You know that feeling when it seems like clutter is multiplying in your home? I blame my partner and kids for that! To tackle the chaos, I decided to explore Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Her “revolutionary” approach promises to elevate tidying to a new level and deliver life-altering results. Best of all, if you adhere to her steps, you’ll supposedly never have to organize again. I was sold! I ordered the book online, along with a Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer—clearly, I was on the right path.
After devouring all 204 pages, I was eager to uncover her secrets, but much to my dismay, there were no magical Japanese fairies waiting to do the tidying for me. The KonMari Method requires you to purge unwanted items category by category and then implement specialized storage techniques for the treasures that remain.
The Grand Purge
Kondo advises a comprehensive sweep of your home in one go, discarding everything unnecessary in one intense tidying session. I couldn’t help but think she must not have children (and the accompanying baggage) or a busy schedule. Regardless, she made it sound enticing, so I set aside an entire weekend and encouraged my husband, Mark, to join in.
“Our lives will truly flourish once our house is in order—it says so right here!” I declared, waving the book enthusiastically.
Mark, clearly skeptical, retorted, “The whole house? Can’t we just tackle one room each weekend?”
“Nope! The KonMari Method specifically states we must purge all at once and by category. We’ll kick things off with clothing, then books, papers, and finally komono,” I explained.
“What in the world is ‘komono’?” he interjected.
“I think it’s Japanese for ‘the rest of your stuff.’ Anyway, we’ll get to that and then the sentimental items. Those are always the toughest,” I replied.
After some persuasion—mostly involving promises of a well-organized home and maybe a little romance—Mark reluctantly agreed.
Does It Spark Joy?
The principle behind keeping or discarding items is whether they “spark joy.” Yes, you read that correctly! You hold an item and evaluate the joy it brings you. Using that logic, I’d only keep my wine, my favorite book, and my family (and some days, the family dog!).
Tackling His Wardrobe
We kicked off our KonMari adventure on a Saturday morning with Mark’s clothes.
“Let’s get started! First, dump all your clothes on the floor,” I instructed.
“On the floor? That’s a terrible idea! We won’t be able to move!” he protested.
He had a point (which I hate to admit), so we opted to create a massive pile on the bed instead.
“Don’t forget your coats! Grab everything from around the house!” I urged.
“Does this spark joy for you? Does it?” I asked while dodging the clothes he tossed in my direction.
To his credit, Mark was quick to identify what sparked joy for him, which unfortunately didn’t include several items I had gifted him. Those went straight into the discard pile.
“You’re tossing all your sweaters?! When do I wear those, except when you pick my outfits?” he quipped.
I couldn’t help but respond, “That’s a fair point, but I’m still not letting you keep them.”
Organizing the Survivors
Once Mark had successfully eliminated his joy-sucking garments, we moved on to organizing what remained.
“Can’t we just shove everything back in the dresser like before?” he asked.
“Definitely not! We need to lovingly fold them into tiny rectangles. Clothes have feelings too, especially the ones that survived this purge—they probably feel guilty!” I insisted.
“You’re joking, right?” he asked, incredulous.
“Nope! Fold them right or I’ll KonMari you,” I threatened.
It quickly became apparent that while Mark was great at purging, folding was not his strong suit. I made him watch instructional videos on YouTube, and we meticulously redid his T-shirts. “And socks need to be treated with respect! Never ball them up!” I advised, feeling a bit ridiculous.
“Are we still going to be married after this?” he wondered.
My Turn to Purge
When it was time for me to tackle my own belongings, I found it much more challenging. I frequently asked Mark for his opinion on whether my outfits sparked joy—he wisely kept his thoughts to himself. Plus, I discovered that many of my clothes no longer fit, so I reluctantly boxed them up for “future me,” probably breaking a few KonMari rules along the way.
By day’s end, we had successfully filled ten garbage bags with clothing and managed to organize the survivors in our dressers and closets. Though the process was painful, our closets now looked fantastic. They might not have changed my life, but they certainly brought me joy.
Moving Beyond Clothing
“Are you ready for the next phase?” I asked Mark with enthusiasm.
“What!? The clothes took all day! There’s no way we can finish the rest this weekend!” he protested.
“Of course we can! Let’s keep going!” I urged.
Mark replied, “You no longer spark joy for me—time for the garbage bag!”
To save my marriage, I pivoted and focused on the bedroom, leaving the rest of the house for another time. I moved all books, papers, and komono to the office for future sorting.
What Did I Discover?
If my bedroom is any indication, the KonMari Method should yield impressive results throughout the rest of the house. Despite some marital bickering, I found that purging by category and letting go of what you don’t love is truly effective. Will it transform my life? Only time will tell.
The folding techniques are great, but let’s be realistic—I can barely keep up with the laundry as it is. Those clean clothes will have to learn to be content in the laundry basket. And as for talking to my socks? That’s a hard pass for me.