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Housekeeping

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

999 replies

SteptoeAndDaughter · 21/01/2015 11:59

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.

OP posts:
bringmejoy2015 · 21/01/2015 20:39

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bringmejoy2015 · 21/01/2015 20:45

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JKSLtd · 21/01/2015 20:45

Didireally - you are not alone! I have a box from Amazon with a hat for ds1 on that I'm waiting for the hats for the other 2 dc to arrive so there isn't all out war.
I keep looking at the box and thinking ooh I can fill that soon!!

Re paperwork - should I file the to be filed stuff first do you think before trying to kondo?

JKSLtd · 21/01/2015 20:47

Beingmejoy - I do find myself pulling back a bit too. It's strange. I almost think there's no point in me carrying on as I won't stick to it anyway so why not just give up?
Like the bad monkey on my shoulder whispering in my ear.

FrancesHB · 21/01/2015 20:49

What a terribly organised new thread! Wink

I'm going very slowly and steadily. It is probably going to take me longer than 6 months in the end as I work FT and weekends are busy too.

Well done all - very inspiring.

Pointlessfan · 21/01/2015 20:54

Steptoe I also collect fridge magnets on my travels. They have looked a lot better since I stopped using them to attach random bit of paper to the fridge (which I still ignored anyway!).
I think mine actually do bring some joy, lots of reminders of happy times.

BriarRainbowshimmer · 21/01/2015 21:00

Marking my place, wow these threads move fast!

anzu66 · 21/01/2015 21:10

On the previous thread, people were talking about types of job, and Kondoing.

As mentioned about three threads ago, I'm an ex-teacher, but now work as a translator from home. So yes, another one! And you can add another language to the translating mix, as it's Japanese into English for me. Technical stuff, like how to grow semiconductor substrate, how to stop your bipedal robot from falling over as it walks up a slope, and so on. If that sounds hard, trust me that it is way easier than translating things like novels with all the cultural and social differences that they contain!

On Kondoing, and type of job. Thinking about it, maybe there is a connection with inherent disposition - type of job that you will find is right for you also has some kind of link with the type of disposition that also clicks with finding Marie Kondo's method something that works? Like being more introverted or introspective, or something? Vague, I know, but when you look at Amazon reviews of the book, there are some people who ridicule it. Maybe just a very different personality type?

All those who mentioned paperwork and living in various countries that seem to be enamoured of the stuff. We are in Germany, and have three of the Ikea
Flyt folder thingies filled with paperwork just for our apartment purchase alone! A few months back we had to have some work done on the pipes that drain our kitchen sink, and the invoice for the work done stated that you should keep it for ten years!!! (Are they insane? This is not going to happen!)

Documents concerning tax also have to be kept for ten years, and a few years back we actually got audited by the tax office here, and had to pull out lots of paper concerning stuff that was years earlier, so this we all keep (unhappily) for the whole ten years.

(As a specifically German thing, for anyone else who this may be useful to, as surely there must be people lurking as well as posting (?)). Items that you no longer need can be given to the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz). They give clothing and household articles to refugees who, at the moment are mostly coming from Syria. They are arriving with literally nothing, so essentially EVERYTHING is wanted, be it a a single plate or spoon or glass, colour pencils for children, a pair of socks, or underwear. The ladies in the place where I bring donations have essentially said, bring ANYTHING, it will be given to those who need it.

As stated way upthread, I actually started getting rid of stuff several months before reading the book, so definitely did not do it in the prescribed order, and am going back and revisiting areas. Little things like folding knickers in the way she described - am putting freshly used ones at the back of a stack, and taking from the front. l Like this, every now and then I end up putting something on which is massively uncomfortable, so I know that even though it looked OK when I went through it, it is not something I want to wear!

Who was it who mentioned Uniqlo earlier? Thank you! Have just bought some woolen cardigans for myself as a replacement for the ones I had been wearing and had hated.

bringmejoy2015 · 21/01/2015 21:27

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bringmejoy2015 · 21/01/2015 21:32

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misscph1973 · 21/01/2015 21:37

Erasing hard drive! DH comvinced me that reinstalling Windows wasn't enough, so I read up on it (he didn't want to help untill the weekend, but I want it done NOW!) and downloaded a data destruction program which is now running from a USB stick plugged into my PC. Excellent machine, a hand me down from my MIL that I upgraded 7 years ago and used for 5 years, absolutely rock solid, I really hope it will bring some one else joy.

Very good guide to erasing a dar drive here: pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/wipe-hard-drive.htm

(I used Rufus to get DBAN on a USB stick, it wasn't too hard)

BrandNewIggi · 21/01/2015 22:13

Ah, found you all??

Hubb · 21/01/2015 22:15

I have some OCD tendencies as well, and kondoing is definitely something I have become obsessive about! I am trying not to let it take over every waking thought but until it's done (dunno if I will ever get there to be honest as STILL finding clothes I need to ditch), I am finding it very consuming. It's such a battle sometimes about the guilt of getting rid of something vs. the horrible feeling of having something there taking up space and being unused/unjoyful....

I guess at least the guilt of getting rid is only temporary, unlike keeping something where it can make you feel shit for many years to come!

And someone mentioned about feeling like objects have feelings or something along those lines, I found that really interesting and feel the same. It's a real struggle!

Am doing well though and enjoying it, just got to keep going through the slow days. This thread is great!!

MILLYmo0se · 21/01/2015 22:16

Steptoe could you arrange the magnets into a display, take a photo of it and then keep that as your memory of your travels. Or use the photo on one of those sites where they can turn it into a cushion cover,mousemat,mug etc .

SnapeChat · 21/01/2015 22:20

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PurpleFrog · 21/01/2015 22:33

misscph1973 - I was going to suggest DBAN. That is what I use at work to wipe hard drives of PCs - both Windows and Linux. Macs can be done with Disk Utility. You need to do a minimum of 3 passes. For a personal laptop I would do more. Then it can be a good idea to reinstall a clean system.

APlaceOnTheCouch · 21/01/2015 22:34

Well I have Kondoed nothing but chocolate this evening Blush

JKS I know what you mean about the monkey. When I was Kondoing the kitchen drawer and under the kitchen sink, I remembered sorting and tidying them before. It gave me a little flutter of panic that this would just be the same, and they would slip into disorganisation again. I'm telling myself that shouldn't be the case as I've not only rearranged but actually reduced what is in them. I think I'll only firmly believe it as time passes and the house stays tidy.

I think an important part of the process for me is actually thinking about where and how to store items. I'm trying to make it more intuitive. So, for example, I used to always store DC's cereal in the bottom kitchen corner cupboard but actually it's a faff to get into and I could never remember how much cereal we had as I couldn't see it easily. When I Kondoed the food cupboards, I moved the cereal to a higher cupboard. Now I can see at a glance whether I have any or not. It's a little silly difference but it makes life marginally easier and more joyful. I'm hoping all the little victories like that will make this process more sustainable.

I'm also thinking of celebrating with Wine each Kondo milestone eg on Friday it will be a month since I started Kondoing by sorting DH's work clothes in the utility room don't tell MK that I didn't start with my own clothes They are still all neatly folded and rolled so another teeny victory.

stiffstink · 21/01/2015 22:35

Photos will be my sticking point. I have about 20 albums in the loft but the frames around my house are mainly empty!

We have had 2 empty frames for 3.5 yrs on the dining room wall

But today my two joyful prints arrived, lovely unposed photos of DS. One frame got broken when we put the print in though!

My plan is to dismantle my 20 or so albums and scan them into tasteful, thin photobooks. SIL does this and its great.

Part of my need to keep photos is a really bizarre hang up that maybe one day I will need to prove I was/wasn't somewhere and I will have a photo to prove it! WTF?! I am not a criminal, I swear!

Iggi999 · 21/01/2015 22:59

I am sticking my fingers in my ears whenever there is talk of photo albums. I intend to keep all of mine, as they bring me joy. simples I will sort out the loose photos and maybe discard more pre-dh stuff.

Iqueen · 21/01/2015 23:13

Old Computers

As a former ICT Teacher I endorse what misscph1973 said about about 'wiping' old computers! It is impossible to make the hard-drive unreadable to a determined person.

All your 'secure' information: passwords, bank details and any other personal information is in there somewhere and can be accessed.

The BBC invited a hacking expert to do just that with several hard-drives that had been 'destroyed', by burning, drilling, shattering, wiping, re-formatting etc.

The expert retrieved personal details, name, address, DoB, mother's maiden name, password reminders and answers, bank details and passwords, NI numbers... anything that had been input, from all of them!

upandawayy · 21/01/2015 23:53

hubb It was me who mentioned objects having feelings. I used to really struggle with that when I was younger (early twenties), even completely crap objects like rubbish I was throwing away, I felt sorry for it.
Getting rid of soft toys was really hard in this process as it still felt like they had feelings, but thankfully when I faced them with the support of my little boy (who nicked a little squirrel toy) there were only about five I kept.

I actually sat down tonight in my clean lounge in which everything has a home and I didn't have to tidy. It didn't feel like my home!

appleblossom23 · 21/01/2015 23:55

This thread is moving so quickly!!

Thank you for the kind words about my crappy finances Flowers and middle of aldi and IV books: GrinGrinGrin very funny!!!

appleblossom23 · 21/01/2015 23:58

upandawayy that sounds gorgeous! Hope it didn't feel too weird. I'm aiming for everything having a home and I don't think it'll feel at all normal when I first get there!

clearsommespace · 22/01/2015 06:03

anzu In France you're supposed to keep that kind of invoice because plumbing work has a 10 yr liability on it. So if there is leak in the first 10 years the plumber's insurance pays for the damage caused. It could be the same in your country. There is no way we are going to be able to reduce all our paperwork to what MK says is possible.

Violettatrump · 22/01/2015 06:07

Quick question - dealing with the inbox. Do people attack it haphazardly or find a daily 20 min slot?

Yes it feels weird, my lounge and kitchen are quite easy to keep on top of! I've also delegated making packed lunches and clothes washing/sorting to the daytime so I'm now I can stop at 7.30 once the kids are asleep as long as I tidy up the evening meal things as i go. My relaxing time starts early and then I'm in bed early - both a huge achievement!