If you’re anything like me, then you forgot to put ‘spring cleaning’ in your calendar this year. Oops. But if you missed the memo in March, not to worry. Autumn is also the perfect time to clear out the linen closet. While the trees are busy shedding their leaves, we can shed all those old sheets and threadbare towels that sit there gathering dust. Love that for us.

For help with my own fall closet clean-up, I’m looking to none other than the queen of clean; Marie Kondo. When Tidying Up with Marie Kondo hit Netflix in 2019, it sent the world into a folding frenzy. Culling became cool. The term ‘tidying expert’ officially entered the lexicon. And before you could say ‘does this spark joy?’ Marie had turned into a global organizational icon.

So, inspired by Marie’s famous KonMari tidying method, here are four simple steps to simplify and beautify your linen closet this fall.

Step 1

Edit, edit, edit...

Contrary to popular belief, the KonMari method isn’t about getting rid of as much as possible. It’s about choosing to hold onto the things that make you genuinely happy. So first things first, it’s time to edit.

Start by emptying out your entire linen closet onto the floor. This will give you a clear (and if you’re me, an overwhelming) overview of everything you own. Then Marie recommends picking up each item and asking yourself, ‘Does this spark joy?’

When it’s bedsheets and bath-towels at stake, ‘joy’ might feel like a strong word. But if you’ve ever slipped between freshly laundered cotton or linen sheets, you’ll know just how much joy high-quality bed-linen can bring. Cheap polyester, unsustainable fabrics, and ancient bath-towels, on the other hand...not so much. That said, you don’t want to be left sleeping on a bare mattress, or drip-drying after every shower – especially heading into winter. So hold onto the things you love and the basics you need. As for the rest, it could be time to say ‘merci, et au revoir’.

**Un petit tip…**

When editing your closet, it helps to sort everything into four piles: Keep, donate, sell, and throw away.
If you can, try to make sure the first three piles are the biggest. Throwing away isn’t great for the planet, so it should be a last resort.

Step 2

Start folding

The KonMari method is famous for its fabulous folding. From t-shirts to towels, Marie has a specific technique for just about everything. The main idea is that things are neatly and consistently folded, and stacked standing up like files – rather than on top of each other. This makes it easier to see everything at once. So you can grab the things you need, without disturbing the rest.

Most linen closet items are basically big rectangles. So even for a fold-phobic like me, finding a way to fold them neatly isn’t too tricky. But for the trickiest of the tricky (I’m looking at you, fitted sheets) this tutorial from Marie herself is a fantastic how-to.

**Un petit tip…**

You can make it easier to find matching sheet sets by folding them up together, and keeping them inside the matching pillowcase.

Step 3

Get grouping

My mother always says ‘a place for everything, and everything in its place’. So this step is right up her alley. A nice and simple grouping system makes it nice and easy to find just what you need, just when you need it.

There are a few ways you can choose to group your items. You could categorize your sheets by room (guest room, master bedroom, kids room), by bed size (king, queen, single), or by type (fitted sheets, top sheets, pillowcases). You could even group by season – lighter spring/summer threads, and warmer fall/winter things. For towels, it’s generally best to organize by size (bath-sheet, hand towels, bathmats, and face cloths).

Marie Kondo recommends using baskets to keep grouped items neatly together. You could invest in prettily color-coordinated containers, or repurpose storage bins you already have around the house. Then you could label each basket – so everyone in your household knows the drill.

**Un petit tip…**

Once autumn and winter are behind us, you could store away your heavy comforters in zippered or vacuum-packed bags. Not only will it keep them fresh, it’ll also help free up valuable closet space during the spring and summer months.

Step 4

Keep up the great work

Once you’ve got a new system in place, it can be oh-so-easy to let it slide. That’s why the final step is quite possibly the most important; commit to keeping it up.

Try to turn folding into a habit. If it’s been a while since you last used an item, freshen it up with a quick wash in between uses. And once fall and winter have passed, take another look at your closet, to check that your things are still season-appropriate (and that they spark joy).

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely sold on the beauty of a well-organized, beautifully scented linen closet. To help keep your linen smelling divine, give it a spritz or two of Poète Clothing Spritz. You can shop our fine French fragrance range here.

And as for me? If you need me this fall, I’ll be busy turning over a new leaf – and giving my linen closet the royal KonMari treatment.

Shop Poète Clothing spritz