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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Has anyone successfully Kondo'd their house?

45 replies

donajimena · 02/02/2016 10:20

Im a bit of a slattern with ADHD. I've dipped in and out of the Kondo threads but I find them quite lengthy (but enjoyable) so my apologies for adding another..
I've started and I am doing my clothes. I love my knicker draw. But it took forever.
I am determined to do this though.
my questions are how long did it take? (I appreciate this question is kind of a piece of string )
More importantly did you find it easy to maintain if you managed to transform it.
My two children also have ADHD and I am sick of living in chaos.

OP posts:

LittleBearPad · 02/02/2016 22:26

I did my sock drawer. Does that count

Original poster

donajimena · 02/02/2016 23:07

Yes little at my worst I used to stand over my clean but not put away laundry struggling to find a pair of socks... a tidy sock drawer would have been ace!

OP posts:

stiffstink · 02/02/2016 23:10

I've been kondoing for a year.

We have a cleaner every 2nd Tuesday and a year ago we would tidy frantically on Sunday & Monday to move stuff for the cleaner. Yesterday, I did no tidying at all because the house is always tidy, thanks to MK.

My bedroom just needs new curtains and it will look like a hotel room. Its a sanctuary but so is the rest of the house. 3 yr old DS puts his own toys away and cherishes them. He can't quite dress himself but can choose his own clothes from his drawers every day (he's like a joyful rainbow)!

DH kondoed his job and after 2 weeks started one he gets joy from. I became more focussed at work and I got a payrise I'd been trying for for 2 years. I hope to be promoted this year because I'm now being described as driven instead of distracted.

We got a skip, did 2 car boots, probably 8 car loads to charity (and still I find more that is going), numerous trips to the tip, returned anything that belongs to other people for them to keep/dispose of.

I have some cutlery to Kondo plus paperwork and DH has the garage to do but I can definitely say life after Kondo is so goooood!

Baby No 2 is due shortly and I have gained 0lbs (yes zero) so my wardrobe will begin from scratch once I'm out of maternity leggings with smaller clothes that spark joy. Joyful joyful!

Original poster

donajimena · 03/02/2016 08:01

Thats a positive story stiff can I ask how 'bad' you were before?

OP posts:

florentina1 · 03/02/2016 09:24

I have been Decluttering for a while now. Mentally I feel much happier and safer as the "Order out of Chaos" is very calming. Here are my tips.

Don't just stick to one method. This is about making yourself happier. Failing to 'achieve targets ' or 'not doing it correctly' will only make you feel inadequate. So do what works for you.

Decluttering is a bit like going on a diet. it took years and years for the weight to gradually creep on, so you cannot expect it all to fall off in a few months. Also once the weight is off/Decluttering is achieved, there is a maintenance programme to follow.

Finally think about a beautifully decorated and delicious cake. Before it gets to the table, things come out of cupboards, get mixed together, lay around until they can be washed up put away again. I have never achieved any Decluttering without first making quite a mess. This stage of the process is quite stressful and depressing. It does get easier though as you get more practice.

I find that the method I use works for me. Hope this has helped.

TeaT1me · 05/02/2016 00:29

I started last year but need a bit of a kick start. OUrs will never look like a hotel room (space/money/general not keeping on top of things) but I'd love to have more of a sense of order.

mercifulTehlu · 05/02/2016 08:28

I think what I need to do is actually re-read the Kondo book to get me back into it. It would help be get back into the mindset. It's also a great excuse to sit on my bum with a cup of tea instead of actually tidying anything .

Clare1971 · 05/02/2016 10:18

I've done clothes and books so far and honestly - I've become a complete bore about how wonderful it is to have organised underwear! It actually makes a difference to my day opening the drawer and choosing what to put on not scrabbling through a pile of tatty old knickers! I found the concept of keeping only what gives you 'joy' a bit laughable but then did find it made it easier to get rid of stuff, esp books - got rid of about 200. As for getting rid of stuff, I decided early on that if I tried to be worthy and sell or charity shop things I'd never get rid of anything so now I wait till I have a couple of bin bags then advertise it on freecycle as carboot/jumble. If possible I try to choose someone who says they're raising money for charity but I suspect people lie anyway! Several people have probably made a fair bit of money out of me but at least the stuff is being re used and it means it's gone within a day or two without me having to take it anywhere. Should make it clear that I have thrown out the tatty knickers - not sent them to freecycle.

stumblymonkey · 05/02/2016 11:39

Just a thought but maybe try not to think of how you need to de-clutter 'everything' as I can see that this would be de-motivating and would seem never ending and overwhelming. Just focus on the next category. And then the next.

Before you know it you will see a huge difference.

And although I'm only part way through I'm definitely finding that I stick to it as I love the way the drawers look so much it would feel awful to just chuck something in there now!

MrsJorahMormont · 05/02/2016 12:56

I tried it but never got further than clothes. I've already slipped up I would love our house to be clutter free but I don't believe it will ever happen!

ThePrinceofParties · 05/02/2016 13:01

I think for normal, busy people it's an ongoing process rather than a one-off event.

The clothes folding is bloody revelation though, and I am not a tidy/ironing type person. DH sneered at the book, but once he saw my clothes drawers he did his, and we've stuck with it.

re books - we live in a small house, and when we redid the sitting room we realised that we'd be able to get bigger and more comfy sofas if we halved the amount of book shelves we had. So we did, and a year later I've not regretting chucking a single book even though we ditched 100s.

Original poster

donajimena · 05/02/2016 15:15

mrsj don't give up. There is a group a pp pointed out on Facebook called Konmari Uk. Its very motivating.

OP posts:

stiffstink · 06/02/2016 14:06

It was really quite bad. We had a spare bedroom full of stuff which is completely gone. I saw a photo of the room 'before' and it gave me palpitations!

MrsJorahMormont · 07/02/2016 16:29

Thanks dona I will check it out

Soooosie · 07/02/2016 19:55

Took me 6 months. I was severe. Yes it's easy to keep now. I declutter every 6 months now but it only takes a few days

CakeandRoses · 14/02/2016 19:51

I couldn't recommend Kondo more!

I found that writing a huge list of categories, sub-categories with estimated times against them was a huge help - whenever I had some 'free time' ( I have two young DC and my own business) I'd choose a task and crack on with it.

We have a 5 bedroom house which was full of stuff but I've done all the categories bar 'sentimental' over a 3 month period. Even better, everything I've sorted has stayed sorted.

It's basically magic, like the lady says.

ohhelpohnoitsa · 14/02/2016 21:56

I did most of our categories (and garage) in autumn 2014. It absolutely is worth it. It's frustrating that you cant just crack on and do it, but we have family lives whereas Marie Kondo was single. Do as many categoroes as possible. If you are starting from chaos- by which I mean you have no sytems and stuff is everywhere e.g. calpol in one room, spoons in another etc, I recommend having a set of boxes as you go. So for instance when I did clothes in my room, I knew I only had mine so that was easy. When I did my drawers and the bottom of my wardrobe there was all sorts of random stuff so I made piles of stuff - move to kitchen, move to lounge, move to bathroom, charity, chuck, sell. The trouble is with family life you sometimes cant quite finish so the piles got rummaged through by little people! I suggest get some boxes or bin liners so you can put it all to one side and ultimatley carry it easily to the right pace. Also be ruthless. There is only one thing I got rid of from maybe 20 bin liners that someone has since had a need for. Do look at your "stuff" to see if it can help in the process - boxes can be used as drawer sorters, my old picture frame was exactly what I needed as the backing for my new headboard etc etc.
It really is worth doing. I did it in categories but room by room. 5 bed house, 5 people, limited time slots. The house had to remain liveable as I did it.
The best thing is, once you see the progress you are SO mindful as to what then comes in to your house. When people ask me "would you like my old ...." I now say no thank you. When the sales are on I just dont go and I avoid shops like wilko, b & m etc - those places you come back with 103 random things that looked like a good deal. Its just more crap coming in and you resent it once your house is tidy. Afterall, who really needs 10 shower gels in stock or a spare ironing board cover just in case or 6 bottles of bleach because they were by 4 get 2 free or whatever.
Top tip - when you clear a space, put something useful or beautiful in it or someone else will refill it with crud.

Original poster

donajimena · 15/02/2016 13:17

I'm in the facebook group and there is a sub category list which someone has kindly posted.
I'm only a little way through but what I have achieved I am so proud of. Thank you for your posts all of you. Its half term so this afternoon I can just crack on without the break of a school run.
I'm so excited. After years of chaos and disorganisation I can almost guarantee it will change my life.

OP posts:

GrubbyWindows · 15/02/2016 20:39

ohHelp I have not yet reached the point of having to defend cleared spaces- but you top tip made me smile! We are all very guilty of putting things in every possible spot here...

Wagglebees · 16/02/2016 15:43

I emptied an old cupboard yesterday then moved it outside ready for a housing charity to pick up. I kept admiring the lovely space it'd left behind and how much bigger the room looked.

DH came home, walked in and plonked his bag and coat right down in the space.

Anyway I'm doing room by room rather than trying to do the whole house at once. I find it more motivating and satisfying.

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