Do you finish a full house cleaning only to find it messy again a week later? Learning how to keep our homes clean is usually easier said than done. If you’re into organizing, you may have recently heard of the term ‘sparking joy’ and the KonMari method. What makes this cleaning method so successful?
Marie Kondo is a Japanese bestselling author and professional organising consultant. Her 2011 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up became a bestseller across Japan and Europe. This January, she released her new Netflix series, Tidying up with Marie Kondo. Her methods, offered through her show and books, have helped many to find joy in cleaning.
Marie Kondo’s approach to cleaning is called the “KonMari method,” which is based on joy, respect and gratitude. In an interview with Metro, Kondo explains what helped her make a breakthrough to her organizing genius. She shares, “I realized my mistake: I was only looking for things to throw out. What I should be doing is finding the things I want to keep. Identifying the things that make you happy: that is the work of tidying.”
By focusing on the items that ‘spark joy’ for us, we can rediscover a sense of happiness in our homes. As an overview, the KonMari method consists of five sequential categories to be followed when cleaning and organizing your home.
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Clothing
Kondo recommends that clothing is the first category to address when cleaning. Place all clothes in a single pile, so as to see everything that you have. You then take each item in your hand, one by one to see if it sparks joy for you. Kondo describes this feeling as a “flutter or instant feeling of happiness” when you hold them. The items that spark joy for you will be the ones you should keep. The items that do not spark joy for you, you thank them for having served you and you let them go; these can be given to someone else who they will spark joy for.
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Books
Her second category are books. She instructs to follow the same exact method as you did with your clothing items.
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Papers
The papers category is broken down into several subcategories such as important documents (i.e. passports, medical records, birth certificates), pending documents (i.e. bills, reminders, grocery lists), and miscellaneous documents (i.e. flyers, coupons, recipes). Organize these papers into separate standing organizing shelves, where you have a visual of all your documents and don’t need to spend hours locating them.
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Komono (Miscellaneous)
This fourth category encompasses many parts of the house including items in your kitchen, garage, bathroom and living room. Again, cleaning and organizing these items should emulate the ‘spark joy’ rule, by following Kondo’s formula.
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Sentimental Objects
This category includes photographs, cards and any other items that have emotional ties for you.
What is so unique and helpful about her method is that she wants people not to view organizing and decluttering as something overwhelming or burdensome. In fact, cleaning should be something that we approach from a lens of gratitude. She helps people get into the mindset of appreciation, which really facilitates the organizing process. Yet at the same time, Kondo also reminds us not to feel guilty for letting go of objects or memorabilia that no longer inspire us. By thanking and parting with these items, they will go to someone whom it does spark joy for.
Overall, the KonMari method is a simple and effective way to organize your home. It does not force you to clean in a specific way, but rather gets you in touch with what sparks joy. Following this mindset will translate a feeling of happiness and gratitude in your home.
Check out her social and professional media handles for more sparks of cleaning inspiration!
Marie Kondo’s website: https://konmari.com
Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariekondo/?hl=en