If cleaning doesn’t spark joy for you, perhaps Marie Kondo method will transform the process into something enjoyable and help you get rid of clutter.
Table of Contents
Who is Marie Kondo?
Marie Kondo is a cleaning expert, bestselling author, star of the hit Netflix show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” and founder of KonMari Media Inc.
Enchanted by the organization since childhood, Marie started her journey as a cleaning business consultant at 19 while studying at a university in Tokyo.
Today, Marie is a renowned cleaning specialist. She helps people around the world turn their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration.
In her New York Times #1 bestseller “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Marie has taken tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly declutter your home once, you won’t have to do it again.
More precisely, it’s not just cleaning, it’s a whole philosophy that teaches the right attitude towards the things in your home: clothes, furniture, dishes – all the things you allow to “reside” in your space. And this pertains not just to your house or apartment, but to life itself.
Marie Kondo’s Method
The KonMari method encourages tidying by category, not by location. You start with clothes, then move on to books, papers, miscellaneous items, and finally, sentimental items.
As a result, you keep only what speaks to your heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy, even if they are new, expensive, or beautiful.
Thank them for their service – then let them go.
The method consists of six rules, which promise you a clean and bright home filled with positive energy.
These rules are universal, and even cleaning experts like WellClean recommend adhering to them and implementing them into your cleaning and space organization routine.
Rule 1: Commit yourself to tidying up and take responsibility for the process
This method is not a way to quickly tidy up a dirty room or an approach to cleaning that can be used over and over again.
Its goal is to reboot your entire life, but only if you commit to following its principles.
Setting a serious intention to tidy up and deciding to put in the effort and time is the first rule of tidying. When you approach this process with a clear vision and attitude towards the matter, you will find the energy and motivation necessary to tidy up all your things in one fell swoop.
Ultimately, the effort is worth it. You will not only feel the joy of living with your favorite items, but you may also find the path to your ideal lifestyle.
Rule 2: Visualize Your Ideal Life
Marie Kondo’s cleaning process isn’t about sorting through the junk in your home or making it look appealing to visitors. It’s about creating an order that will ignite joy in your life and change it forever.
Think about the kind of home you want to live in and how exactly. In other words, describe your ideal lifestyle. If you like to draw, sketch out what it looks like. If you prefer writing, describe it in a notebook. You can even make a collage – any method will do.
The cleaning process becomes more than just getting rid of dirt. In this way, you remove the unnecessary from your home and your life.
Rule 3: Discard Unnecessary Items First
When starting to tidy up using the KonMari method, remember to focus on what you want to keep. Preserve the things that bring you joy, and let go of the rest with gratitude.
Discarding is not the essence of the method, but it is an important part of the process, as it allows you to learn from your past experiences. If you let go of an item you never used, it means you have no intention of doing something similar in your life.
If you deeply reflect on each discarded item, it will affect your life and future purchases.
On a practical level, discarding items at the beginning of the cleaning process also allows you to understand exactly how much you need. Only after you have let go can you direct all your energy and attention to what brings you joy.
To make room for something new in your life, you need to make space for it.
Rule 4: Tidy by Category, Not by Location
We’re accustomed to cleaning room by room, but Marie is convinced that such a system will doom you to disorder. To fully tidy up and change your life forever, you need to tidy by category, not by location.
People often store the same item in several places. When you tidy each place separately, you repeat the same work multiple times.
It’s difficult to understand the total volume of each category of items (clothes, kitchen utensils, stationery, etc.). For example, you’re likely to keep paper clips in your office if you don’t account for the supply in the attic. As a result, you fall into an endless cycle of tidying.
Rule 5: Follow the Right Order
The order in which you tidy is crucial. Tidying items in this order – clothes, books, papers, kimono (miscellaneous items), and then sentimental items – has proven to be the most effective and successful.
Starting with clothes (relatively easy) and ending with sentimental items (a challenging task), you refine your decision-making skills.
There’s another reason why clothes come first: completing this category is a significant affirmation of your efforts. Sometimes the hardest thing is to throw away favorite items, and once you manage that task, dealing with stationery or dishes becomes much easier.
Rule 6: Ask Yourself if the Item Sparks Joy
Only you can know what environment makes you happy – this is the core principle of the KonMari Method. It also distinguishes it from other cleaning techniques that rely on strict instructions rather than personal criteria.
You’ve probably heard advice like “Throw away everything you haven’t used in two years,” or “Every time you buy something new, get rid of something old.” But Marie’s method is different.
Your feelings are the basis for decision-making. If an item sparks joy, it stays. To determine this during tidying, you need to pick up each item in turn and quietly ask yourself: “Does this spark joy in me?”
In the process of choosing only those items that spark joy, you can precisely determine what you like and what you need.
Other Tips from Marie Kondo
In her new book “Spark Joy” Kondo acknowledges the importance of creating your own Zen space – whether it’s your bedroom, kitchen, or a corner of a room. It should bring you joy and fill you with energy. Tidying is the appropriate time when you can choose your place of power.
When tidying your closet, be attentive and sometimes resolute. If you’re not going to wear a T-shirt, don’t keep it. Don’t leave it for later just in case of “what if?!” Kondo says that everyday clothing is a crutch that allows us to keep clothes that should have been discarded long ago.
We also have a habit of keeping things that we think might still come in handy. “Believe me, this will never happen,” writes Kondo in her latest book. “You’ll be better off without it.” And if you do need it after all, you can always buy a new version that will bring you joy.
Arrange items in your closet in this order – from dark and warm to bright and light. In this way, according to Marie, clothes will be stored in the company of “family items” and will “rest” better.
Once you learn to choose your items correctly, you will be left with only the amount that perfectly fits into the space you have!
Read Next: 5 Budget-Friendly Home Remodeling Ideas Enhance Home Value