Spring Cleaning tips From Marie Kondo

You’ve likely heard of the “KonMari Method” for tidying up your life. Japanese organization consultant Marie Kondo has developed a tried-and-true method for decluttering your home while simultaneously helping you to rediscover what’s important in life.

If you want to take a KonMari-style approach to spring cleaning this year, here are five tips to help you get started.

1. Tidy by category.

Most of us tend to clean up one room at a time, but Kondo says this can hinder the decluttering process because it allows clutter to creep from room to room with you.

Instead, take on one category of things at a time. She recommends using the following order:

1. Clothes
2. Books
3. Papers
4. Miscellaneous items
5. Sentimental items

Go through your entire house and gather up everything in a category. For each item, hold it in your hands, and decide if it brings joy and value to your life. If not, discard it.

2. Visualize your ideal lifestyle.

As you discover which possessions add value and which do not, you’ll start to form a clearer picture of who you are. Use this time to visualize what type of home you want to have and what sorts of things you want to surround yourself with.

3. Understand that it’s more than cleaning.

The KonMari method is all about respecting your possessions and only saying yes to things that enrich and empower your life. By learning to let go of things in your home that no longer serve you, you can extend this “tidying up” to other aspects of your life as well.

4. Narrow your focus.

Kondo recommends a specific order and ritual for her tidying up method, and it serves a purpose.

Once you begin tidying up one category, she recommends dedicating your entire focus to that project with no distractions until it’s finished.

By narrowing your focus, you’ll be able to more quickly and accurately decide what to keep and what to eliminate.

5. Follow your instincts.

The KonMari method doesn’t require rationalization. Touch each item, and allow yourself to feel whatever emotion it brings up. If it doesn’t bring you positive emotions, give yourself permission to let it go.

In the same vein, if something does “spark joy,” regardless of what it is, allow yourself to keep it. The idea is to live in a home that is clean but full of meaningful items.

Spring Cleaning Made Simple

Marie Kondo’s method of decluttering your life can be adapted to fit your lifestyle, but following the tips above will help you have a home that is lighter, fresher and full of joy.