Unless you’ve been living underneath a (very cluttered) rock, you know Netflix star Marie Kondo is the ultimate organization queen. Her best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing is jam-packed with tips that will turn your messy room into a neat, minimalist oasis. You can also see her skills first hand the next time your in need of a show to binge!
Now that you're just as inspired as we are, here are five tips for decluttering and organization that can help with your spring cleaning!
Tackle categories, not rooms
Decluttering your home is a huge undertaking, so it’s important you have a plan before you get down to business. Organizing room by room seems efficient, but Kondo urges you focus on categories. Think about it this way: You probably have a lot of towels scattered throughout your house. By taking stock of all your bathroom, kitchen and powder room towels at once, you can get rid of any duplicates or towels that have overstayed their welcome.
Get rid of the paperwork
This tip is helpful at work and at home. Speaking of superfluous systems, your filing cabinet needs to go. It’s the digital age, after all! You can find copies of almost every paper in your home office online. As for those important documents—like your birth certificate and recent W2s—Kondo advises whittling down your paperwork into two piles: “Papers to Save” and “Papers to Deal With.”
Don’t let nostalgia cloud your judgment
A movie ticket stub from your favorite film or a program from your kid’s school play may tug at your heartstrings, but these mementos aren’t doing your space any favors. So why keep them around? We know what you’re thinking: What if yesteryear’s trinkets bring you joy? Find a way to consolidate ’em. Instead of having a box with old birthday cards from Grandma Sue, place them in a scrapbook that can fit on your newly organized bookshelf.
Respect your belongings
Look at your closet. Are dresses slipping off intertwined hangers? Are expensive shoes scattered all over the floor? It’s OK, you’re not alone. We’re not sure what we think of Marie Kondo personifying clothes—she asks her readers to consider their clothes’ feelings—but we do see the importance of taking care of them. Regardless of how much their clothes cost, nobody wants to face the world in wrinkled, stained or scuffed pieces!
Learn the art of folding
If you don’t have a dresser, we recommend you get one, stat. According to Kondo, your clothes will be “happier” if you fold them. After you fold your scarves, dresses, and pants, Kondo recommends stacking them vertically in your closet—she claims you can fit 20 to 40 folded piece where you’d normally be able to hang ten.
Embrace cleaning and organization this spring and devour the details of decluttering all season long!
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