After selling five million copies of her books worldwide, Marie Kondo is now introducing Netflix viewers to her KonMari method in her new series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and viewers have been hooked since it first dropped on the streaming service at the beginning of the year.
Marie's premise is to help people organise and declutter their homes by keeping only the items that "spark joy", and she's inspiring people around the globe to have a New Year clear out. Here are just five of the genius tips Marie has shared… you can thank us later!
1) The only way to get started is to make a mess
Marie's first basic rule is to commit yourself to tidying, and she's right – once you get started, there's no going back. You'll have to begin by taking all of your clothes out of your wardrobe and drawers and putting them into one big pile, so you definitely have to make things even messier before they can get better!
© Photo: InstagramPhoto: Instagram @2haveand2fold
2) Look for items that "spark joy"
If you're a classic hoarder and struggle to throw things away, this may help you. Marie tells her clients to pick up each item individually and see how it makes you feel. If it's an item you love, have fond memories of or it "sparks joy" you can keep it. If not, say thank you to that item and get rid of it.
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3) Tidy in order
Instead of tackling areas in an ad hoc fashion, follow Marie's set order to make the decluttering process more effective and efficient. The KonMari methods recommend people follow this order when tidying up.
- Clothes
- Books
- Documents
- Miscellaneous Items
- Mementos
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4) The way you fold your clothes can be a game-changer
If your draws are filled with T-shirts, socks and jeans stacked on top of each other, you're going to want to try Marie's genius way of folding your clothes. Rather than organising clothing into piles, Marie has a special method of folding that allows you to store items side by side, better utilising the space and meaning you don't forget about that once-loved T-shirt that has been left at the bottom of your drawer.
5) Be grateful for what you have
It's all too easy to focus on what we don't have rather than all that we do, but Marie encourages viewers to be grateful for their possessions – even the ones they no longer want or need. Before discarding anything Marie says thank you to it, which may make you feel silly but is a sweet way to make tidying up a more positive experience.
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