6 Tips For Tidying Your Home, Marie Kondo Style

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Marie Kondo’s popular Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Kondo is a Japanese organization specialist who has authored several bestselling books, including The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy. Her Netflix show was released in January, and follows her adventures helping various California homeowners clean up their homes and, by extension, their lives.

The method behind Kondo’s madness is the idea that tidying up should be tackled by category, not room. It’s called the KonMari method and there are five categories taken on in a specific order: Clothing, Books, Papers, Komono (a special name for miscellaneous items) and Sentimental Items. The first order of business is to gather all the items in each category into a giant pile, i.e. put all your clothes on the bed. Then go through the items, one by one, to decide if they “spark joy” and determine whether they stay or go.

The goal is to organize your home in a way that can be kept up with consistently so you can stay on top of that to-do list.

Organize Vertically

One of the key teachings of Marie Kondo’s books and television show is this to make sure when you open something up, you can see everything that’s inside in one glance. Regardless of whether that storage item is a drawer, shelf or plastic storage container, you should be able to take a visual inventory of everything stored there in a few seconds. This will help you stay organized and save time when you’re searching for lost items.

This is best demonstrated in the Kon-Mari method of folding and storing articles of clothing in drawers, displayed in the photo above. Fold t-shirts and socks and store them in such a way so that when you open the drawer you can recognize each item in a quick glance.

Thank Your Items

Letting go of items can be hard, especially if they’re sentimental. Some people find the process of letting go to be easier if they thank them for being in your life. That’s right. Hold your item close, thank it, and then discard or donate it.

This tactic proves to be pretty effective. When you admit that your items are taking up space in your life and decide to part ways, you can have a moment of gratitude and avoid the guilt that comes with moving on.

Have a Place for Everything

From the smallest bathroom items to kitchen knick-knacks, having a place for everything can ensure that things in your home stay organized in the long run. For example, in your closet, it’s helpful to organize items that you wear more frequently in easy-to-reach places. If you have an area of your closet that’s harder to access, that’s better for formal clothing that’s not worn as often. In the kitchen, having designated drawers for cooking utensils, small electronics, and hand towels can help keep everything in its place and speed up the process of putting items away after their use.

Invest in Tiny Boxes

Now that you have a place to store everything, break it up into smaller categories. You can use shoe boxes and other shallow storage containers to further organize items inside of drawers. Use shallow dishes to store rings and other small jewelry. Pro-tip: you can keep the containers in the drawer organized by securing them to the inside of the drawer with Velcro.

Don’t Go Overboard

The point of gathering up all your items in each category is not about how much you discard, but rather deciding what really makes sense to keep. The goal is to see how much you actually have and then determine what you need, item by item. Some people might think this means they have to go through a lot of stuff and part with it, which can be hard.

But don’t let nostalgia cloud your judgment either! The process isn’t supposed to make you feel bad. If you really want it, if it still sparks joy, you should probably keep it.

Our Tip: Tidy for 15 Mins Each Night

Rather than waiting until the weekend or a free afternoon when everything has had time to pile up throughout the week, tackle tidying in small doses each day. Set an alarm or reminder on your phone for a time when you’re normally home each evening and spend 15 mins tidying in one area. This could be sorting and hanging a pile of laundry or rinsing the dishes and wiping down the counter. This tip promises to make your life easier by tackling the clutter in small doses, which makes it less overwhelming. Plus, it frees up your weekend to allow you to spend more time on your hobbies and favorite activities.

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