how do i get on tidying up with marie kondo

by Desiree Pfannerstill Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Marie Kondo tidying up: 11 house tidying tips

1. Commit yourself to tidying up What to do ...
2. Get everything out and put it in a pile ...
3. Recognise that it'll get worse before it gets better ...
4. Only keep items that 'spark joy' ...
5. Organise categories by size ...
6. Store items depending on frequency of use ...
7. Give everything a home ...
8. Use clear boxes to store your stuff ...

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How much does a KonMari consultant cost?

Speaking fees range from the hundreds for small groups to thousands for large groups or Cooperations. Coaching fees are in the range of $100+/per hour depending on training and experience.

Can Marie Kondo come to my house?

Yes, the waitlist is now gone and you can't hire Marie Kondo personally. She's too busy building her empire of joyful Hikidashi boxes. But you can hire a one of her KonMari consultants. They are trained at her conferences worldwide and are ranked based on how many homes they have successfully sparked joy in.

What are the six rules of KonMari method?

Rule 1: Commit Yourself to Tidying Up. The KonMari Method™ is not a quick fix for a messy room or a once-in-a-while approach to tidying. ... Rule 2: Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle. ... Rule 3: Finish Discarding First. ... Rule 4: Tidy by Category, Not by Location. ... Rule 5: Follow the Right Order. ... Rule 6: Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy.

What are the 5 steps of the KonMari method?

The KonMari Method in 5 Steps Discarding by category comes first. ... Break a category into subcategories as necessary. ... Keep only those things that spark joy. ... After you've finished discarding, organize your space thoroughly and completely. ... Do it all in one go.

What is the 20/20 rule for decluttering?

And during our last book tour, we made sure we didn't pack anything just in case. Then we tested our hypothesis: the 20/20 Rule. Anything we get rid of that we truly need, we can replace for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes from our current location.

What should you not declutter your house with?

Decluttering Mistakes: What Not to Do When DeclutteringStarting a Major Decluttering Project Without a Plan. ... Not Using a Sorting System While Decluttering. ... Hanging On to Donate/Sell Items Too Long. ... Trying to Organize Before Decluttering. ... Trying to Declutter Everything All At Once. ... Getting Wrapped Up In the Sentimental Items.More items...

What is the 80/20 rule in decluttering?

Research shows that people use 20% of what they own 80% of the time. The rest takes up space, mostly untouched. Consider the things in your home, the clothes on your body, and even what you take in your luggage on vacation.

What order should I declutter my house?

10 Creative Decluttering TipsStart with 5 minutes at a time. ... Give one item away each day. ... Fill an entire trash bag. ... Donate clothes you never wear. ... Create a decluttering checklist. ... Take the 12-12-12 challenge. ... View your home as a first-time visitor. ... Take before and after photos of a small area.More items...•

How long does it take to KonMari your house?

The KonMari Method does not require you to follow a strict timeline, but she does expect you to be swift. The entire process should take no longer than six months, and you should make each decluttering day into a special occasion.

What is the fastest way to organize and declutter?

How to Declutter Fast – Quick and Easy StepsToss the Trash. In every area you organize, start by tossing the obvious trash. ... Move Non-Kitchen Items Out of the Kitchen. ... Tidy Reading Material in the Living Room. ... Organize the Bathroom One Drawer at a Time. ... Let Go of Unused Items in Your Home Office.

When decluttering where do you start first?

By Leo BabautaDesignate a spot for incoming papers. Papers often account for a lot of our clutter. ... Start clearing a starting zone. ... Clear off a counter. ... Pick a shelf. ... Schedule a decluttering weekend. ... Pick up 5 things, and find places for them. ... Spend a few minutes visualizing the room. ... Create a “maybe” box.More items...

What is the fastest way to organize a cluttered house?

How to Organize a Cluttered RoomStep 1: Set a Goal for the Room. ... Step 2: Knock Out Some Logistics. ... Step 3: Pick a Strategic Starting Point. ... Step 4: Take Everything Out. ... Step 5: Sort and Declutter. ... Step 6: Clean Anything That's Dirty. ... Step 7: Find a Home for Every Item. ... Step 8: Snag Any Storage Items You Need.More items...•

How does Marie Kondo greet a house?

The first thing I do when I visit a client is to greet their home. I kneel formally on the floor in the center of the house – or where its vortex is – and address the home in my mind.

How do I get rid of all the stuff in my house?

Start by printing or writing "Toss," "Give" and "Do" on separate pieces of paper. ... Toss.Toss items that are broken, stained, ripped, outdated or have missing parts. ... Expired food. ... Give or Donate.Give or donate any items that you no longer need but that are still in good condition. ... Take Control of Paper Clutter.More items...

How do I declutter my home if I don't know where to start?

How do you get rid of too much stuff in your house?

How to Get Rid of Things: Tips to Start DeclutteringStart with Your Mindset. ... Think About Your End Goal. ... The 80/20 Rule. ... Choose a Place to Begin. ... Just 10 Things. ... Try a “Power Purge” ... Use a Decluttering “Snowball” Method. ... Declutter Every Single Day.More items...•

How to tidy up a house?

Commit to tidying up (in other words, set aside some time to do that and nothing else). 2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle – or, picture your home not as it is in the 'before' but as an 'after'. 3. Don't start tidying before you've finished discarding. 4. Tidy by category not location – more on this later. 5.

How did Marie Kondo start her career?

Aged five, she started reading all her mum's home and lifestyle magazines (we love her already). At 15, she really got into tidying, reading every book she could find on the subject. She then began tidying every room in her home (read that and weep, parents of teenagers), then started tidying her friends' homes, then her classroom. At 19, she because a professional organising consultant, giving lessons in clients' homes, but soon had a six month waiting list, at which point she decided to start writing, which lead to YouTube tutorials and, of course, her Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. Now, she's being featured on Realhomes.com. Things surely can't get any better.

Why does Marie Kondo open the windows?

Marie Kondo says that every morning she likes to open the windows to let the old air out and new, fresher air in. It gives her home what she calls a 'purified environment' and is all about improving our overall well-being. Opening windows to declutter it of old air: how hard can that be?

What does Marie Kondo say about things?

Marie Kondo says that items with similar uses and of similar sizes should go together and that by doing so nothing, even the tiniest of your possessions, ever gets lost and always has a place. Ideally, she says to keep the smallest of items in drawers. Failing that, in sub-divided boxes, like those shown below.

Where do all the batteries go in the KonMari method?

The KonMari method advocates finding a designated space for everything in its category. So, all the live batteries would be kept in a home office drawer , for example, all the dead batteries would go in a pot with a lid on in the same drawer, ready to be disposed of correctly. All the winter gloves would go in their own box in your hall cupboard; all the sun hats in another...

How to stop feeling panicky about clutter?

Take a deep breath. It'll stop you feeling somewhat panicky about the piles of clutter? Just stick to working by category.

What does Marie mean by "storing everything by category"?

Marie says that storing everything by category will mean that: nothing gets left out, making the house untidy; and you know where to find everything because it's got its own designated space.

How do harried couples find peace?

A harried couple with two young children find peace as they learn how to pare down playroom clutter, keep the kitchen organized and sort clothes.

Why does Rafa burn rubber?

Rafa's hooked on the pure, fiery feelings he gets from speed racing, but when his kid's mom gets mixed up with drug dealers , he burns rubber to save her.

How many patients does a young man meet in a psychiatric ward?

A young man spends a week in a psychiatric ward, where he meets five other patients and must contend with research-happy doctors and cynical nurses.

How does a grieving widow get a fresh start?

A grieving widow gets a fresh start as she learns how to properly store her purses, make a memory box and say goodbye to the things she no longer needs.

What is the book "When an afternoon outing explodes into violence" about?

When an afternoon outing explodes into violence, a young woman's view of her mother is forever changed. Based on Karin Slaughter's best-selling novel.

What do newlyweds do with two dogs?

A pair of newlyweds with two dogs corral all their pet items, then learn the magic of using boxes to keep drawers and cabinets tidy.

1.Commit to Tidying Up

The first step, and one of the most important basics in Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up Method is to commit yourself to the task. You need to understand that cleaning up won’t be easy, and you would need to dedicate yourself to whatever lies ahead in your journey of applying all the methods or approaches to de-cluttering your home.

3.Finish Discarding

What Marie Kondo means by finishing discarding is to not attempt to store everything you clean up. When cleaning up, you should be able to get rid of a lot of things. While putting away items into storage units will make your home look organized, you are only filling them up with unnecessary things that you won’t be able to organize.

4.Tidy Up By Categories

Usually, people will tend to tidy up their home according to rooms. This approach isn’t recommended because you will just end up scattering the items in various locations inside your home. What you can do it to clean up by category. For example, pile up all your shoes into one location so that you will have an idea about how many you own.

5.Tidy Up By Following The Order Of Categories

It is also important to tidy up according to the correct order of categories, which is:

6.Does Is Spark Joy?

When tidying up, this is the most crucial question to ask yourself in determining whether you want to keep or discard an item. Ask yourself: Does this spark joy? Keep only the items that bring you joy.

How Does the KonMari Method Work for Food?

I took everything out of my small pantry and kitchen cabinets and laid out the contents on my kitchen table and counters. It may seem like an unnecessary step, but seeing everything out can be sobering. Do I really use all this? Do I really need all this?

How to tidy up Marie Kondo?

The basic principles of the Marie Kondo tidying method (most relevant to the pantry) are: 1 You organize by category, rather than location. That means instead of going cupboard by cupboard, you pull all your pots and pans out at once to inspect. 2 Take everything out. Nothing should be left on the shelf. 3 Put back only the things that spark joy.

How to organize a kitchen?

You organize by category, rather than location. That means instead of going cupboard by cupboard, you pull all your pots and pans out at once to inspect.

Is Kondo folding clothes vertically?

Kondo is an avid proponent of vertical folding (as opposed to stacking) clothes in drawers. It’s sort of like filing your clothes. I was skeptical, but it really works! Anyway, while I don’t have any foldable food, having everything easily and neatly accessible is important in the pantry, too.

Who is Marie Kondo?

For those who are still unaware of the “KonMari” phenomenon, its creator, Marie Kondo, is an organizing expert who wrote The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The success of the book has led to more books and a series on Netflix called “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.”.

Can you buy Marie Kondo's food storage container?

FYI: You can buy Marie Kondo’s go-to food storage container. Kondo does not address food specifically in her book. But her ideas are fairly adaptable. For food, I translated “spark joy” to anything that wasn’t expired or stale or that I believed I would ever use again.

Who is Cathy Jakicic?

Cathy Jakicic has written about everything from business and bacteria to beads and baking in her career —but she greatly prefers the last two. She is a baker and a crafter and loves to try new recipes for both.

How to get on board with decluttering?

To get on board with decluttering your closet, all you really need to do is take everything out and make a pile. This makes a huge mess, but it is a must. Trust me.

How to store items upright in Kondo?

If you can't figure out Kondo's special folding technique, you can still store items upright. Just place a cardboard box -- like a shoe box -- into drawers to prevent your folded items from falling over.

How to make a permanent home in the kitchen?

Make a piles in your kitchen, too. Clean out each drawer and cupboard and pile everything up on your counters. Sort through the mess and only keep appliances, utensils, dishes, pots and pans that you use and love. Then, find them a permanent home in your kitchen.

How did Bonnie Burton color code her shelves?

She color coded her shelves by placing books that are the same color together.

What is the premise of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo?

The basic premise of Marie Kondo's Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, is to test all your stuff. If, while holding the item, it doesn't spark joy, thank it for its service and get rid of it.

Why do clothes stand up in Kondo?

Folding clothing, towels and other cloth items so they stand up by themselves is a big part of Kondo's tidying process. This allows your to store things vertically so they are easier to see in drawers.

Make the Most of Your Drawers

By knowing how to fold your clothes correctly, you’ll be able to see what you own at a glance, without needing a massive walk-in closet.

Discover What You Actually Own

One of the cornerstone pieces of advice from Morie Kondo is to organize and tidy your stuff in categories. Not by areas in your home like we would do in the traditional way.

A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place

By designating a spot for everything you own, you know just where to put it when you tidy up. We hear this a lot from decluttering experts. It is however a difficult thing to achieve.

My Own Decluttering Experience

I first came across Marie Kondo’s book in 2015. I read this and couldn’t wait to implement the steps in her system.

Socks and Underwear Drawers to Be Proud Of!

I started simply with underwear and socks. What a revelation. I found I had socks and bras that I just hated, why where they in my cupboards?

A Closet to Be Proud of

So after underwear, I tackled all my clothes. This is an area where it is easy to just keep those items that spark joy. Out went old shabby items, clothes that didn’t fit, and clothing that I just hated.

Book Declutter

After clothes I moved onto books, I had 100’s. At one time I was interested in cooking and I had loads of cookery books. I found sorting out my book collection was hard but I’m now pleased with the few cookery books I now keep.

How to fold clothes Kondo?

To fold shirts, follow these steps in order to follow the Tidying Up method as Kondo teaches it: Fold the sleeves in. Next, fold in half the long way.

Why is "tidying up" the largest category?

According to Kondo, this will be your largest category simply because it is where everything goes that doesn’t belong in one of the already mentioned categories. I will warn you that if you really want to tidy up the clutter in your home, be ready to be bold on this step.

What to focus on when wearing clothing?

The primary thing to focus on is to ask yourself with every piece of clothing, weather it brings you joy or not. As I’m sure you can imagine, something that you wear all the time and really love will most likely be something that you would determine does, in fact, bring you joy. And I’m guessing, this would be something you would decide to keep.

How many categories does Kondo divide?

Kondo divides everything you own into five main categories or groups. While these can be taken on in any order, there is one exception. Your sentimental things must be dealt with last. This piece is essential in making sure you do this right.

How to fold pants in the same way?

Fold in half the other way. Then, fold in thirds the same way. Finally, stand up in your drawers, edges down, so you can easily see everything. To fold pants, follow these steps according to the Tidying Up method: Fold in half the long way. Next, fold in half the other way. Fold in thirds the same way.

How to get rid of clothes?

Start by putting your clothes in one big pile. That way, you can see everything that you have. Once you have all of your clothes in a pile you’re going to start determining what to keep and what to get rid of.

How to handle miscellaneous category?

Here’s how you handle the miscellaneous category: Start with one room at a time. Follow these steps to completion in that room before moving onto the next room.

What does it mean to spark joy?

Sparking joy means creating room for the present and future and leaving the past behind. It means not being attached to outcome of every situation. It means being open to receiving what is good for you and inspiring others to do the same. Joy can be found anywhere—in the ordinary and the extraordinary. It all comes down to getting go of what does not serve you and opening up to the rest.

What is the one thing that will stay the same?

If there is one thing that will stay the same, it’s that there will always be change. It is something that we have to get used to every day of our lives. In Tidying Up, there were people that wanted to stick to what was nostalgic and keep some of those items that no longer served them. I learned that whether it’s nostalgia or pure stubbornness, people can adapt and change in order to help themselves if they really try.

When it gets too hard to make a huge decision, make a small one instead?

Building up to big decisions creates lets distance and also helps with the frustration or overwhelm. This applies to tidying up as well as life. Can’t figure out what type of car to buy? Focus on what brands you like or the colors you have in mind. Either way, getting something out of the way will increase that happiness and make the decision ultimately easier.