hardcopy papers live in a small file box in a closet. Photos and precious kids’ artworks are set aside for safekeeping.

I’ve found it easier to keep personal, family, household, and business documents organized on my computer. I can easily find things in their folders. And—unlike a filing cabinet—there’s always the search function.

Over to you

Do you have any questions about going paperless? Please let me know in the comments.

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Overwhelmed? The Most Powerful Way to Triage a Home Project List

list of home projects
do you have a home project list as long as your arm?

Inside: This home project planner (free printable!) uses insights from psychology to help you prioritize.

THUNK. THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.

The noises interrupted my creamy, cloudy, marshmallow-y daydream. I was in the middle of a few minutes of delicious “me time” on the computer. My quest: the perfect off-white paint colour.

Meanwhile, my one-year-old daughter had seized the opportunity. She cleared off every single low shelf in the living room…onto the floor. Standing there, she looked somewhat proud of her shelf cleaning efforts.

My eyes skimmed the room. Piles of stuff on the floor. Boxes “to sort” lurking in the corner. Those dents in the drywall needed filling. I felt that sinking feeling in my stomach.

Who was I kidding? Picking paint colours was the least of my worries.

I had so many home projects on my to-do list. Decluttering. Organizing. Rearranging. Deep cleaning. Repairing. Decorating. Renovating.

Spending time on Pinterest wasn’t going to help me with that list.

chips and salsa
maybe chips and salsa will help?

Are you procrastinating on home projects?

Living from day to day, you don’t always notice the tasks piling up. Or, you’re in a season of life where you’re stretched. You put taking care of people first.

Suddenly you have a home project list as long as your arm. You realize taking care of your home is part of taking care of yourself and your family.

You’re determined to take action.

Gah! Where do I even start?

I’ve been there…not knowing where to even start. Every project takes planning, time, energy, and—usually—money.

The tricky part is prioritizing. Do you install an organizer in the family coat closet? Replace the kitchen faucet with the fiddly handle? Buy new throw pillows to cheer up the living room?

Maybe you’ve read the advice about what projects to work on first:

  • focus on resale value
  • do free and low-cost projects first
  • fix whatever is bugging you most
  • go for visual impact
  • address functionality issues
  • work on the basic infrastructure first (plumbing, electrical, etc.)

None of these are wrong. But there’s a more powerful way.

illustration of Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow 1908-1970

Psychology to the rescue!

Our homes meet our needs. It’s a simple yet profound paradigm. We need shelter. A place to nourish our bodies with food. The perfect off-white paint colour. Wait…is that a need?

Abraham Maslow would say yes!

Born in Brooklyn over a century ago, Maslow had a rough childhood. As a son of Russian Jewish immigrant parents, he was bullied and suffered from psychological issues.

His troubled beginnings shaped his life. As a psychologist, Maslow devoted his career to studying how we can realize our potential. This led him to focus on the human needs we all share.

Our Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s insight is that not all needs are equal. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs recognizes that we have different levels of motivation to meet different kinds of needs.

At the most basic level, we need to survive. Once we have survival taken care of, we move up to the next level. Those needs then become our main motivation.

diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Here are the categories of needs, from most immediate to least:

  1. basic physical needs
  2. safety
  3. love & belonging
  4. esteem
  5. self-actualization

A hierarchy of needs for your home

Maslow’s insights provide a profound way of looking at your life. Even your home.

Cleaning, organizing, decluttering, fixing, or renovating can meet your needs (or those of your family). Needs help with prioritizing that long list of task and projects.

Physical needs

Our homes support the basic needs of our bodies: air, food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, sex, sleep. Yep, Maslow put sex in there as part of basic survival. I’ll let you be the judge of what category it belongs in!

Some examples of how our homes might not meet these needs:

  • the air in the home feels stale in the winter (air)
  • a child wakes up ridiculously early because the curtains in her room don’t block the morning light (sleep)
  • the kitchen is so badly set up it’s hard to cook meals from scratch (food)

Some examples of projects to better meet these needs:

  • clean and maintain ducts and filters
  • install blackout blinds
  • renovate the kitchen to improve functionality

Safety needs

Once we have survival covered, we need to be safe. This is a biggie. Safety includes covers physical safety, health and wellness (including psychological and emotional), and financial security.

Our home plays in a huge role in this broad category of needs.

Some examples of how our homes might not meet these needs:

  • an upper story window is not secured and a toddler could fall out (physical safety)
  • dark walls are contributing to gloomy feelings (emotional wellness)
  • that pink gunge in the shower turns out to be a bacterium that can cause infections in humans (health)
  • if that leak isn’t fixed right away, it’s going to cause costly damage (financial security)

Some examples of projects to better meet these needs:

  • install window bars to prevent accidents
  • paint walls a lighter colour
  • open the windows, break out the bleach and go to town on those tiles
  • call the plumber and get that leak fixed

Love & belonging needs

Most of our family life takes place in the home. And we welcome our closest friends there too. Our homes are the containers for our most intimate experiences of love and connection.

Some examples of how our homes might not meet these needs:

  • the dining room table got taken over by a project and everyone eats in front of the TV now (family traditions)
  • there’s nowhere comfortable to hang out (casual togetherness)
  • the master bedroom became a dumping zone and the romance is gone (connection in marriage)

Some examples of projects to better meet these needs:

  • banish projects from the dining room table and move them elsewhere
  • upgrade seating and lighting to feel comfy
  • do a full declutter and deep-cleaning of the bedroom

Esteem needs

Let’s face it. We want to feel good about ourselves. And we want others to accept and value us.

We want our homes to reflect our best selves. We don’t want to feel embarrassed or ashamed when we welcome people into our homes. We might even want to keep up with the Joneses.

Now the ego’s involved, and this category can be a bottomless pit. But there’s nothing wrong with meeting these needs.

Some examples of how our homes might not meet these needs:

  • the front door is looking shabby (taking pride in home)
  • can’t have anyone over because there’s too much clutter everywhere (entertaining guests without embarrassment)
  • the living room looks like a hodge-podge with no style (feeling good about one’s style)

Some examples of projects to better meet these needs:

  • sand and paint the front door
  • declutter the most public areas of the home
  • create a plan to redecorate the living room

Self-actualization needs

This pinnacle of the triangle is about meeting our full potential.

Self-actualization is

to become everything one is capable of becoming — Maslow

At this highest level, our homes can support us in many different ways.

When our more basic needs are taken care of, we can focus on our goals, talents, desires, happiness, and purpose. Self-actualization is very personal.

Some examples of how our homes might not meet these needs:

  • no spot for a sewing hobby (enjoying one’s passions)
  • creative personality of the owner not reflected in the decor (creative self-expression)
  • too much noise and distraction for meditation (achieving inner peace)

Some examples of projects to better meet these needs:

  • carve out a corner for a compact sewing station
  • explore personal style as it relates to decor
  • soundproof a room to support a meditation practice

Triage your home project list

By now, I hope I’ve convinced you how important needs are in the home. And some of those needs are more immediate than others.

Here’s how to tackle home projects:

  1. Start with creating a meta-list of projects that need to be done in your home
  2. Categorize each project according to which level of needs the project meets. If there is more than one level, pick the most immediate one (lowest in the hierarchy).
  3. For each project, rate the cost (low, medium, high)
  4. For each project, rate the time and energy required (low, medium, high)
  5. Start with the projects that involve the most immediate needs. For some, this will be “Physical Needs”.
  6. Plan to complete these highest priority projects as soon as possible. If not possible due to budget or time and energy constraints, write down a completion plan.
  7. Focus 90% of home improvement efforts on projects in the most immediate needs category, until all projects are complete.
  8. Proceed to the next most important needs category. For some, this will be “Safety Needs”.

To make this process simple, I created a home project planner with worksheets to walk you through each step. It includes an incompletion trigger list to help with thinking of projects that need to be done. It also includes a separate planner worksheet for each needs category, with simple-to-complete ratings to help with prioritizing.

Download your free Home Project Planner

Do you have a list of home projects to triage? Get the password to access exclusive content (including the planner) by filling out this form:

Finally…

I still have a lot of projects to do in my home. But I have a lot more clarity around what is most important.

Eventually, I did find the perfect off-white paint colour (if you must know, it’s Pointing by Farrow and Ball). But I’m pretty sure I should have been sealing the grout in the shower first.

What do you think?

Are needs a good way to prioritize home projects? Do you agree with Maslow’s hierarchy? Let me know in the comments.