With spring cleaning season on the horizon, we found this to be the perfect time to watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. But first, you might be wondering, who is Marie Kondo? She’s an organizing consultant and bestselling author, but more importantly, the founder of the Kon Mari Method. She has a friendly approach to organizing; she doesn’t make you feel bad about your messes as tidying up shouldn’t be something you dread. Kondo at one point even says “I’m excited because I love mess.” Each episode is about everyday people so it’s totally relatable. After watching her show, we want to share with you our 7 Biggest Takeaways.
1. KonMari Method: Organize by category rather than location.
The five categories should be done in this specific order.
- Clothing
- Books
- Paper
- Komono-kitchen, bathroom, garage. Everything miscellaneous. In Japanese, this refers to small articles/accessories.
- Sentimental items
2. Create a Pile.
When tidying your clothes, create one big pile. This step cannot be skipped as you can see how much clothing you really have. You’ll be shocked and will have to decide what’s necessary to keep.
Only keep something if it sparks joy. When you’re going through your belongings, ask yourself this question, does it spark joy? Let’s say you have been holding on to a shirt just because it was a gift and you feel bad giving it away. Don’t let the guilt eat away at you. If this shirt doesn’t spark joy, move on. The same can be said for photos. If it doesn’t spark joy, then it should not be included in your album or box.
4. Fold Vertically.
Fold your clothes vertically instead of horizontally. This allows you to store more articles of clothing in each drawer than you might have realized. This can be especially true for a small chest of drawers like the Ally Chest, with just three drawers that will be better utilized with clothing that is folded vertically. Or maybe you’re using the Whiteaker Queen Storage Bed to store some of your clothes so this folding option is better for you as well.
Whiteaker 4-Piece Queen Bedroom Set
5. Keep close what you use the most.
Store items based on frequency. For example, with china that you only use during the holiday season, it should be stored up higher than everyday plates.
6. Say Thank You.
When you let go of a sentimental item, thank it for the role it has played in your life.
7. Use clear boxes.
This way you can see everything inside to access the items easily.
After sharing the 7 Biggest Takeaways, it might be a great idea to use Marie Kondo’s method of tidying to help you organize your home this spring season!