mermo Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I am just getting started with what is hopefully a major overhaul of getting organized and decluttering. For those of you who have gotten a good start on the KonMari method, how much time do you feel you save daily? Is general upkeep much easier? Other benefits? Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I stopped after clothes, but I've definitely saved time looking for those. You can see everything when you open the drawer, so there's no shuffling or hunting ever. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I stopped after clothes, but I've definitely saved time looking for those. You can see everything when you open the drawer, so there's no shuffling or hunting ever. So glad I'm not the only one who stalled after clothing. My dresser drawers and closet are still in great shape. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'm still scratching the surface. I don't know how to calculate time saved because I've never paid attention to time spent, lol. Here's what I can say after doing the boys' room and going through all the kids' (and my own) clothing. The boys' room is faster and easier to clean. I do it more frequently now because it's quick and easy. Don't lecture me on doing it myself, I'm simply comparing. I used to let it stay a mess for a heck of a lot longer because I just didn't want to deal. I spend less time hunting down clothes for them b/c they are able to grab their own without rifling through drawers and jumbling everything up. And they do tidy up now and then because it isn't as overwhelming for them as it used to be. I'm doing less laundry b/c ALL of the kids have an easier time managing their clothes and there's a lot less "Wait, I don't remember you wearing this" as I go through the family hamper. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer132 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I stopped after clothes, but I've definitely saved time looking for those. You can see everything when you open the drawer, so there's no shuffling or hunting ever. Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'm not finished. I went through all the steps but I was a bit too cautious so I'm about to attack it again...and there are things I need to organize but need the containers to do so. It seems like before cleaning expanded to fill every bit of spare time I had. Now it's a load of dishes and laundry twice a day, picking up after ourselves as we go (effortless if they have a home, sweeping up big stuff the parrot dropped that the roomba can't pick up, running the roomba and wiping the counters. Other chores are rotated weekly. I estimate about an hour a day broken up into little chunks? The kids KM'd the heck out of their rooms. That helped immensely. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermo Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Thank you!!! Mamjag this is what I was hoping to hear - this will be a huge motivator to keep pushing through when I lose momentum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... It takes me longer to do the little boys' clothes now, but that's mostly because I find their scale awkward and they share a dresser, so making sure 6s and 8s aren't mixed up takes a good look. My own clothes are just as fast as when I folded them "normal" or pushed things around to find empty hangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'd say I save 15 minutes a day, but I'm in a 2 bedroom apartment. I've gotten really good at the folding and it goes quickly now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... It takes me longer to fold laundry- I used to hang t-shirts and just throw undies in the drawer and roll socks. The socks are fine, but folding the shirts is more time consuming than hanging, and folding undies is definitely more work than tossing them into a drawer. However....last weekend we removed a window unit air conditioner that we've left in for years. We used to take it out every winter and reinstall it in the spring, but we got lazy. Anyway, I had a short window covering for when the ac unit was in and a long one for when it was out. So I needed to find the long one...and told DH I may have tossed it. I looked in the linen closet and found it within ten seconds. Because the closet wasn't jam packed with junk, finding what I needed was effortless. So I figure the time I saved looking for that curtain cancels out the time I spend folding my undies and shirts. At least for a while. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... I don't fold socks or undies the Konmari way. I like being able to see all the t-shirts and pick one, but I don't really care what color my underwear is day to day, kwim? I just fold in half and stack the way I always have. I pair the socks and toss them in the sock drawer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 My DH read the book! I didn't even know it until he started sorting through all of his clothes and detritus and talking about giving up the master bedroom to the kids. I'm not sure I need it, still not, but now we're on a roll. He says he's surprised at how much is in there that I already instinctively know. (Nice little affirmation there. :) ) I don't have enough clothes to care about the folding and storing method, but dh's drawers look great. Will my packrat/messy family start paying attention to these things?? Following with interest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 In one way, it is taking me more time. I like they way she folds clothes but my kids can't/won't put them away correctly so now I'm putting the laundry away. That sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer132 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 In one way, it is taking me more time. I like they way she folds clothes but my kids can't/won't put them away correctly so now I'm putting the laundry away. That sucks. That's me too. I had my big kids mostly independent pre-konmari. Now my drawers are tidy, but I find I'm putting away all the clothes myself, even my dh wouldn't keep up with it, so if I want it that way, I have to keep doing it myself! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I know for a fact it will save me time. And I know for a fact that I got a whole lot happier being in my house. And I know for a fact that I got a whole new room in my house because of doing this. We moved from 4000sf to 2500, and now we are selling our beach house so add 1600sf more furniture. All the rooms are smaller and there are fewer of them. And all of the old rooms in the 4000sf house were full. So we were just packed in here and could hardly move, let alone clean. Add to that the fact that my MIL moved in with us to the 4000sf house, which booted my son to the basement and his stuff NEVER got put away before we moved to a rental for a year, where he had an enormous suite and things never got cleared out and now he has a 10x10 bedroom, and there were boxes and boxes of stuff, and more in the garage, and stuff *everywhere.*. I tackled his room and it is SO NICE. He came home from a trip he was on and he was clearly HAPPY. Before I did this, you could barely walk across the floor, it was so covered with stuff. It was impossible to vacuum or clean (and I'm telling you, when I ratted it out last week, it was disGUSTing). Now, it is serene, he is happier, he puts his clothes in the hamper, brings his dishes to the kitchen and has even made his bed once or twice. And it smells sooooo much better. You could say the same about the LR and the FamRm; just junk EVERYWHERE. Well, books and junk. Now we have 2 living spaces, the TV in one and the other for reading. Both are so much more serene. Da bomb, though, is my little office. I used to have a 200sf sewing room with a closet, and a kitchen office. Now I have a 10x10 den. No closet. I haven't had my sewing stuff out for 3 years. It's been so depressing. Well, I got rid of all the hobby stuff that would not fit in one cabinet and one bookshelf. I got rid of big furniture that was holding our tech gear (router and so on) and put it on a smaller piece. I threw away old files, and got everything into one 2-drawer cabinet. And then I could rearrange the den and now I have my sewing machine OUT and my desk facing the window so I can watch the birds and it is SO nice. My dh keeps walking by and commenting on how great it looks. I think he wants me to do his office now (which is twice as big, has a closet and yet here he sits on his computer at the kitchen counter....grrr..:0) ) Many many trips to the thrift store, many many boxes of books and DVDs to HalfPrice...but yeah, it's saving time, but mostly it is saving money (we won't have to move again to buy a bigger house to store our stuff) and it has produced a lot of serenity. Happy. ETA: I am sure it has also saved a bunch of money. I have put alllll the DVDs in one place...do you know how many DUPLICATES I found? Same with the CDs. How many places could I have squirreled away stationery? Oh, eight. Let's just say I don't have to buy stationery for a very, very long time. :0) Same with a few other items. And I had two sewing setups--one at the beach house, one at home. Well, I can't bring myself to sell either machine yet, or the sewing cabs, either, but all the 2scissors, 2quilting rulers, 2rolling cutters, all that...only 1 now. Because it is all in one place. I think that is the most major secret of the whole thing for us. I still have the linen closet to go and a lot of other work to do, by the way. But oh my this is a lot better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... The putting the clothes away part does take longer, but I'm getting faster at it. I definitely feel like even though it's taking more time to fold the clothes, my family is saving much more time when we're getting dressed - especially for DH. I'm also doing smaller and less frequent loads of laundry, and it's a lot easier to determine when laundry needs to be done since I can just quickly glance in a drawer and see how much clothing is left. I'm still not 100% sold on the socks since I find those the finickiest and most time consuming things to fold, but DH seems to like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I decluttered my home in the summer of '14, before I'd heard about Kon Mari. It saved me a lot of time. All of a sudden, everything had a place in my home. No more wandering around the house holding an item and trying to figure out where to stash it. No more piles of items without homes that had to get moved around from time to time. Now, when we clean, we can just dash around putting things where they go. Dusting is faster, too, because there aren't piles. So is vacuuming. There aren't things in piles in corners. I can grab towels easier because the shelf isn't so stuffed that everything topples over when I pull something out. It's little bits of time, but they do add up. And even if the time doesn't add up, I just feel more relaxed knowing that everything is in its home when we're done cleaning. But it's been a little over a year and I need to re-declutter. A few things have piled up since then. Actually, last year's homeschool papers and books (books I'm saving for the next child) have piled up and don't have a home. They live on the steps (because there's a door to the steps and we only go upstairs once a day when the boys go to bed at night.) They neeeeed a home. It drives me crazy seeing 9 steps all piled with books and things that need to be put...somewhere. I don't know where to put them. And it's been 5 months that they've been sitting there. This time around with decluttering, it will go faster because there's less stuff and I have been inspired by Kon Mari and I am inspired by how much easier it is to navigate my tiny house without piles of things everywhere. (Except on the steps.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 It definitely saves time for us, cleaning-wise. Laundry takes longer, mostly because DH was folding before and how I am ;) We joke that thanks to years of Catholic school, his fine motor skills aren't developed enough to handle this type of skill. Should have gone to Montessori like me :)! Like PP mentioned, time saved knowing just where things are is huge. I could locate all of our fall things in just a moment. Same for baby stuff. Personally, my biggest gains are in mental peace and money savings. I don't feel like I need to hold on to different things that could be useful - they're free to go to the thrift store! I have my office/school space organized and want to put things away when I am finished. (This is huuuge.) And because we just took so much to the thrift store, I have very little desire to bring new materials into the house just because "they were a good deal." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I'm not fully finished. I don't know that I've saved much time but things feel more spacious and I feel like things are getting cleaner and less stagnant. I did fairly majorly declutter with fly lady so I think some of those time savings were already there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Did you find folding takes longer? I like how my drawers look, but actually folding seems like it takes a lot longer. Not just the shirts, but the rolling of the socks, folding the undies...Not sure it's actually saving me time.... It took longer to fold that first month, but now I'm used to it and I'm up to speed with the new way. Also, a few minutes more folding was never as valuable as a few minutes getting dressed to go somewhere. I tend to fold in one sitting while watching a movie once or twice a week. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I also find the folding faster now though I freely admit I'm sloppy about it. It takes a month or so to build the brain pathways and muscle memory for the new technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Just wanted to add that my 4 and 8yos attempted to help me fold their clothes yesterday. It did not go well, lol, but the interest is there. Someday... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I don't know about time, but the feeling of lightness and having more energy is worth it to me. Now I look at the rooms in my house with a vision of how I want them to be. It is slow going but I'm getting there more and more. I'm at the last category of sentimental stuff and am doing it in small bites, but I will still walk into a room and get rid of stuff or find a different place for it if it doesn't match my vision. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Everyone is talking about clothing. That is a very small issue in my home. We have been good about getting rid of clothing when it doesn't fit or when it isn't in the best shape anymore. My biggest issue is the kitchen. I am a kitchen gadget-aholoic and we have more gadgets and things in there than we do cabinet space. It is always a mess. Is there a reason I can't start there? Dh is begging me to get the kitchen under control and he knows I will be mad if he starts touching it and getting rid of stuff, so that means it is all up to me and my controlling self. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Everyone is talking about clothing. That is a very small issue in my home. We have been good about getting rid of clothing when it doesn't fit or when it isn't in the best shape anymore. My biggest issue is the kitchen. I am a kitchen gadget-aholoic and we have more gadgets and things in there than we do cabinet space. It is always a mess. Is there a reason I can't start there? Dh is begging me to get the kitchen under control and he knows I will be mad if he starts touching it and getting rid of stuff, so that means it is all up to me and my controlling self. Dawn Clothing is the most shocking difference for most people, so doing that first inspires people to keep going. Start in the kitchen. I won't tell. ;) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onceuponatime Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Everyone is talking about clothing. That is a very small issue in my home. We have been good about getting rid of clothing when it doesn't fit or when it isn't in the best shape anymore. My biggest issue is the kitchen. I am a kitchen gadget-aholoic and we have more gadgets and things in there than we do cabinet space. It is always a mess. Is there a reason I can't start there? Dh is begging me to get the kitchen under control and he knows I will be mad if he starts touching it and getting rid of stuff, so that means it is all up to me and my controlling self. Dawn Why not? She says not to modify her method but I think that is unrealistic. I did what worked for me. Take out all your gadgets and put them in plain sight. Then pick up each one and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it doesn't, you get rid of it. Send all those unused and unloved gadgets out into the world to bless other people's lives. 😃 if it brings you joy, designate a permanent place for it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 DawnM, what helped me with kitchen gadget stuff was a tip I read from Peter Walsh once: take all your gadgets & extra kitchen stuff & box it up. Set it elsewhere. As you need something, go get it. After it is used & cleaned, put it back in the drawer or cabinet. After a month (or two), get rid of everything else you haven't used. I used to have two drawers stuffed w/ too many spatulas, whisks, measuring things, weird forks (pickle forks maybe?), strawberry hullers, apple corers, etc.... I pulled everything out & immediately put back in about 5 things I use all the time (some tongs, a couple of good/big knives, a spatula, a whisk). Then, I stuck to his method of retrieving things from the box as needed. It worked perfectly. I got rid of probably 70% of what was in those drawers & I haven't missed a single thing yet. (That was two years ago.) Great thing is that I can open the drawers & find what I want immediately instead of digging around. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeepa Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm haven't finished the process yet (on month 4 because I've taken lots of breaks) but it is definitely a timesaver and general upkeep is so much easier. Although, what I've appreciated the most is the space I have now reclaimed, both physically and in my head. I just have so much less to keep track of, and I can actually find what I need when I need it. That's all worth it in my opinion. :001_smile: I didn't follow her exact method as I jumped from clothes to individual rooms because school was starting and I needed certain areas of the house done before others. Still worked for me. I did leave all sentimental stuff till the end and I'm actually still working on that. It is the toughest. Another big benefit - with less stuff in my house, it's so much easier to do the "quick...someone is stopping by" clean up job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 DawnM, I started in the kitchen as well. I looked at the core function of each item and asked whether something else would do the trick. I had a six month stint this year of living with very minimal stuff while most of my belongings were in storage. I got by with a LOT less while we were in temporary housing and I really missed very little of it. Interestingly, how I eat also changed a bit. I did a lot less baking and ate more fruits and veggies. It's fascinating how what we own shapes how we live. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 It hasn't saved me time. It has saved me *mental energy* and gives me a sense of peace and calm when dealing with my space. That is worth far more than saving a few minutes on laundry or having a perfectly organized and useful kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Why not? She says not to modify her method but I think that is unrealistic. I did what worked for me. Take out all your gadgets and put them in plain sight. Then pick up each one and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it doesn't, you get rid of it. Send all those unused and unloved gadgets out into the world to bless other people's lives. 😃 if it brings you joy, designate a permanent place for it. I watched a couple of YouTube videos on KonMari kitchen methods today and one lady had some things to sell. I think the things I spent a lot of $$ on that I don't use I will try to sell first. I have spent a boatload on kitchen stuff! I got in to bread making, grinding my own wheat, etc......although I never did much of it because it was a PITB and I just didn't really like it. Here are a few things I know I do NOT use but can't seem to part with: Food Saver Greenstar Juicer WhisperMill William Sonoma bread machine 50 pound buckets of wheat SoyMilk Maker Multiple 13x9 pyrex dishes Tupperware items that just take up room KitchenAid Mixer attachments I never use Cuisinart Food Processor Soda Machine/Maker Ronco rotissere Roaster plug in Extra crock pot Man, just typing that all out makes me mad that I have all that! There is more, but that is the jist. Even considering getting rid of my KitchenAid Mixer as it doesn't fit under my cabinets because it is the tall version. I could probably get by with just my hand mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm late to the party on this Kon Mari thing, so I have a quick question. What's up with the folding? Is there some super-secret clothes-folding method I need to know? And why does it sound like it takes longer than "normal" laundry-folding? I'm not so sure about the "brings you joy" aspect of this system, as it sounds a little too woo-woo for me, but I am trying to declutter and get more organized, so I think some of the ideas could be useful. Thanks! :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm late to the party on this Kon Mari thing, so I have a quick question. What's up with the folding? Is there some super-secret clothes-folding method I need to know? And why does it sound like it takes longer than "normal" laundry-folding? I'm not so sure about the "brings you joy" aspect of this system, as it sounds a little too woo-woo for me, but I am trying to declutter and get more organized, so I think some of the ideas could be useful. Thanks! :) The joy thing gets me too, so I try to look at it more as, "Does this item provide a valuable function for me?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 DawnM, your list looks like things you spent money on, but they didn't really fit into the life you're living---they represent ideas or aspirations, but not your reality. (At least, my list was very similar and that's what it was for me.) I acknowledged that those things aren't things that fit my reality, and that I needed space for the way I do cook/live and let them go. I gave them away to people who really wanted them as I didn't want to deal with Craig's List. The health nut frugal fairy didn't come and beat me up. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The joy thing gets me too, so I try to look at it more as, "Does this item provide a valuable function for me?" The way I explained it to the kids was, "Do you like it enough to be worth having to take responsibility for taking care of it? Is it worthy of taking up space in your small room?" I was shocked at how much they got rid of and that they are going through the process on an ongoing basis. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 DawnM, your list looks like things you spent money on, but they didn't really fit into the life you're living---they represent ideas or aspirations, but not your reality. (At least, my list was very similar and that's what it was for me.) I acknowledged that those things aren't things that fit my reality, and that I needed space for the way I do cook/live and let them go. I gave them away to people who really wanted them as I didn't want to deal with Craig's List. The health nut frugal fairy didn't come and beat me up. :) Oh whew. I was worried about that fairy! I can't believe I spent about $1500 on all that stuff. But then when I think about my cluttered and overcrowded cabinets, I think, "You know, it is still cheaper than spending over $10K to remodel the kitchen for more cabinets or adding on to the house to house more stuff." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 DawnM, I came to a similar conclusion. I also gave myself permission to rebuy something if I decided that I later needed it. That moment hasn't come up, and I'm a few years in at this point to the beginning of my decluttering journey. My husband loves studying accounting and economics and essentially, I was miscalculating the total cost of the item--the cost to purchase it, store it, maintain/clean it, as well as use it. The whole "cost per use" has also been part of the discussion. FWIW, my Blendtec blender has a counter on it. I've used it 670 times as of this morning when I made my smoothie....about .75/use. That's been a great purchase. OTOH, my Brita pitcher has been used twice and takes up half a cabinet and a good chunk of real estate in my refrigerator. It's cost per use has been $10. It's going into the thrift store drop-off pile this afternoon. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Dawn, I have two things: We got the WhisperMill and the Bosch bread kneader because my DH was going to bake bread. Oh, and 50 pounds of wheat. The following Monday, he went to the doctor and came back diagnosed celiac. :::scowl::: Part of the reason he wanted to make bread is that in our church, the parishioners bake the bread for the loaves that will be used in communion. But now we couldn't even have the wheat in the house. The Bosch went to another woman in the parish who makes 10x the bread she used to now, including the bread for communion. So the intention was met and the need was met in our parish. The WhisperMill went to a woman who uses it for the same purpose and to support her family by selling freshly ground wheat at the farmer's market. At least I think she did/does. Anyway, I am guaranteeing you that the world is a better place because we liberated those two items. The other thing that was really helpful about KonMari is that if you use the method, you learn that part of the reason we keep stuff is because we feel foolish for having spent money on something we never/rarely use. So we justify it, somehow, to make ourselves feel better, and end up keeping it. Instead, what you do with KonMari, is you look at the item and decide if it serves a necessary function or sparks joy, and if it doesn't, you THANK it for teaching you something or helping you at a point in your life that no longer exists, and liberate it to serve another purpose elsewhere. I have a small wardrobe, but still, there are things I don't wear. I went upstairs and took each piece off the hanger and thought about usefulness/joy. If neither was present, I said, "Thank you dear orange shirt for teaching me that orange is not my color. Not even if I am a Bronco fan." "Thank you floofy skirt for teaching me that I am not 22 anymore." "Thank you black shoes for walking me through Paris and London...25 years ago. It's time you were retired." THANKING them rather than justifying them made all the difference. The hilarious part is that I came downstairs and told my dh about talking to my clothes and HE went upstairs and did the same thing and came down with a bunch of clothes!! If you knew my dh, you would faint, reading this. :0) Anyway, it's not just about "getting rid of stuff" but about changing your mindset...and helping you have a better understanding of what stuff is for. It has been a real help to me. And I did my closet because it was a small project. :-) But I could totally see doing the kitchen first. The only caveat I would have to some of the above advice is that SOME stuff that is very useful might be used only 2-3 months out of the year. (A strawberry huller. I kept mine.) Or a roasting pan (Christmas, Pascha and Thanksgiving...) It is still worth keeping them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I'm late to the party on this Kon Mari thing, so I have a quick question. What's up with the folding? Is there some super-secret clothes-folding method I need to know? And why does it sound like it takes longer than "normal" laundry-folding? I'm not so sure about the "brings you joy" aspect of this system, as it sounds a little too woo-woo for me, but I am trying to declutter and get more organized, so I think some of the ideas could be useful. Thanks! :) Haven't read the book and can't comment on the joy aspect. I didn't ask myself anything except if the clothes fit and if I liked them as I sorted. I only did the folding for some of our laundry. Our closets are small and we don't have a lot of floor space for dressers, either. The nice thing about the folding is that it helped me store more in the space we have and I don't lose my stuff anymore. It doesn't take me any longer, but I was terrible at folding to begin with. The first time was long, but for stuff like my pajamas, I just don't care if they are perfect. Just as long as they fit in the drawer. There are a bunch of youtube videos that show how to fold (and I really thought I could never fold clothes so neatly) and since I am spatially-challenged, I kept this site (I've never visited goop before but it came up on a google search) on my phone next to me the first few times I folded. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Haven't read the book and can't comment on the joy aspect. I didn't ask myself anything except if the clothes fit and if I liked them as I sorted. I only did the folding for some of our laundry. Our closets are small and we don't have a lot of floor space for dressers, either. The nice thing about the folding is that it helped me store more in the space we have and I don't lose my stuff anymore. It doesn't take me any longer, but I was terrible at folding to begin with. The first time was long, but for stuff like my pajamas, I just don't care if they are perfect. Just as long as they fit in the drawer. There are a bunch of youtube videos that show how to fold (and I really thought I could never fold clothes so neatly) and since I am spatially-challenged, I kept this site (I've never visited goop before but it came up on a google search) on my phone next to me the first few times I folded. Thanks! I was thinking there was some sort of special folding method involved. As it is, I'm already a good folder. When I was younger, I owned a small chain of clothing boutiques, so you can bet I got way more practice at folding than I ever wanted! I got really fast at it, though. I already fold things like pjs, socks, and underwear, so I am hoping I'm ahead of the game. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizahelen Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Cat- she advocates storing all clothes on their spine, instead of in stacks, and by color and texture. She also advocates hanging as little as possible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Cat- she advocates storing all clothes on their spine, instead of in stacks, and by color and texture. She also advocates hanging as little as possible. Thanks! I think it would take some time to get used to doing the storing-on-the-spine thing. It does sound like it would make it easier to find things in the drawers, though. I'm not sure about also sorting by color and texture because it's starting to sound like too many steps. I tend to find a sweater or polo shirt that I like and then buy the same thing in several colors, so I would probably sort by style instead of color. Why doesn't she like hanging clothes? I get a lot of clothes dry cleaned, and shirts and blouses get laundered and pressed at the dry cleaners, too, so it would seem pretty silly to bring them home and fold them. I fold things like sweaters and polo shirts, though. I also fold jeans, but not other kinds of trousers. Maybe it's time for me to read the book... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 DawnM, I came to a similar conclusion. I also gave myself permission to rebuy something if I decided that I later needed it. That moment hasn't come up, and I'm a few years in at this point to the beginning of my decluttering journey. My husband loves studying accounting and economics and essentially, I was miscalculating the total cost of the item--the cost to purchase it, store it, maintain/clean it, as well as use it. The whole "cost per use" has also been part of the discussion. FWIW, my Blendtec blender has a counter on it. I've used it 670 times as of this morning when I made my smoothie....about .75/use. That's been a great purchase. OTOH, my Brita pitcher has been used twice and takes up half a cabinet and a good chunk of real estate in my refrigerator. It's cost per use has been $10. It's going into the thrift store drop-off pile this afternoon. Yes, my Vita-mix did NOT make that to go list. I have used it probably more than 670 times so far. I think I have had it 4 years now and we use it 4-7 times per week, often 7. How do you calculate cost to store something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Dawn, I have two things: We got the WhisperMill and the Bosch bread kneader because my DH was going to bake bread. Oh, and 50 pounds of wheat. The following Monday, he went to the doctor and came back diagnosed celiac. :::scowl::: Part of the reason he wanted to make bread is that in our church, the parishioners bake the bread for the loaves that will be used in communion. But now we couldn't even have the wheat in the house. The Bosch went to another woman in the parish who makes 10x the bread she used to now, including the bread for communion. So the intention was met and the need was met in our parish. The WhisperMill went to a woman who uses it for the same purpose and to support her family by selling freshly ground wheat at the farmer's market. At least I think she did/does. Anyway, I am guaranteeing you that the world is a better place because we liberated those two items. The other thing that was really helpful about KonMari is that if you use the method, you learn that part of the reason we keep stuff is because we feel foolish for having spent money on something we never/rarely use. So we justify it, somehow, to make ourselves feel better, and end up keeping it. Instead, what you do with KonMari, is you look at the item and decide if it serves a necessary function or sparks joy, and if it doesn't, you THANK it for teaching you something or helping you at a point in your life that no longer exists, and liberate it to serve another purpose elsewhere. I have a small wardrobe, but still, there are things I don't wear. I went upstairs and took each piece off the hanger and thought about usefulness/joy. If neither was present, I said, "Thank you dear orange shirt for teaching me that orange is not my color. Not even if I am a Bronco fan." "Thank you floofy skirt for teaching me that I am not 22 anymore." "Thank you black shoes for walking me through Paris and London...25 years ago. It's time you were retired." THANKING them rather than justifying them made all the difference. The hilarious part is that I came downstairs and told my dh about talking to my clothes and HE went upstairs and did the same thing and came down with a bunch of clothes!! If you knew my dh, you would faint, reading this. :0) Anyway, it's not just about "getting rid of stuff" but about changing your mindset...and helping you have a better understanding of what stuff is for. It has been a real help to me. And I did my closet because it was a small project. :-) But I could totally see doing the kitchen first. The only caveat I would have to some of the above advice is that SOME stuff that is very useful might be used only 2-3 months out of the year. (A strawberry huller. I kept mine.) Or a roasting pan (Christmas, Pascha and Thanksgiving...) It is still worth keeping them. I have the book and have read only a portion of the book, but I, like Catwoman, think it is too far out there when it comes to thanking my things. I get the concept, but I just can't do it. I can objectively look at something and say, "You know, this isn't working for me anymore" but thanking inanimate objects is just not in my nature. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Why doesn't she like hanging clothes? I get a lot of clothes dry cleaned, and shirts and blouses get laundered and pressed at the dry cleaners, too, so it would seem pretty silly to bring them home and fold them. I fold things like sweaters and polo shirts, though. I also fold jeans, but not other kinds of trousers. I don't remember if she gives a specific reason for not hanging things - maybe because they take up less space folded? Anyway, I hang almost everything including t-shirts and jeans. I only fold sweaters, exercise clothes, socks and undies. I don't have too many clothes anymore and it's nice to see all my tops together, for example. I must add that I don't have a dresser and all my folded clothing is on a shelf in the closet. Socks and undies are in a wicker basket on the shelf. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I have the book and have read only a portion of the book, but I, like Catwoman, think it is too far out there when it comes to thanking my things. I get the concept, but I just can't do it. I can objectively look at something and say, "You know, this isn't working for me anymore" but thanking inanimate objects is just not in my nature. In my mind, it would be harder to get rid of something if I had assigned it enough of a personality that I could thank it for its service. I would get sentimental and be sad to see it go, so I would end up keeping it. So maybe I'm even crazier than the author of that book! :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I don't remember if she gives a specific reason for not hanging things - maybe because they take up less space folded? Anyway, I hang almost everything including t-shirts and jeans. I only fold sweaters, exercise clothes, socks and undies. I don't have too many clothes anymore and it's nice to see all my tops together, for example. I must add that I don't have a dresser and all my folded clothing is on a shelf in the closet. Socks and undies are in a wicker basket on the shelf. :iagree: I think it's easier to keep track of clothes that are hanging in the closet than it is to have to go through drawers, and I also think it's easier to organize them by color or style, or to keep whole outfits together when I can hang them up next to each other. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I have the book and have read only a portion of the book, but I, like Catwoman, think it is too far out there when it comes to thanking my things. I get the concept, but I just can't do it. I can objectively look at something and say, "You know, this isn't working for me anymore" but thanking inanimate objects is just not in my nature. Oh, believe me, I felt like an IDIOT. But I did it. :0) And for some reason it helped. But it's not required, I don't think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2pandc Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 I'm in the middle of KonMari. I did all the clothes, the papers, the books and movies, then I kind of went by room since the miscellaneous category is so broad. So I am doing like items at once (kitchen items, bathroom items, decor items in each room, etc.). I have made my way through the main floors of the house and my house is sighing with relief with the amount of stuff I have taken out and eased the pain of the floor beams. However, I'm now in the throes of the bane of my existence. The basement storage....where all things go to die or be lost forever. I did already pull out books and paper storage (we own a business and this category alone was enough to make me cry) but anyhow, I've lightened the load somewhat in that area. But I have a hodgepodge of holiday, memorabilia, old toys the kids want to save, and things I've hung on to for a garage sale amongst probably 150 other categories of miscellaneous. So in a fit of insanity I decided to completely empty the storage area. I mean completely. I've removed every bit of it to the finished basement family room and am going to stain the concrete floor in the unfinished storage area. Then my grand plan is to sort it all as it goes back into the storage area. I disassembled all of the storage racks even. I think there were 13 of them. And it's 14 years of stuff i felt I might use again someday or I kept for sentimental reasons. It is insanity. I've had a hard time starting the sorting, but in my defense we aren't staining the floor until next weekend, so I have no place to put the already sorted storage items. I did however take one car load our to the donation bin and several bags of trash today. All together I think I've probably gotten rid of 20 bags or more of stuff and probably 2 dumpsters of stuff that I pitched including all of the old business files. If any of you saw the towering stacks of rubber maid totes in my basement, you would weep, or laugh hysterically. At the very least it would make you feel better about where you are. But seriously imagine pulling out all of your items that you are storing for one reason or another and stacking them in a living space in your house. Even with the current chaos though, I can see the light. My main living area is so much easier to maintain. We still get the business paper clutter and the everyone-rushes-in-and-drops-what's- in-their-hands-in-the-kitchen problem, but it takes 10-15 minutes tops to tidy it back up. I can make my house presentable in less than 30 minutes when it's at its worst now. And that's mostly vacuuming and I'm pretty picky about what the house looks like if company is coming. Stick with it and finish. I'm confident you will feel lighter, and things will be easier to maintain. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in CA Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 * The kids clean up their toys so much faster. * Clothing and laundry are taken care of faster. * We don't tend to dump stuff in piles because everything has a home. So house stays tidier. * I can find stuff faster. * Unless I spend a lot of time looking for something, only to realize I got rid of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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