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Housekeeping

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Become a Konvert in 2015 - Kondo thread 5. All welcome!

999 replies

PeoniesforMissAnnersley · 09/01/2015 12:51

Thought I better set this up when I realised I had inadvertently posted the 999th post on thread 4! Shock

Join us in purging our lives of things which do not bring joy and discover the wonder and magic of folding your knickers! Grin

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educatingarti · 14/01/2015 16:44

BrandNew check the size of your cupboards before buying the Aldi containers as the only review on the website complained that they didn't fit in her kitchen wall cupboards with the handles facing outwards!

sadstorage/kondo daydreamer/wannabe

Kelly1814 · 14/01/2015 17:30

Ooooooh does anyone else find their inner kondo antenna itching even when they're not in their own homes?!

I've had a right good go at the office in the last few days and it feels great.

I was sat in DH's office earlier fantasising about sorting his cupboards and shelves. Love it.

HermioneGrangerHair · 14/01/2015 18:07

Oooh, those aldi containers on the last page could actually be used to stand carrots in the fridge. Must resist buying storage. I'm nowhere near sorting kitchen stuff yet!

Making the most of bin day tomorrow, I just sorted cleaning supplies. Bathroom down to one spray cleaner, a bottle of bleach, and the flushable brush heads, and I've binned another layer of the horrible stacking storage. Kept more stuff in the kitchen than I really wanted to, but my husband would have freaked if I'd got rid of his horrible antibac spray. Have to go gently in order to keep his goodwill. I did clear at least half the cupboard, including SEVEN packets of washing machine cleaner Blush Oh, and Ive put the washine machine on to clean Grin

Kelly, my desk in work is neater than I've ever seen it!

pinkhollie · 14/01/2015 18:33

The toddler is poorly and having a sofa and tv day and the baby was asleep so I managed to kondo a whole box of komono from the expedit unit in the dining bit of the kitchen.
That area is a real komono magnet we have 2 ikea expedit units as a sideboard in there so 10 cubes/boxes of storage only 6 of which have a designated purpose the others fall foul of my husbands idea of tidying which is if you can't see it is tidy so we have random objects all shoved together. This drives me mad I on the other hand pre-kondo would leave it out on the side until I found a time to put it in it's designated home. I think if we can work together to find designated homes for everything left post-kondoing we could keep the house tidy all the time.

Starface · 14/01/2015 19:02

Twinkle. That is pinterest worthy.

Lockie, finished... One can only dream.

BrandNewIggi · 14/01/2015 19:08

My pants won't stand up Sad

HermioneGrangerHair · 14/01/2015 19:29

Oh Iggi, that must be one of the weirdest problems anyone ever had Grin

How are you folding or rolling them? I fold mine crotch-to-waist, then again, fold-to-waist, then roll tightly and wedge into the shoebox with their friends.

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 14/01/2015 19:37

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BrandNewIggi · 14/01/2015 19:46

Hermione, thanks - definitely what they they call a first world problem! I was trying to do it straight into the drawer, that was the problem I think. Have found a box now.

standingonlego · 14/01/2015 19:55

DH away and the ironing is calling....but what I really want to do is kondo the cooking cupboard Blush...maybe i will save it as a reward for after BlushBlush

lockie1983 · 14/01/2015 20:02

Hermione and star Grin having a little rest tonight (and catching up on the thread)

Also did half of the evil cupboard of hell. Polishing my halo tomorrow.

twinkle that's very pretty and super clever! (Not to mention practical)

anzu66 · 14/01/2015 20:02

This thread is moving so fast that these questions are already pages earlier.

Nonetheless:
for the question on storing in a corner cupboard - my suggestion would be to put a box in there which can be pulled out in one go so that everything stored in the box is easily reachable/visible. We have hugely deep cupboards in the kitchen, and everything at the back used to just fall into chaos, go past the use-by-date, get forgotten, and so on. Once I started using boxes like these, for storing jam, flour, spices, and so on, it's made a huge difference. Some space might get wasted with this method, but the control and visibility it gives has made it worth while.

for storing medicine - we did this several months ago. After chucking out all the random crap and out-of-date stuff, I sorted what was left into categories that made sense for us. I decided: coughs and colds; fevers and headaches; kid's medicine; band-aids and disinfectant cream. Then I took a bunch of reasonably sized zip-lock bags, labelled each one with a big and easy to read label, and put stuff from each category into each bag. Then put the bags, standing up in true Kondo fashion, into the cupboard. So far it's worked really well. The small amount in each bag makes it easier to give a quick check of the use-by-date at the other stuff in the bag when you use one item from there, and the separate bags make it easier to find each thing quickly and easily - particularly useful when you've just cut yourself while cooking and are dripping blood all over the kitchen, as happened not that long ago. Was able to grab all necessary stuff one handed without even having to rummage!

On husbands not being on board with the process: I started clearing out months ago, as I think I said on the previous thread. DH first didn't notice, then when he did, made sneery comments about OCD on my part. But then, after several months had passed, he started tidying up the random crap that he used to leave lying around on the kitchen bench. And putting stuff back in the cupboard when he'd finished using it. Then over Christmas read through the book, cleared out heaps of clothes, books, papers, and DVDs. He even tidied up his office at work (which was massively untidy, and his super-organised secretary has been on at him for years over it. She was in shock at the change.) His desk at home has remained tidy for longer than ever before, and we've been married 24 years.

So it was a slow process, but change did happen.

bringmejoy2015 · 14/01/2015 20:26

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iknowimcoming · 14/01/2015 20:30

Hi everyone, progress update from me, 9 chazzer bags on landing, mine, ds and dds clothes kondoed (haven't done my shoes, boots and bags yet though) one bag of horse riding stuff is going to the RDA so that's a good result! Did the skiing bags today also, got rid of lots and it's now nicely organised so if we get some snow it'll be easy to lay hands on gloves etc. Started the spare room (wrong order I know) but need to tidy it so if my rubbish cough continues I can sleep in there rather than disturb dh, got rid of loads. Already have a chest of drawers for wrapping paper and gift tags and Christmas paper and tags but used the shoe box idea for the tags and bows etc so nice and neat now, found several years worth of Xmas cards so they've gone in the recycling and found a set of fancy cuff links dh got given which he'd obviously intended to regift but forgotten about, just googled and they're fetching approx £150 on eBay kerching! So will get dh to get them listed later yay! Also uncovering a lot of storage items which haven't been used but will hang on to them for a bit and see if they become useful, if not they'll be gone too. Found some nice little ikea storage pots and have used one for my makeup brushes as the one I was using was too shallow and kept falling over. Definitely feeling the kondo love here today Grin

Violettatrump · 14/01/2015 20:32

Great news anzu!

Failed massively today on the kondo front. I might have a last minute stab at it later if I've any stamina left.

Starface · 14/01/2015 20:35

Anzu that's really inspiring about your DH. Thanks.

supadupapupascupa · 14/01/2015 20:36

First post on the topic.

Drawers in our room and our daughters all done (I'm soooo happy about this I can't tell you! Our wardrobes are also done.

Today I did paperwork although I only got it down to 2 concertina files, a large box and then files for work. It wasn't that bad actually, things were pretty organised in a 2 drawer cabinet and 'to be filed' box, but there was way too much. Biggest achievement was dumping the payslips going back to when I started work in 1992 !!!! I was also nervous about dumping the manuals...but they have gone!

bringmejoy2015 · 14/01/2015 21:13

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bringmejoy2015 · 14/01/2015 21:14

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Starface · 14/01/2015 21:39

Ha bring, yes, I would use loft and attic interchangeably. Would be interested to hear what has been helpful for you in becoming a better shopper.

Pointlessfan · 14/01/2015 21:54

bringmejoy I think I am becoming a better shopper too, certainly more selective which is saving me money too.
I'm going back to work after mat leave soon and I'm so sad but I do think the kondoing I've done so far will help me to be more organized and less stressed and I'm thinking about how I can apply Kondo to work too. Has anybody tried to do so?
Re the medicine cabinet I did ours a while ago as part of baby-proofing. Managed to cut it down from 2 shelves of the bathroom cabinet plus random stuff in drawers, cupboards and bags all over the house to a small first aid kit in an accessible kitchen cupboard since that is where we usually need plasters etc; another small kit in the car stored in an unused make up bag and a small clippy lunchbox with tablets etc on top of a kitchen cupboard, well out of reach of little fingers!

HiccupHaddockHorrendous · 14/01/2015 22:11

hmm, I could do with a stern talking to...kondo-style! I decided to reorganise the childminding toys and set up a rotation system (someone linked to it in the last thread) but I am now sitting in the middle of the biggest mess.

I probably should have waited until the weekend and done a bit more prep...not sure what I'm going to store the toys in.

Has anyone done this? I have high hopes for when it's done Smile

On the plus side, I have three bags of toys ready to take to the charity shop tomorrow.

Mrsstevejones · 14/01/2015 22:43

I have bought the book and have just started reading it. I can def identify with the rebound effect, i would do some much tidying and sorting compromising family time in the process and could never understand why it ended up a shit tip again. So glad i found this thread, give me a day or so and i will join you all.

I have always thought tidy house, tidy mind, its def all linked and i cant wait to feel better, i am literally drowning in stuff and with 2 kids and xmas just been its worse than ever.

So many good tips on here, i have visitors this weekend and cant wait to start when they go as i understand it gets worse before it gets better. Just need to cram all the stuff into a cupboard before they arrive!! Then i can kondo properly.

upandawayy · 14/01/2015 23:38

Hermione thanks for the reminder about use by dates; that cleared about ten packets out!

Thanks also anzu and pointless have gone for a combo of your ideas. I've bagged and labelled things we don't use very often and put them on an unused very high shelf. Then made up a first aid kit, so to speak, in a tupperwear tub of plasters, kids medicines etc and put then still on a high shelf but one I can access without a chair and the kids cannot access with or without a chair.

Love this thread, my medicine cupboard has been bringing absolutely no joy for years

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 15/01/2015 07:01

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