Decluttering marie kondo
About the KonMari Method – KonMari
KonMari Method™: Fundamentals of Tidying is a digital tidying course that offers step-by-step visual guide to mastering the KonMari Method.
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The KonMari Method is a simple but effective tidying method, ensuring you will never again relapse to clutter. It uses a unique selection criterion – choosing what sparks joy! You are not choosing what to discard but rather choosing to keep only the items that speak to your heart. Through tidying, you can reset your life and spend the rest of your life surrounded by the people and things that you love the most.
- About the KonMari Method |
- Overview
- Why Tidy?
- Experience the Magic of Tidying
- Books and Resources
Overview
Most tidying methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever.
The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.
People around the world have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking.
“Life truly begins only after you have put your house in order.” – Marie Kondo
Why Tidy?
Tidying is a powerful tool, but it’s not the destination. The true goal of tidying is to clear away clutter so you can live the life you want. When you put your house in order using the KonMari Method™, you have no choice but to listen to your inner voice – because the question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life. When you reassess your belongings and organize your home, you set the stage for a huge transformation. This is the magic of tidying!
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Experience the Magic of Tidying
You can’t tidy if you’ve never learned how. By studying and applying the KonMari Method, you can escape the vicious cycle of clutter. Concentrate your energy on eliminating clutter thoroughly and completely, all in one go, you’ll see instant results that will empower you to keep your space in order ever after.
KonMari Method™: Fundamentals of Tidying
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The 6 Basic Rules of Tidying
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. It’s a chance to reset your entire life – but only if you commit to following its principles.
Setting the intention to seriously tidy up – and resolving to put in the time and effort required – is the first rule of tidying. When you approach your tidying festival with a clear vision and a can-do attitude, you’ll find the energy and motivation you need to tidy all of your belongings in one go.
The effort will be worth it in the end. Not only will you experience the joy of living with objects you love, but you’ll also be on the path to establishing your ideal lifestyle.
Ready to move to the next rule? Proceed to Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle in the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Rule 2: Imagine Your Ideal Lifestyle
Marie’s tidying process is not about decluttering your house or making it look neat on the spur of the moment for visitors. It’s about tidying up in a way that will spark joy in your life and change it forever.
Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it. In other words, describe your ideal lifestyle. If you like drawing, sketch out what it looks like. If you prefer to write, describe it in a notebook. You can also cut out photos from magazines.
When you imagine your ideal lifestyle, you are really clarifying why you want to tidy and envisioning your best life. The tidying process represents a turning point – so seriously consider the ideal lifestyle to which you aspire.
Marie walks us through this process, above.
Ready to move to the next rule? Proceed to Finish Discarding First in the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Rule 3: Finish Discarding First
As you embark on your tidying adventure using the KonMari Method™, remember to focus on what you want to keep. Cherish the items that bring you joy, and let go of the rest with gratitude.
Discarding is not the point of the KonMari Method™, but it is an important part of the process because it provides an opportunity to learn from your past experiences. If you let go of a belonging you never used, it taught that you have no purpose for something like it in your life. Thinking deeply about each item you discard will affect how you live and acquire new things moving forward.
On a practical level, discarding first also allows you to have an accurate grasp of how much actually needs to be stored. Only after you’ve discarded can you turn your full energy and attention to that which brings you joy.
In the example above, Marie lets go of sentimental items – photos – with a proper send off, using salt (a Japanese purification ritual) and expressing gratitude for what they’ve taught her.
Ready to move to the next rule? Proceed to Tidy by Category, Not by Location in the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Rule 4: Tidy by Category, Not by Location
It might seem logical to tackle one shelf, closet or room at a time. But tidying this way will doom you to a life of clutter. In order to tidy up completely – and change your life forever – you must tidy by category, not by location.
People often store the same type of item in more than one place. When you tidy each place separately, you’re repeating the same work in many locations. You can never grasp the overall volume of each type of thing you own – you’re more likely to keep the paperclips in your office if you don’t take into account the stockpile in the attic. The result is that you become locked in a never-ending cycle of tidying.
Tidy by category – clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items) and then sentimental items – and you’re on the path to success.
Ready to move to the next rule? Proceed to Follow the Right Order in the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Rule 5: Follow the Right Order
The order in which you tidy is crucial. Take it from Marie – she landed on this vital step of the KonMari Method™ after conducting hours of tidying lessons with clients. Tidying your belongings in this order – clothes, books, papers, komono and sentimental items – has proven to be the most efficient and effective.
By starting with clothes (relatively easy) and ending with sentimental items (challenging), you hone your decision making skills as you go; by the end, choosing what to keep seems simple. There’s another reason clothes come first: Completing that category provides tangible proof of your efforts. Being greeted by your favorite clothes in a tidied closet each morning is motivation to keep going!
As you move through each category, your energy and enthusiasm increases; you may be physically tired, but getting rid of unnecessary clutter acts as an invigorating pick-me-up. Throughout the process, you gain a deeper understanding of the method – and of yourself.
Ready to move to the next rule? Proceed to Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy in the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Rule 6: Ask Yourself If It Sparks Joy
Only you can know what kind of environment makes you happy – this is the underlying principle of the KonMari Method™. It’s also what sets it apart from other tidying techniques that rely on strict guidelines instead of personal criteria. You’ve probably heard “Discard anything 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.
In the KonMari Method™, your feelings are the standard for decision making – specifically, knowing what sparks joy. To determine this when tidying, the key is to pick up each object one at a time, and ask yourself quietly, “Does this spark joy?” Pay attention to how your body responds. Joy is personal, so everyone will experience it differently; Marie describes it as “…a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising. ”
Through the process of selecting only those things that inspire joy, you can identify precisely what you love – and what you need.
Need a refresher? Review the 6 Rules of Tidying.
Books and Resources
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review of the book "Magical cleaning". Part 1
Today, the oriental theme is popular - in the field of fashion, all kinds of hobbies and spiritual practices ... The rather prosaic theme of cleaning and decluttering has not remained aloof either. Today I want to share with you a review of the bestseller of the Japanese Marie Kondo “Magic Cleaning. The Japanese art of putting things in order at home and in life. The author proposes to clean up according to the algorithm developed by her, called the KonMari cleaning method (the first syllable of the surname + the author's name). nine0005
So what is "konmari cleaning" - decluttering, cleaning or tidying up?
Paradoxically, the book about the KonMari method of cleaning - is not a book about cleaning . She's talking about something else. And this is the first thing that catches your eye literally from the cover - a slight confusion with the words "cleaning" and "tidying up" or even "cluttering up".
Indeed, in a Russian-speaking environment, by cleaning we usually mean dusting, mopping, cleaning plumbing, etc., and not sorting out one's wardrobe, books, or the ability to properly fold things . Namely, the latter will be discussed.
KonMari cleaning method: what did you find useful?
1. Declutter by category, not by location. You decided to properly thin out the amount of things and went to clean up the bedroom, then the bathroom, then the kitchen, then the hallway ... Marie Kondo writes that you won't be able to get cluttered like that at all!
KonMari decluttering means that you need to sort out entire categories: for example, all the clothes at once, despite the fact that some of them are stored in the closet, some in the hallway, some in the bathroom, etc. nine0005
You should bring all the clothes in one room (at the same time, estimate the scale) and disassemble each item for whether it is needed / unnecessary. It's the same with books and stuff.
2. Store things of the same type in one place. Often the same items can be stored on a shelf in the bathroom, in a drawer and in a couple of other places around the house.
KonMari cleaning means choosing one single place in the house for one type of item and not letting these storage places spread throughout the house. nine0005
3. Declutter one category at a time. Moreover, according to the method of cleaning KonMari in decluttering, a strict sequence is necessary - clothes, then books, documents, miscellaneous (Kondo calls this category "komono" - all kinds of differences from pins and buttons to discs, decluttering cosmetics and electrical appliances), at the end - sentimental items and souvenirs.
What I really like is that decluttering sentimental deposits is the last thing to do, it is really a very slow and sometimes sad task. nine0005
4. Understanding that things come into life with different purposes : one to be worn to holes, the other to show that some color does not suit, the third to please yourself at the moment when you received it (for example, postcards). This is one of my most rewarding KonMari cleaning discoveries!
5. Total decluttering according to KonMari will help you better understand yourself - your interests and vocation, because only what you truly love will remain in your house. Because of the "noise" created by unnecessary and unloved things, this can be difficult to understand. nine0005
6. And finally, the main thing in the KonMari cleaning method is not just to put things in order, putting everything in the old places, but first get rid of everything unnecessary, and then come up with a single place to store the remaining necessary .
Read also: How to optimize your wardrobe and organize your closet
Marie Kondo on decluttering: quotes to remember
. ..Things stored out of sight are sleeping things. This makes it much harder to decide whether they make you happy or not. Exposing them to the light of day and, so to speak, reviving, you will find that it's surprisingly easy for you to tell if they touch your heart.
...Each object must play a certain role. Not all clothes come to you to be worn to holes. It's the same with people. Not every person you meet in your life will become your personal friend or lover. Some you won't get along with, some you won't be able to love, but these people teach us precious lessons: thanks to them you understand who you like, who you love, to appreciate those special people in your life even more .
For those who do not like long reading, there is an alternative - to watch the film "Life is the exciting magic of cleaning."
What did you find useful about the KonMari cleaning method, what is your opinion about Magic Cleaning? Have you decluttered KonMari?
P. S. How to declutter and dismantle household rubble? How easy is it to part with unnecessary things? How to restore order, which is preserved, and does not disappear in a day? nine0005
Answers - free guide contains 18 rules for decluttering and order. Get it for free! - VKontakte or to your email.
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The Kon Mari method: magical cleaning of the house and keeping order according to the Japanese system from KonMari, step-by-step instructions for decluttering the apartment according to the method of Maria Kondo
According to the widely known in the world magazine Time, the book, which will be discussed, is a real bestseller, and the author, thanks to her writing, entered the hundred most influential people on the planet. Japanese magical cleaning or the Kon Mari (KonMari) method belongs to the development of Maria Kondo, who, with the help of simple recommendations, managed to completely clear her home of trash, and also change her habits so that unnecessary things would never accumulate on mezzanines and in bedside tables. nine0005
Contents:
- Decluttering the Right Way: Japanese Cleaning
- All in one go
- Categories but not locations
- Choose not what you want to throw away
- Don't involve the household
- The Marie Kondo Method's main goal is to create perfect order in the house
- Stages
- Categories and subcategories
- The correct procedure for decluttering an apartment according to the Marie Kondo (Kon Marie) system
- Selection principle: happy or not
- The first step of the KonMari system: put together everything from one category
- Vertical storage (except dishes) better than
- Use the boxes provided
- Every product has its place
- Storing in the same room is right
- Clothing
- Books
- Papers and documentation
- Miscellaneous
- Commemorative
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Komono
At first glance, it seems that not all the advice of the famous Japanese woman is suitable for implementation. It is worth understanding the basic principles in order to adapt them as much as possible so that they suit any person and help get rid of unnecessary things that have been gathering dust in our houses and apartments for decades. nine0005
Decluttering the Right Way: Japanese Cleaning
According to Maria, this is not at all an everyday mopping or dusting. This is putting things in order, not only living quarters, but also thoughts, relationships with loved ones. In fact, she says that this particular day becomes a holiday of reconciliation with oneself, which happens once in the life of every person.
In the future, you just have to maintain cleanliness, not accumulating excess, but immediately sending it to the scrap. The girl created her system on the basis of the book she read by Nagisa Tatsumi called "The Art of Getting Rid of Unnecessary Things", which helped her to deal with the main postulates of true decluttering. Let's figure out what exactly is meant, and where it is worth starting to act. nine0005
All in one fell swoop
Sociologists consider the twenty-first century to be an era of overconsumption, when people acquire a wide variety of items. Therefore, the idea of throwing away trash is not new, there is even a principle that sounds like this: “I got a new one - I threw out the old one.” However, such recommendations usually either do not work at all, or a person gives up following them after a short time. After all, the search for what can be thrown out without harm can take quite a lot of time, which is always not enough and will require the expenditure of energy and effort, and you want to spend them on more useful things. nine0005
Therefore, it is better to get rid of a pile of excess at a time. No need to take a day off from work, run all day between the apartment and the garbage cans, although this option is not bad at all. It may take a different time for everyone, depending on the initial amount of trash. Someone will cope in one trip, and someone will have to carry heavy bales for a week for several hours after work. The main thing here is not to delay and bring what you started to the end, after which enlightenment and a sense of relief will capture your home and soul. nine0005
Categories but not locations
Starting the process, people often plan it in stages, moving from one room to another. For example, first they declutter the pantry, then move on to the kitchen, bathroom, and so on. After a week of work, it turns out that the efforts were unsuccessful, and the rubbish is simply rearranged from one already cluttered space to another, freer one.
The most striking example is clothes that can hang in the closet in the hallway and in the bedroom, roll on the mezzanine, even in the sofa or in the suitcase under the bed. Therefore, it is first recommended to divide everything into main categories and only after that clean it up: nine0005
- Wearable items.
- Underwear.
- Books.
- Documents.
- Kitchen utensils.
- Household chemicals.
- Cosmetics.
- Technical aids, etc.
We'll have to make sure that the correct cleaning by category does not develop into the usual unfolding in places. Therefore, everything of the same order is taken out of the nooks and crannies together, and only then they begin to put it in place. When people first put such a pile in the middle of a room, they usually experience a slight shock from the amount of good that they own, but do not use in everyday life. nine0005
Choose not what you want to throw away
This is the second principle that you will have to strictly follow in order to learn step by step decluttering an apartment and cleaning a house according to the KonMari method and make them a reality. Indeed, it is usually not difficult to part with junk, really worn out things, broken and lost functionality of household appliances and the like. However, our apartments are rammed to the eyeballs with good, attractive ones, even fully working and new ones, which are not so easy to throw away. nine0005
Therefore, the emphasis should be shifted towards what you really would like to leave. To do this, rake a bunch of one category and just take each individual item in your hands, examine it, feel what emotions it evokes in you. Maria believes that only what really causes positive emotions should be left. When parting with something, it’s easier to “let go”, thanking it for what it brought into your life, even if you didn’t have to use it. For example, you figured out that you definitely won’t need it. nine0005
Do not involve households
This is the third fundamental rule, which must not be violated under any circumstances, otherwise the efforts will go to waste. It is better to do this on your own, tightly closing the doors behind you, dealing only with your personal things, and every member of the family should do this. There are three main aspects that are worth exploring in more detail:
- The overwhelming majority are firmly convinced that rubbish appears thanks to the husband, children, old parents, brother, sister-in-law and other family members, but not by themselves. This is a completely wrong attitude, which is easy to overcome by simply starting to act according to this technique. nine0099
- One should ruthlessly throw away everything, even if it is in excellent condition, without offering it to relatives, relatives or friends. Someone will definitely regret a fully functional mixer with one nozzle or a working chainsaw, but in fact you will simply transfer the rubbish from your own home to your sister, father, friend, mother, and so on.
- Relatives will do their best to prevent your decluttering, offering options to leave the thing. For example: “How can you send a dress purchased for half of your salary to the scrap? So what if you never wore it! Give it to your sister or mother!” Then it will simply move from one room to another, and again it will roll around, taking up precious space. nine0099
Ten Basic Principles
For the above to really work, it is recommended to study ten key points that will help in this.
The main goal of the Marie Kondo method is to restore perfect order in the house
Before doing the big reset by clearing out the trash, we should start with visualization. Everyone should imagine their new, comfortable and convenient home, and life in it. For example, you can find a suitable picture on the Internet or an appropriate magazine, and strive to fit reality to this ideal seen. nine0005
The end of this activity will be the achievement of maximum similarity in no more than six months from the start of the process. You can treat it exclusively as an important celebration, because you are doing this difficult task for the first time, and saving the result is meant forever.
Stages
According to Marie, there are two main phases, the first of which is more important. It's throwing away everything that isn't useful. The second she calls the correct organization of the storage of the necessary, which we will discuss below. nine0005
Categories and subcategories
Dividing into different piles according to common features is half the battle. It is worth saving them in exactly the same order, and not in certain rooms, although often these two concepts coincide. Such an extraordinary approach will help not only to control the accumulation of excess rubbish, but will also allow you to objectively assess the amount of what is available.
The correct procedure for decluttering an apartment according to the Marie Kondo (Kon Marie) system
It is worth breaking down the process in such a way as to perform the cleaning step by step in order, which will help not to get confused and simplify it as much as possible:
- clothes;
- books;
- documents;
- paper;
- miscellaneous;
- sentimental.
Selection principle: happy or not
Marie Kondo believes that the main sign of creating a happy home is to surround yourself with the things that are most loved and dear to your heart. Therefore, each item from the general pile of a certain category must be picked up, wondering whether it pleases or does not cause any sensations. Only this matters, not the novelty, cost or rarity of something. Throwing away, you should thank for the service, even if you have never used it. After all, then his purpose for appearing in your life was precisely that you absolutely do not need it. nine0005
The first step of the KonMari system: put together everything from one category
Just dump, for example, clothes, one heap on the bed, not forgetting a single sock or tie. You will have to collect things throughout the apartment, taking into account shoes, coats and jackets, underwear and other things. Only in this way it will be possible to objectively assess how large their volume is. In addition, the resulting blockage will not allow you to stop somewhere in the middle and will help complete the process.
Vertical storage (except dishes) better
It is more rational to save items by orienting them in space while standing, rather than stacking them in piles. So it will be immediately clear what is in the chest of drawers or drawer, and it will not be difficult to get them without hitting the rest.
Use the boxes provided
It is not necessary to run to the store and purchase new containers; they can be placed in those boxes that are available, for example, left over from shoes. Ms. Kondo considers them to be ideal, everyone can check it for themselves. In addition, they can be signed so as not to get confused and not create a mess while looking for a pencil or socks. nine0005
Every product has its place
This means that everything must have its own place. Taking it, you should return it to the same place, and not throw it anywhere. This is the only way to avoid the effect of the reverse action, when objects are slowly but surely lost in the area, littering the apartment.
Storing in the same room is right
Each member of the family should have his own room where he will save his own. Lay the necessary for common use should be in the same room. For example, skis should be either in the pantry or on the balcony, and not in both places at once. You must be sure that they are right there, next to them are ski poles, and in a box next to them is equipment for their maintenance. nine0005
Tips for specific categories of Japanese cleaning: Marie Kondo's Housekeeping Method
It remains to go through the individual groups a bit.
Clothing
- The wardrobe audit should be carried out in stages: shirts (tops, sweaters, sweaters, etc.), bottoms and tops (trousers, skirts, as well as jackets, blouses), what needs to be hung up, socks, underwear, accessories, special (sportswear, swimwear), shoes. nine0095 Folding is easier from dark, heavy and long to lighter and lighter.
- The bag-in-bag principle works well. It is worth leaving the strap or handles outside so that they are immediately visible.
- Bras with cups are placed one after the other in a separate box.
- Rectangles fold and store everything, including tights or socks.
- Shoes are placed from bottom to top, from heavier (boots, boots) to lighter (sandals, sandals). nine0099
Books
If there are quite a few of them, sort them into categories:
- artistic;
- applied;
- illustrated;
- magazines.
Kondo says that it is better to get rid of unread literature, as it will not be read. However, this is a very controversial statement, everyone should decide on this for themselves.
Papers and documentation
The main rule is to throw away as much as possible, and ideally everything, except for really important documents (passport, birth, marriage, death certificates, wills, shares, etc.). This is put in a separate organizer and carefully saved. The rest can be disassembled into what needs to be decided and what is superfluous, with which it is completely clear what to do.
Miscellaneous
In another way, this subcategory can be called “all sorts of things”: nine0005
- Hygiene.
- Cosmetics.
- Jewelry.
- Electrical appliances and equipment.
- Office.
- Toolkit.
- Medicines.
- Hobby.
- Food stock and more.
Commemorative
This includes what is precious as a memory. For example, it can be sports or other awards, postcards, love correspondence, souvenirs, crafts for children, and so on. It will be difficult with this, because any object will evoke positive emotions and warm memories of the previous stages of life. nine0005
Kitchen
The space around the sink, countertop, and other work surfaces are best kept empty. Even a bottle of degreaser and a sponge is better to hide in a cabinet above or below the sink. It is also not recommended to save an elegant service or towels, napkins for a “suitable” occasion that may not come, and store them in display cases. It is better to use them daily, getting real pleasure from cooking and eating.
Bathroom
Placed around the bathtub or shower stall itself, it should be successfully hidden in cabinets and drawers. Taken must be returned to its place, this greatly simplifies the process. At the same time, this way you can prevent jars or washcloths from becoming unpleasantly slippery, preventing bacteria and mold from breeding on their surface.
Komono
That's what junk is called in Japanese. This includes souvenirs and parts of unidentified electrical appliances (cords, covers), packaging boxes and cosmetic samples, household supplies and gifts from promotions. Marie offers to get rid of them as much as possible. nine0005
What to do with what you decide to remove from your life
For any category, you can come up with many high-quality solutions:
- Donate to charities.
- Good clothes can be donated directly to boarding schools.
- In processing, having received even a certain amount of money (scrap metal, polyethylene, waste paper).
- Sell at a flea market or online.
- Distribute to those who wish by placing an ad in a network or newspaper.