Let go! - Tidying up according to Marie Kondo
Anaïs Frisano, 3 March 2022
Spring is just around the corner! Time for new beginnings, to let go and make room for something new. The big clean-out according to Marie Kondo's method.
Soon it will be time for the obligatory spring cleaning. But before you start deep cleaning, you should first clean out your home thoroughly. This creates more space for the important things and makes even small rooms seem much more airy. The best way to do this is to follow the methods of Japanese tidying expert Marie Kondo!
Minimalism as a way of life
Lockdown and the home office have ensured that countless people have spent much more time within their own four walls over the last two years. A lot of stuff piled up. Or we realised again that we don't need a lot of things any more. Minimalism is no longer just an interior trend, but has become a real way of life!
On Instagram or Pinterest, you can find countless pictures of tidy kitchen cupboards or newly sorted boxer shorts. The real breakthrough of this trend came with the Netflix series "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo". The book by the tidying expert from Japan, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up", was published in 2015 and is still on the bestseller lists. She takes tidying up to a spiritual level and in her series helps rather chaotic Americans to get their households and thus also their lives back on track. We could all do with a bit more order and perspective, couldn't we?
Cleaning out your flat is liberating!
According to Marie Kondo, proper tidying can be downright life-changing. There's something to be said for that, because who doesn't know the liberating feeling after getting rid of old clutter. Every favourite piece is in its place and you no longer have to feel guilty because you never wear half the T-shirts in your wardrobe anyway... Here are the most important tips of the so-called KonMari method:
1. Follow the correct order
Marie Kondo emphasises that it's all about the right order. You work according to categories and not according to rooms. Try it out: first come clothes and shoes, then books, papers and documents. Followed by odds and ends and only lastly the more difficult category of mementos. If you have trouble letting go, don't focus on throwing things away, but on keeping pieces that are really close to your heart.
Extra tip: Be careful with paper and documents. Important tax returns and official documents should be kept in a timely and orderly manner! This will save you a lot of stress in the long run.
2. Sort out first, then put away again
The best thing to do first is to clear out all your things, e.g. the clothes category, from your wardrobe and hallway. This gives you an overview of what you actually have.
Then you take each individual piece in your hand and try to feel whether it still triggers emotions. One of Marie Kondo's most important guiding principles: "Ask yourself if it sparks joy! If it doesn't, it goes into the old clothes collection.
Putting things away is also very important for Marie Kondo. You should always be able to see all the clothes you have at a glance. To do this, you sort everything into boxes using the folding and tidying method specially developed by Marie Kondo:
3. The 6-month rule
If you are not sure whether you really still need something, you should consider how often you have used it in the last 6 months. If the answer is "never", then it can go. Be honest with yourself here! You can donate or sell all the things you don't need. This way someone else will enjoy it and you will also be doing something good for the environment.
4. Gratitude
For Marie Kondo, tidying has a spiritual aspect, which admittedly takes some getting used to. You should thank every object you throw away for its service. Will that help? 😉 Try it out!
Shop more consciously for sustainable impact
Don't fall off the wagon! It's easy to be tempted after tidying up. Now there's enough room for new things... and you're already stocking up on more items in the sale that's about to end.
Our tip: Only buy what you really need and what makes you happy! If you are honest with yourself, then you already know in the shop whether the item you are buying is something you will like to wear. Or whether it is simply bought so that something is bought. Listen to your inner voice and only spend your money on good and durable things.
With this in mind: here's to a ballast-free home with room for many new ideas!
