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Marie Kondo and Tidying Tips
Who is Marie Kondo?
Marie Kondo has become a worldwide sensation today with her unique tips and formulas that help every corner of your home look clean, neat, and beautiful. To know more about cleaning, tidying up and organising your house, you can read her books that are available in most online stores, sign up on her website konmari.com, read her blog on the website, follow her on various social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, or watch her hit show on Netflix 'Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.'
What Is She Famous For?
Marie Kondo started her organising and tidying business when she was just a university student. She was only 19 years old. Today, she is very famous and a sought-after tidying expert who has been featured on numerous television and radio programs in Japan and other countries. She has also been featured on popular magazines like The London Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Vogue Magazine, etc. She has also appeared for interviews in popular television shows like the Ellen Show for example. She has also been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time’s Magazine.
What is the KonMari Method?
The KonMari Method is basically Marie Kondo’s organising method. In general, we organise or tidy our house by following the room by room or little by little approach. But the KonMari method is different. This method believes in tidying the house by following the category approach. She believes in starting with the clothes and then moving on to books, papers, miscellaneous items, and, last, all the sentimental items. KonMari method believes in keeping back things that 'speak to the heart' and discard all the items that 'do not spark joy.'
What are the Books Written by Marie Kondo?
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising
This book that was released in 2014 was the New York Times bestselling guide to decluttering your home and also the primary inspiration for the popular Netflix show – Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. With this book, Marie Kondo takes tidying the house to an entirely new level and helps you realise that if you simplify and organise your home properly once, you will never have to do it again. This book has a detailed guide that helps you determine the items in your house that 'spark joy' and the ones that do not. And after completing this book, you will know how to declutter your home and make it mess free once and for all. Get The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, by Marie Kondo from Amazon.
The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story
This book is a treat for all Manga and graphic novel lovers. With The Life Changing Manga of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo discusses her tidying methods with the help of a cute little story. This book is about a young woman named Chiaki who lives in Tokyo and struggles with a cluttered apartment and lacks a sense of direction. After a complaint from her attractive next-door neighbor who is not impressed with the sad state of Chiaki’s balcony, she is at wit’s end about what can be done to fix it. She finally gets Marie Kondo to take her on as a client. Marie helps Chiaki get both her home and her life sorted. This book has fantastic entertaining and insightful lessons, which could be a great help to people just starting to understand the KonMari method and also to people who are looking for new ways to spark joys at their homes. Get the book from Amazon for Rs.400 only.
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organising and Tidying Up
This book provides step-by-step folding steps for everything including shirts to socks. The book also includes drawings of perfectly organised closets and drawers. In the book, Marie Kondo also provides answers to frequently asked questions, like whether to keep “necessary” items that may not “spark joy” in your lives. The book also provides guidance on certain categories like cleaning supplies, digital photos, kitchen tools, etc. This is a wonderfully comprehensive guide for everyone who wants to declutter their homes and simplify their lives. Get it from Amazon.
Tidying Up Lessons From Marie Kondo
Stay Committed and Know That There is an End to the Process
All our homes are different. We have our own sets of collections and concerns and hence our tidying methods might not be the same. We need to follow different decluttering methods to tidy and organise our homes and the duration can vary too. For some, the process can be completed within a few days and for the ones with a lot of items, it can even take up to a month. What needs to be constant is the commitment towards getting the work done, because trust us, in the end, it’s all worth the hard work.
Do Not Skip Steps
A piece of important advice by Marie Kondo is not to skip any step while following her KonMari method of decluttering. She advises to first imagine your ideal lifestyle, and then start with the discarding process. Once you are done with discarding, start tidying. Always tidy the things based on category, not by location. Follow a proper order. And lastly, ask yourself if the things spark joy. If something doesn’t spark joy, it’s not worth being at your home.
The Idea of Sparking Joy Makes a Huge Difference
Well, you might have never heard of an item sparking joy' in your life while organising your home. But well, imagine a scenario where you are holding a newborn baby in your arms or a bowl of your favorite ice cream. How happy does that make you? It is the same level of happiness that Marie Kondo talks about while organising. If you hold a piece of dress, home decor item, etc., and it does not give you that same level of joy and delight or it does not serve any purpose anymore, it is not worth any space in your closet, room, or house.
Pay Attention to All Items So That You Know How to Categorise Your Items for Sorting
Kondo advises to start the sorting process with clothes and then eventually moving on to other things like documents and papers, miscellaneous items, and books. The last category to sort out should be sentimental items. The reason behind that is by the time you are ready to handle the sentimental items, you'll be more aware of what truly sparks joy in your heart and whether or not you want to keep it a place in your home. Pay careful attention to each item you sort so that you do not miss anything.
Tips on Decluttering the Kitchen from Marie Kondo
Marie Kondo is not only an expert in decluttering bedrooms, living rooms, and office spaces. She is a master at organising kitchens too. She has successfully combined the industrious ways of the chefs along with her organising skills to come up with some of these great tips that can help you keep your kitchen clean, neat, and tidy.
Keep Your Countertops Empty
Marie Kondo says, “Put nothing on the counters or around the sink and stove top.” She believes that keeping the spaces around the sink, stove, and countertops clean can help to work in the kitchen. She also says that if you design your kitchen storage with the idea of keeping the tops empty in mind, you will be happy to see how clean and neat your kitchen looks and how easy it gets to work in your kitchen.
Check Your Kitchen Appliances and Discard the Ones that You Won't Ever Use Again
We all have kitchen appliances that we bought when they were in vogue but eventually stopped using them because we either got tired of it or they stopped working. For such appliances, Marie Kondo says, “it is time to thank them for the role they have played in your life, and bid them farewell.” For the ones that are seldom used, they should be “stored on a top shelf or at the back of a cupboard” and the ones that are often used should be “stashed in your cupboards so they're out of sight,” says the KonMari guide.
Keep Your Things Categorised in Your Drawers
Our kitchens tend to several small and big things that just take up space. To avoid that, Kondo says that “the best thing I can advise, especially for drawers, is to use them to their maximum potential. Keep things categorised, so they aren't just in a messy pile in a drawer."
Keep in Mind the Ease of Cleaning
Well, none of us like to work in dirty kitchens. So to ensure that we don’t, Kondo advises that we must take care of this aspect while planning kitchen storage. She says, “Keep work surfaces clear and try to store all ingredients and utensils in cupboards or on shelves. Wipe down all surfaces every time you cook to remove traces of oil and water."
Put All Consumables in One Place
Another great way to free up space is to put all consumables like zipper bags, plastic bags, etc. in one container. This is a great way to save space and keep all these things in one place where you can find them.
Things to Buy to Kondo Your Kitchen
If you wish to follow Marie Kondo’s style of organising the kitchen, you might need a few items to help you. Here’s a small list.
Wire Baskets
A wire basket is a great item that can help you store vegetables like onions and potatoes and other loose pantry items. It will ensure that your countertop does not look messy or crowded. This set of three wire baskets come in three different sizes – 12 inches, 10 inches, and 8 inches. They are made with golden metal wire work and have natural wood boards at the bottom. It will be a great addition to your kitchen and will help you keep everything organised. These baskets are available on Amazon for Rs.1,099 only.
Spice Organiser
A spice organiser is a great addition to the kitchen, especially because it helps to keep all your spices and mixes in one place instead of multiple jars or boxes. This wonderful spice organiser not only looks good but is sturdy too. This organiser consists of clear plastic jars with chrome plated tops. The main spice rack is made from thermoplastic and hence is extremely tough and impact resistant. The tops of the spice jars twist easily and have both shaker and pour functions. The spice jars are dishwasher safe and are refillable too. You can buy the set from Amazon at Rs.459.
Magnetic Knife Holder
A magnetic knife holder is a wonderful kitchen accessory that can be a great addition to a kitchen. It can free up space in your kitchen countertop and make it look neat and organised. This magnetic knife holder from Brezzycloud is a wall mount magnetic knife holder where you can keep all your knives in one place. The magnetic holder not only keeps all your knives in one place but also helps to protect the edges of the knives from getting dull. A magnetic knife holder also protects knives from getting rusty and corroded. Get it from Amazon for Rs.395 today!
Where to Learn More About Marie Kondo's Tips and Tricks
Marie Kondo has become a worldwide sensation today with her unique tips and formulas that help every corner of your home look clean, neat, and beautiful. To know more about cleaning, tidying up and organising your house, you can read her books that are available in most online stores, sign up on her website konmari.com, read her blog on the website, follow her on various social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, or watch her hit show on Netflix - 'Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.'
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Tidying Up
The KonMari process is a wonderful process of decluttering your house, or your kitchen for that matter. It is a well thought out, tried out process which has been effective. However, to succeed, you have to follow the process religiously and not skip any step. Eventually, it all boils down to what sparks joy and what doesn't.