Use the KonMari Method once and then Never Clean Again!
“The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo
Spring cleaning is an annual tradition for most of us. With the warmer weather, the longer days, and our winter coats stored out of sight, we begin to feel more energetic and lively. This makes for the perfect time to thoroughly clean our homes. For many of us we have our traditional methods of cleaning that have been passed on to us from family or we’ve learned new tips from popular home magazines. However, one thing you can be sure of is that you have never experienced cleaning and organizing the way Marie Kondo, writer of, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” teaches. Marie Kondo swears that by following her tidying up advice, your life will be changed for the better and you will never have clutter in your home again. After reading her book cover to cover, I was immediately inspired to use her methods to change the way I think about getting my home organized. I was skeptical about it being life-changing, but I couldn’t wait to tackle some of the more cluttered rooms of my home. After working my way through the “KonMari” (a play on her name) method of tidying up, I really am thrilled with the results. While you will need to read her book to truly get the essence of how tidying up your home can change your life, here are some of her strategies to get you started!
Make it a special event
Spring cleaning should not be something that you dread doing. It should be looked at as a time of celebration and it should be done as one event. Marie Kondo is adamant about tidying up the entire living space as one event, not spacing it out room by room over a period of time.
Discard
Next is to discard. It is extremely important to follow her order of the tidying up process. Her strategy for choosing which of your things to keep is somewhat unconventional. She believes you should treat your possessions like living things. You must hold each item in your hand and ask, “Does this spark joy?” You must touch each item and keep only the things that make you feel happy. Throw out everything else.
Organize
After the discarding step is complete you can finally begin to organize. She insists that you must organize by category not place. For example, take all of your clothing out, pile them onto the floor and spread them out around you. Her organization strategies discuss everything from how to fold your clothes so they are “happy” to the correct order to hang them up in your closet.
The Art of Folding
Marie Kondo takes folding clothes very seriously. Her method involves folding each piece of clothing into a rectangle. Then, you are to stack your clothes side by side so when you open your drawer you can see everything. And lastly, choose which clothes to hang up by thinking which ones would be happiest on hangers. The KonMari method conveys that the best order is by category from left to right: coats, dresses, jackets, pants, skirts, and blouses. Kondo suggests that by following this order you will feel lighter.
The book continues to tackle each area of your home and how to solve the clutter and lack of organization. According to Marie Kondo, if you use her method correctly you will declutter your home, your mind and your life.
