With a little advice from Marie Kondo – famed for her expert organization and cleaning KonMari method – we’ve got a six-step spring-cleaning guide that will help you start this new season off with your space (home or office) renewed and decluttered! Here are the six rules of the KonMari method:

Commit to declutter. Set aside strict time to spring clean your space and honor your commitment.

Think about how decluttering will affect your lifestyle. What do you want to achieve by eliminating unwanted items? How will this make you feel and what will your space look like when you’re done? Envisioning the end goal will help keep you motivated.

Remove unwanted items and go paperless. Have you been waiting to get rid of that box in the basement? Do you have clothes to donate? Now is the time to donate and discard the things in your life that are making you unhappy. Are there paper copies and bills everywhere? Consider making these items digital and storing them in the cloud instead.

Declutter by category. Instead of clearing rooms one at a time, KonMari suggests you sort items by category. For example, do you have junk drawers all over the house? Go through them all at once.

Organize items by order. First is clothes, second is books, third is papers, fourth is miscellaneous items, and, last is sentimental items. This method is designed to help you decide which items make you happy – and which items to discard.

Keep only what brings you joy. First, ask yourself what items in your house bring you joy. Then, ask yourself the reverse – what items DON’T bring you joy. If you are able to get rid of these joyless items, donate or discard them.

Although the KonMari method is more about getting rid of what you don’t need versus buying new items, here are some products that will be useful for keeping your home organized in the long run:

  • More storage: A bookshelf, bathroom storage or a shoe rack are all great storage supplies for helping you stay organized and making your home less cluttered.
  • Boxes or organizers for drawers: Shallow boxes or dividers help keep items organized inside drawers to prevent the junk drawer evolution. A bamboo expandable drawer organizeris great for cutlery drawers.
  • Cleaning supplies: These help to clean and freshen your home before you start reorganizing. Microfiber clothsare great for cleaning and dusting and are washable and reusable.

 “Using the Marie Kondo Method for the Ultimate Spring Clean,” Lauren Corona, Chicago Tribune, March 7, 2019.