Spring Cleaning: Marie Kondo Style

The warmer weather and longer days that spring brings inspires us to open up the windows, do some deep cleaning, and freshen up our living space.  But do you still feel like your house is stuck in the winter blues?  Before you start deep cleaning, clearing out the clutter can help improve your space even more, making it happier and easier to keep up with.  Follow some of Marie Kondo’s famous tip for getting your house spring ready and filled with joy.

The six basic rules to the Konmari method, as the author calls it, are as follows:  commit yourself to tidying up, imagine your ideal lifestyle, finish discarding first, tidy by category not location, follow the right order, and only keep items that spark joy.  More details on these can be found in her book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.

So what can these tips do for you and how are they really going to change your life?  First of all, getting rid of things in your house that don’t “spark joy”, which is the backbone in the Konmari method, can be extremely rewarding.  You know that piece of artwork you inherited that you really don’t like or the piece of clothing a family member gifted you that has never fit right?  Get it out of your house.  It’s that simple.  It served its purpose, you no longer need it, and it’s time in your house is over.  It’s a very liberating feeling not having to carry around items that you don’t truly love.  And it leaves you with only items that you treasure and way less stuff to keep up with!

Another product of clearing out your house with this method is not needing as much space.  Do you use up all the closets in your house or extra rooms with things you’re not even using or really need?  Once you’ve completed the Konmari method steps for clearing things out, you’ll have new options for your space.  You could set up that yoga room you’ve always wanted, have a usable guest room or maybe even downsize to a smaller, less expensive home. 

Finally, you will feel more peaceful and relaxed in your home.  One task in the Konmari method is going through all sentimental items, including old letters, things from your school days, and anything else that is from the past.  Sometimes these things can make us feel weighed down with the old days of our lives.  By clearing these out, you make your home more about the present with no regrets from the past, and looking towards the future.