Marie Kondo method for decluttering

[GypsieQueen]

Hi, I desperately need to have a big declutter. I've been reading Marie Kondo, who advises, amongst other things, decluttering according to categories and not by room, whereas by room is how I would normally do it. I'm hoping to start next week but before I do, I wonder if anyone has tried this method and if so, how did you find it? Thank you.

I started it a couple of years ago but got derailed and never got back into it. However, the things I did get sorted have remained reasonably under control.

In recent years when decluttering my clothes and accessories, I always do it in categories. I used to just take a roll of bin liners in my bedroom and go through my wardrobes etc willy nilly, and hardly get rid of anything.

I now collect up all my skirts, dresses, scarves etc, and stack these in piles on my bed, and work through one category at a time. I get rid of so much more in this way, and it’s not nearly as overwhelming.

I find it more manageable too, as I might decide to just sort through my dresses when I have a spare bit of time, then work on a different category on another day.

I tried this method with books and ornaments and linens a few weeks ago too, and it worked wonders!

Also, I find it helps to look at an item and ask yourself if you love it, or if it excites/inspires you. If it doesn’t, get rid of it. I think that’s a method that a Japanese declutterer uses.

I did it a few years ago, it took me about 8 months to complete. Didn't manage to do our kitchen properly, I just couldn't face it with the same attitude for some reason. But everything else has been done - clothes, books, papers, sentimental. My home is lovely and uncluttered and our lives in it are so much better. Go for it!

Got to say the boards in here were fantastic, I think I joined in at board 3 when I have the energy I plan on returning to the kitchen items

I've done and I'm a convert.
She's a bit bonkers and woo, but it works

I think she provides a rationale for tacking what can seem like an overwhelming job in easy stages. I do not think, however, that her method has to be followed as if it is some kind of strict religous discipline! Some of her followers act like it's some kind of sacrilege to sort things in a different kind, or even act like there are some kind of mystical forces at work (I've seen some woo stuff around the idea that "you will find money if you do it in the right order" on Facebook). This, of course, is nonsense.

I think you need to be sensible about it, too. Konmarie aims at a fairly extreme minimalism that is rather more rigorous than that followed by many people. I think you can declutter your home, and have a lovely space, without going quite as far as she does. There's a common sense balance to be struck!

Sorry, that should say "Some of her followers act like it's some kind of sacrilege to sort things in a different kind of order"

I agree whiskyowl
Full on Kondo is not for everyone, but the category system works well for a lot (as long as you allow yourself a single drawer of Random Crap that can't be categorised!)

Yes - as someone who is a serial tidier, I think she has come up with a very sensible method. Sorting by category simply means that you consider all of one type of thing together, so you can see clearly what you have and what you don't have, and make good decisions ("Do I really need three black jumpers" etc). I just don't believe that the forces of chaos and untidiness will plague you if you happen to sort your kitchen before your socks.

I think I’m a convert. We’ll sort of.

I’ve been decluttering in preparation for moving house. A room at a time Drawer by drawer. Cupboard by cupboard. Much easier this way.

Today’s job is my make up stash/drawer. Anything opened and out of date is being binned. Tick.

I have read the book and thought her ideas good but maybe a bit ott. But I'm also drowning in a load of mess. I have a friend who is a serial charity shop buyer /hoarder who has a room practically stuffed full of black bags of stuff. I was around her house the other day and her husband , friend and I were discussing why people feel the need to own so much. When I was talking it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me so I picked a day and away I went. 3 bags of clothes and probably 80/100 paperbacks to a charity shop plus a good few bags to the tip.

I read her book when it first came out, but was not really looking to declutter myself. It seemed it could be great for a small house in Japan but not so relevant to the way my ordinary family live in Europe. Still the book got me thinking about what our priorities should be in that sense and I do roll up everyone's knickers for them

I like doing the category by category. Until I did that I never realised just how many pens we had in the house! Because they were spread in several different places. Put them all together and it motivates you to get rid of some of them!!!

Same thing with looking at all your skirts, or all your t-shirts. For me, it shocked me into changing things - especially when I realised I always wear the same things over and over, so why keep the others?

I kondoed the flat and it made a huge difference - got rid of a whole chest of drawers in my bedroom which freed up space (and wasn't then filled with other stuff).

This thread has inspired me to do a long overdue sorting out of my clothes.

I'm actually breaking about a million Kondo rules. I'm doing two piles: clothes I love that no longer fit, and clothes I don't love for the charity shop. I am doing this in full awareness that I am yet another woman in a long list of millions who has said she WILL diet and that the clothes WILL fit again, and that of that long list only 5 people have actually managed to do it in reality. But I am also going through a bit of a life change at the moment (emerging from depression and having a huge amount of building work done) which will hopefully make it easier for me to live more healthily and do more exercise. So, despite the fact I know I sound delusional (and I can hear Marie Kondo tutting loudly in my head), I am genuinely optimistic that I might get back into them.

Thank you all so much for your replies. I'm definitely going to give it a go. It's just finding the time that will be difficult. I have a two and a half year old who wants my constant attention and find it hard getting anything done. I'm going to have to set aside time each day after she's gone to bed to work on this. Hopefully once I get started it won't seem like such a big task.

I did the book with small DC's underfoot, with this in mind I had to tweet a couple of the techniques.

I wonder if she will have children and then write another book 'Kondo with Kids!'.

It is woo and crazy in parts but it worked, I took boot loads to the charity shop and haven't missed any of it. The only thing I regretted getting rid of was a skirt and I managed to replace that from eBay and in a size or 2 smaller so it actually fitted instead of the too big one I had been keeping.

The things I have regretted getting rid of have been the things I got rid of previous to Kondo when I used the not worn for 2 years rule.

She already has two toddlers

I have done it, not completely but I've done more than half of my things. I've tried decluttering dozens of times before with no success, but Kondo really works for me. My clothes have been in Kondo order for over a year after decades of just being heaped in drawers or on chairs in no order at all. It's amazing to be able to find things and see everything neatly folded. My kitchen stuff is also pretty well organised now. Hoping to finish in the next few months. Tidying by category seems so logical that I can't think why I've never done it before - it makes total sense to collect everything you have in a category before deciding what to keep. I've also found it helps motivate me because I can really see the difference in the categories I've finished and how they make my life a bit easier.

I disagree with whiskyowl that she's an extreme minimalist. There's a lot in her books about if you really love something it's fine to keep - she is not strict about how much you should keep. She's all about sorting out the things you love from the clutter you don't need and just hanging onto the stuff that 'sparks joy'. Everyone's end point will be different - for some it might be very minimal, but for others they might still end up with a lot of belongings that are just much better organised than previously.

One thing I found useful was breaking down the categories into smaller subcategories - there are lots of suggested lists if you google. It meant I didn't put off doing it when I only had an hour or two to spare e.g. rather than doing kitchen stuff as a single category I'd do saucepans, freezer food, utensils, etc as mini categories.

I like her logic and simplicity and I have tried to follow the book to the letter - even the extreme bits like thanking the things I'm throwing out. My house was so messy I just thought what the hell, I'll give it a go. But some people prefer to just take the basic ideas and use those. Either way, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.