Clutter, emotions, and folding our socks - Kondo thread 6. All welcome!

[SteptoeAndDaughter]

The Book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, Cathy Hirano

Summary of the process link from mipmop

Article of top tips by Marie Kondo

Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1

And BeCool's copy of Coughles list of ORDER from Thread 2 for everyone:

"ORDER TO DECLUTTER/LOCATE THE JOY*

Clothes folding by rummy
Books
Papers
CDs
DVDs
Skincare products
Make-up
Accessories
Valuables (passports, credit cards, etc.)
Electrical equipment and appliances (digital cameras, electric cords, anything that seems vaguely ‘electric’)
Household equipment (stationery and writing materials, sewing kits, etc.)
Household supplies (expendables like medicine, detergents, tissues, etc.)
Kitchen goods/ food supplies
Other (If you have many items related to a particular interest or hobby, such as ski equipment, then treat these as a single subcategory.)

KonMari stresses that sentimental items should be left till the end. So for example, when you are doing papers, don't include photos of your children, love letters, old school reports etc, leave anything with a sentimental connection for later."

*As discussed in previous threads, your order for decluttering and finding the joy/spark/recognizing may be different to recommendations.

PS sorry about the untidy link I can't remember how to do short ones.

Thanks Whatson - I'll watch that later.

To neatly kondo your links you either just put round it. Or if you put link (with no spaces) then a space and add some text before It makes the text you've put into the link.

www.mumsnet.com gives www.mumsnet.com

Mumsnet gives Mumsnet

Grrr, I copied the bottom bit... but its made them all links...

I'll try again - just take out the spaces after/before the

[[www.mumsnet.com ]] gives www.mumsnet.com

[[www.mumsnet.com Mumsnet ]] gives Mumsnet

I have so many reasonably urgent jobs on my to do list, and I just want to get that sense of physical accomplishment from. Kondoing. I bet I can manage a little category today. I bet I can.

Argh! Realised first part of my explanation messed up too! Darn those keen square brackets! Hopefully you get the drift.

ItIsntJustAPhase I know what you mean. I'd decided I wanted to Kondo a hall cupboard/dumping ground - then couldn't do it for several days and it became literally all I could think about - like this burning need. Finally clearing it out, cleaning, Kondo-ing then reorganising whats left was so satisfying.

I hope you get to fit some Kondo-ing in today.

Thanks leeloo that looks much neater!

Lee loo, she has really done a number on us, hasn't she. This is what reprogrammed brains look like.

Hooray - I've finally finished the book and can join in! I had a major clear-out a couple of years back (inspired by the minimalist threads) but didn't really find a good way to store the stuff I have, and the house still looks messy.

So far I've kondoed my wardrobe and folded everything, including socks and underwear. It has freed up so much space, and I can now fit all my clothes into my main wardrobe and find things much more easily. No more boxes under the bed!

I normally hate housework but I actually find the folding quite calming and centring (my DS loves origami and I see this as similar!).

I've also been selling a few bits of stuff I've found around the house. The only trouble is, I've been trying to do everything at once... The dining room is currently a junk tip of stuff waiting to be sold or dealt with.

Will go back and read the thread now...

I have just Kondo-Ed my huge craft/fabric cupboard down to this! Omg, it's amazing

That looks great, laurie. I haven't kondoed any new categories since Sunday but I'm really pleased with the areas we have done, they really are staying tidy.

Still going here! Loving the photos.

Some advice please. I am still kondo-ing the bathroom. I am now at bath toys (yes, we have loads). We have a few big pirate ship bath toys which I am hoping to put in the charity shop bag. But they're covered in dried soap and would need a good clean otherwise I'd be too embarrassed to give them. But cleaning them all up nicely will take me a fair while (as I said, we have loads).

So, do I spend time cleaning them (time that could be spent kondo-ing, or with the DC, or working or whatever) or do I just throw them away?

What would Marie say?

I had success with putting some bath toys through dishwasher on top shelf on gentle cycle. If they get ruined then you can just throw them anyway....but wasting less time?

Ooh good idea re the dishwasher. Otherwise a soak with bio washing powder often works?

But I think MK would say that their value has been in the fun they have given your kids, and you should just thank them and discard them. Not very Eco friendly though.

It is very easy though to get caught up in thinking that something has value so it ought to be given to charity/Ebayed/whatever, when really that is often us trying to assuage our own guilt about having too much stuff in the first place. I know I'm doing this with books at the moment.

Aaaaaaargh!

I have just found MK's Achilles' heel!

Yes, kondoing our homes is a 'once and for all' job, but... it only works if we seriously change our attitudes and thinking. MK has left the door wide open for it all to happen again, and again!

Feeling 'the spark of joy', is brilliant for choosing what to keep. Unfortunately, it is also the perfect excuse for continuing to fill our homes with unnecessary excess.

We need to change what we do with our disposable incomes, which are the highest that they have ever been.

We buy non-essential things, because we have the money available, and our excuse is that they will 'bring us joy'.

We can assuage our consciences by recycling, but if we buy less, and better quality, our things should give us longer service, use fewer resources, and mean less recycling and less landfill. Then, we will have permanently tidy homes!

Ha ha, Vert similar thoughts and words that crossed!

Iqueen .

Not sure it's an Achilles heel though. I think MK does herself a disservice describing the book as a method of tidying, it's really a philosophy/way of thinking about possessions that encourages us to be mindful about what we have. In some ways the tidying is the least important thing!

And not that I was ever a massive shopper, but I'm finding that I use "does it bring me joy?" When shopping, and therefore buying much less (no impulse sale bargains this year!). I'm also enjoying the tidiness so much I don't want to wreck it with more stuff.

I agree to some extent, Iqueen. But like Vert, I'm finding that the joy of having a tidy, uncluttered home (OK, only in a few places so far!) is overriding the joy that buying new things would bring me and it really does make me stop and think far more than I used to before I bring anything new into the house.

i also think the Kondo process is great as an audit of what you have, and this helps buy less unnecessary stuff e.g. after discarding and folding I can easily see that I've got 10 long sleeve t shirts but only 4 short sleeve ones, so I know that come springtime I could do with a coupke more, but there's no need to get long sleeve ones now. Pre Kondo I would not have known that, and would probably have bought more when really I just needed to put a wash on

Dishwasher it is then, and if that that doesn't work or ruins them, they're into the bin. Decision made and move on. Loving it . Thanks!

Vert that's true. I am working on creating a capsule-ish wardrobe for work, kondo ing has helped clarify what suits me and works together. I have bought new work trousers that fit nicely and bring joy so I can bin the old faded and poorly fitting ones , yay! I can see that I have plenty of tshirts that fit and I like but could do with acquiring a couple of cardies.

I'm finding the exact same re shopping.... On the back of emails from m&s and and gap filled a virtual trolley with lots of things but then cancelled the order. Can't justify any purchases for any of us when I know we have plenty. I will buy some new clothes but hopefully be a considered purchase...
Was killing me to walk past all the further reductions signs in shop windows yesterday, but am going to try and stop buying for the sake of it. Will save a fortune if can keep this us.
Think I've finished all my kondoing.... Am actually a bit sad! Was very satisfying way to spend last few months.... House does look great though, and I know I'll probably have to improve a few more areas BUT can't believe I've seen this through.
Was off yesterday and DH said last night that place looked great, I must have spent the day cleaning.... Honestly, 20mins of housework and then into town with DD.
All newbies and those thinking of joining kult of Kondo.... Just do it!!!

Time, the secret is the sense of purpose in a project. MK really helps me believe there is a point to doing it. I think if you can take that sense of purpose and apply it to... A quilt, or... Painting the bathroom... Or whatever, then it will be equally satisfying.