Magical Cleaning: The Japanese Art of Tidying Up Your Home and Life. The Konmari Method: Marie Kondo's Magical Cleanup Marie Kondo's Magical Cleanup

The Japanese method of magical cleaning will be that by tidying up a room, you can change your life for the better. Literally every person at least once in his life experienced the effect of the reverse action of cleaning the house, that is, the order in the room made him more perfect, smart and balanced.

Japanese cleaning method, about Maria Kondo

Marie Kondo's method (magical cleaning) is really very interesting and quite simple, thanks to which you can easily and quickly defeat the clutter at home. The uniqueness of the method is that putting the room in order has a positive effect on all aspects of life, that is, on family affairs and even at work. Maria Kondo devoted 80% of her life to this moment, she knows for sure that cleaning can positively transform the life of every person. Maria claims that here is a change in the approach to cleaning, and only then it will have an amazing and very good effect on you. Since childhood, Maria Kondo has been looking for methods of perfect order in the house and created her own method, today KonMari gives practical advice to everyone who wants it.

Cleaning in one fell swoop, striving for the ideal

KonMari argues that the order should be restored only in one fell swoop and throughout the room, otherwise the other part of the room will quickly become cluttered again. If the cleaning takes place only partially, then the effect of the opposite negative impact on the person appears. Cleaning in the kitchen should take place immediately, that is, you can not stretch this process, that is, one day to clean the refrigerator, the second set, and so on. Because of such a stupid and wrong approach, there will be no order in the kitchen for sure, so this room should be littered immediately and in one fell swoop. If you do the order in this way, you will immediately see the result, that is, order and cleanliness. This approach is required to be done in other rooms when cleaning.

Cleaning according to the KonMari method says that when cleaning itself, one should set a goal for oneself, as well as strive for perfection and ideal. Such a desire should be literally in everything, both in training and in simple cleaning, as this is of great importance. It will also be very important to clean the house quickly and thoroughly, otherwise you will not achieve a good result. The work must be done competently and as clearly as possible, and if the cleaning is done at half strength, then you simply cannot put the house in order and do not immediately get rid of all the rubbish. Cleaning can distract from important and complex matters and help to find psychological balance, after which a person will have the strength to achieve life goals.

Cleaning by category, principles of work

The Japanese unique method of cleaning KonMari is to organize and sort all things into different categories, such as clothes, books, cosmetics, combs, and so on. You must first calculate the number of items in each category, while determining their usefulness and importance for yourself. Now you need to solve two problems, that is, throw away unnecessary items and the second task is to think over a storage place for the remaining things in the house. Here it is necessary to remember the main general rules, that is, we do it once and for all, cleaning little by little lasts forever, and also the rule to strive for the ideal in work.

The famous Marie Kondo advises making a day when you get rid of excess trash and put everything in order on a festive day that can be a turning point in life.

What is the point?

In her book, Marie does not teach how often to dust, what is the best window cleaner and how long it takes you to scrub the kitchen after a party. Her cleaning style is truly massive and, in a certain sense, destructive - for old, obsolete habits and patterns of behavior from the past. The result of putting things in order according to the KonMari method (from the first syllable of the surname and name), almost always, according to Mari's clients, are serious changes in life.

“By putting his house in order, a person puts his affairs and his past in order. As a result, he quite clearly understands what he needs in life and what is not needed, what is worth doing and what is not worth doing.

Marie believes that the main secret of success in cleaning is the following (quote): “If you clean in one fell swoop, and not gradually, you can change your thinking and life habits forever.” There is a serious problem in cleaning every day, little by little: such cleaning never ends; cleaning a little bit, one area at a time, people often do not see the immediate results of their work, it seems to them that their efforts are in vain. While global cleaning in a limited period of time gives a tremendous boost of energy, "reboots" thinking and takes life to a new level.

“Effective cleaning involves just two critical steps: getting rid of what you don’t need and figuring out where to store what you need.”

Do it once: The perfect life

According to Marie, any cleaning should start with a goal. Ask yourself: what do you want to have when you're done? Where do you want to go after work in the evening? What do you dream of doing after you cross the threshold of your own apartment or house? Draw yourself a vivid vivid picture in your imagination, and then ask yourself: why do I need this? And so several times in a row. You will be surprised, but the final answer to all these “why?” will be: "To be happy." This is the most important thing that we all want in our life - to be happy, and our clean house will help us with this.

Do Two: Throw Out the Unnecessary

Marie Kondo divides cleaning into two parts: the first is to throw away everything that does not bring joy; the second is to find a place for what is left. I understand that this sounds very categorical: “does not bring joy”, but in fact, this rule is the main one in the Konmari method. Let me explain why: very often people surround themselves with a lot of things, store something just like that or in reserve and do not even think about where they get a constant feeling of anxiety or fatigue. Even when they realize that they are owners too a large number things and decide to get rid of them, then throwing out one item at a time and generally focusing on what needs to be thrown out, according to Marie, leads to constant stress. The focus should not be on what you want to throw away, but on what to keep. This is important because people who are surrounded by their favorite things stop experiencing background irritation and feel happier. The whole point is to take each thing in hand: the body does not deceive you, you will subconsciously understand at the very first moment whether this thing pleases you or not, and for each object the reaction will be different.

“What is the point of cleaning? If it is not that our space and the things contained in it give us happiness, then, I think, it does not make any sense at all.

Categories

People don't tend to store items of the same kind in a particular place. For this reason, the “clean by zone” rule is not effective enough: clothes, shoes, household items can be in different parts of our house; very often we have no idea how many things we actually have. In her method, Marie suggests working with categories and doing it in the following way: very carefully collect items of one category in one place and deal with them. The order of the categories in this case is extremely important: according to Marie, you should start from the very beginning. simple type things about which it is easy to decide whether to throw away or leave, and gradually move on to more meaningful subjects. The Konmari sorting order is as follows: clothes, books, documents, miscellaneous items (starting with CDs and ending with groceries), sentimental items (gifts, letters, souvenirs from trips, and so on), photographs.

Go through one category at a time, focusing as much as possible on your first feeling about each item. If for some reason you can't decide if an item brings joy, then ask yourself, "I can't get rid of this item because of attachment to the past or because of fear of the future?" Marie says that every item in our real life is the result of decisions we have made in the past. Always focus on the real you - the one you are right now.

Read about how to properly store what's left, what vertical storage is, and why cleaning is real magic.

Photo: Instagram, huffingtonpost.com

It does not consist in regular mopping, dusting and cleaning things. The Japanese have very different views on this matter. The Konmari method, named after its creator, has gained immense popularity all over the world, including in Russia.

Japanese Marie Kondo has been literally obsessed with cleaning since childhood. It seems that nothing in life interested her, except for two questions: how to store things and how to dispose of them.

This obsession eventually turned into a craft - Marie Kondo became an expert in decluttering living space, wrote the book "Magic Cleaning" and earned millions. She is a welcome guest in any home - in America, New Zealand, Sweden and, of course, Japan. Her schedule is booked a year in advance. When a fragile Japanese woman in a dress similar to a child’s enters the house with a shy smile in the morning, few people believe that as a result of her “magic cleaning” by the evening the owners will be able to say goodbye to things whose total weight will pull on a centner.

Thinking in categories

Many of our compatriots liked the Konmari method. Traditionally, in Russian families, the commandment is passed down from generation to generation - "do not throw away anything, it will come in handy for a rainy day." Modern housewives, trying to cope with rubbish, are trying to compress it on the mezzanine, in garages and in summer cottages. The Konmari method will help them completely clear the old rubble and get rid of the unnecessary.

But as for the things that are part of our "inner circle" - clothes, books, souvenirs, trifles, kitchen utensils - it is more difficult to deal with them, since the emotional attachment to them is stronger. But Marie Kondo calls superfluous things ballast and calls to get rid of them without regrets.

In general, the theory of the Japanese cleaning guru will help to understand the chaos that surrounds us. Marie Kondo believes that all things should be divided into categories and a storage location should be determined for each - wires from equipment, shoes, clothes, home textiles, cosmetics, cleaning products. It took - they took it from one place, used it - returned it back. But everything is more complicated with the kitchen, and Marie pays special attention to this part of the house in her second book SparkJoy, which has not yet been translated in Russia.

Treasure or junk?

Sets, cutlery, plates and other kitchen utensils, plastic containers, empty cans... Some thrifty housewives can store them in several places - in the kitchen itself, in the pantry and, in addition, on the balcony.

Marie suggests gathering all the kitchen utensils together and looking at them critically - you need to answer yourself main question“What brings me joy in all of this?” Anything that doesn't evoke positive emotions should be discarded.

This does not apply to purely functional devices - no one will be happy with a can opener or cutting board. However, if they have served their time and look rather nondescript, you can say goodbye to them. And in return, buy new utensils that will evoke pleasant emotions with their color or ergonomic solutions.

Throw away without regret your plates with broken edges, cups, saucers. Using them, by the way, is a bad omen.

We apply the same approach to cutlery - probably, every family has a treasured box with "silverware", or rather, aluminum, in case of guests. Are you sure that you will serve a friendly dinner with old bent forks or blunt spoons?

Get rid of everything you don't use at all. In order for the kitchen to reign in order, according to the Konmari method, you should have a minimum of the most necessary things.

10 steps to decluttering your home

In most families, rubbish multiplies imperceptibly, in small steps, but always acquires such proportions that your own apartment begins to annoy.

If you want to get rid of what you don't need, but don't dare to start decluttering, use this plan. It’s best to start in the kitchen, because the trash that accumulates in it does not have such a pronounced sentimental touch as, for example, in the bedroom, so it will be easier to part with it.

Beautiful - in business

If you keep special dinnerware separately, start using it all the time. Why hide in another room in a dark closet a wedding service that was given to you twenty years ago? It is better to enjoy beautiful tableware daily.

And why not extract from the depths of the same closet a luxurious tablecloth that belonged to a grandmother? Set the table with it at least on weekends. In this way, you can kill two birds with one stone: use the thing with joy and at the same time make it work. Review all kitchen textiles: chests of drawers may contain starched linen napkins that were last seen ten years ago, new kitchen towels. All dilapidated down with, and new and beautiful should not lie idle.

We keep clean

So that the stove and the desktop do not become overgrown with a coating of dirt and grease, you need to constantly wipe off the splashes from them, which means that the countertops should not be cluttered with anything so that it is easy to wipe the kitchen furniture. The countertop is for cooking only, not for storing spices, oils or knives.

Marie recommends putting the sponge and dishwashing liquid in the cabinet under the sink - so they will not irritate the eye with their unaesthetic appearance. But if you spend all day at home and you have a large family, then washing dishes is almost a constant thing. It is not very convenient to get and clean the sponge under the sink all the time. Look elsewhere for this kitchen accessory. For example, you can hang a sponge on a hook, so it will also dry out. Marie strongly advises getting rid of the dish dryer, which is usually installed next to the sink. Instead, set up a dryer in the kitchen cabinet or, like Marie, dry the dishes in a basin on the balcony, weather permitting.

Whether to use Marie Kondo's kitchen cleaning method or not is up to you. The main thing is that comfort and tranquility reign in the house.

In recent months, I want a simple and minimalistic life. As I browsed through blogs and books, I noticed that many bloggers start their lifestyle change with cleaning. So I decided to first of all throw out the trash.

Several times I came across reviews about the book by Marie Kondo (Marie Kondo), could not resist and replenished the library in the Kindle with another file.

Marie Kondo's book "Magical Cleaning" is a book that immediately gives results. It contains recommendations for cleaning and a proven algorithm. It has "water" in it, but I think it's useful to set the right mood.

The author of the book, Marie Kondo, is a person with a special profession. She helps people clean up. Marie Kondo is invited for a lot of money to come and help with the cleaning, which is done according to unusual principles.

upd 11/17/2017 I accidentally deleted my blog, so the article had to be restored. A few pictures are lost, but the article is still useful. 🙂 Happy reading!

It took me 3 days (15 and a half hours of pure time) to clean the house (and I live in a room of 14 m2 in a hostel). I collected about 10 large bags of rubbish and stuffed a whole garbage container (albeit a small one :)

After Marie Kondo's magical cleaning, an indescribable feeling of freedom appeared. The feeling that I got rid of most of the rubbish that pulled me into the past put spokes in the wheels.

How to clean using the Kondo method?

The system is very simple and working. The algorithm is elementary, but you have to work hard

In the approach of the Japanese Marie Kondo, things are given a special, mystical meaning. You can treat this differently, but let's look at things from a rational point of view. Almost any of your things works as a psychological anchor. An object that often comes under the arm or the eye generates memories, evokes emotions and thoughts.
Now imagine that you got rid of things that do not bring you joy. Imagine how you will feel. Free space in the house and in the head.

I will not convince you that the technique works: it is better to read the book. I will describe the algorithm by which you can carry out "Japanese cleaning".

Algorithm of the konmari harvesting method

Konmari cleaning involves two steps. First you get rid of all the things that don't bring you joy. Then determine the place for the rest.

Here are the principles to follow. Principles that Marie Kondo found in hundreds of cleanings. Which I believed and followed: there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Cleaning takes place in two steps

Get rid of unnecessary things in one fell swoop - the first step of magical cleaning

It is important not to stretch the magic cleaning for a long time. Do it in one or two days. Cleaning in one fell swoop helps to realize the contrast “it was - it became” and after that you will not return to the old life.

It's easier to tune into the clothes, and sort out everything from this category at a time. You can sketch out a shopping list at the same time.

You can gradually increase the complexity from clothes to "sentimental". You can "scatter" the categories for several days.

Our cleaning is not simple, but transformational! Marie Kondo says that many people change their lives after a general cleaning. By the way, I just realized that I also made a couple of very serious decisions over the past month. 🙂

So, before throwing things away, it is advisable to visualize the ideal lifestyle, write on paper how the space around you will change and what you will do. It will be easier in the process.

And then answer the question why you want to live this way.

Your next step is to determine why you want to live the way you do. Review your notes about the lifestyle you desire and think again. Why do you need aromatherapy before bed? Why do you want to listen to classical music while doing yoga? If your answers are: “Because I want to relax before bed” and “I want to do yoga to lose weight,” ask yourself why you want to relax and why you want to lose weight. Perhaps your answers will be: “I don’t want to feel tired when I go to work the next day” and “I want to go on a diet to become more beautiful.” Once again ask yourself the question "why?" for each of these answers. Repeat this process three to five times for each topic.

And now let's get rid of the unnecessary.

Pick up each item in turn and ask yourself this question.

Does it bring joy?

If it does, we keep it; if it doesn't, we throw it away.

Cleaning takes place in the following sequence:

Cloth
Books
The documents
Miscellaneous
Sentimental

cleaning clothes

lower parts
What is hung on the shoulders
Socks
Underwear
bags
Additional Items
Overalls
Shoes

First, you can deal with clothes that are now out of season.

The author proposes to abandon "home" things - stretched worn out clothes - and walk inside the house in the same way that we walk outside. If you really want, you can buy a kit in stores, specially designed for this. A controversial issue, but I got rid of a bunch of worn-out T-shirts: I put them on rags for mopping the floor 🙂

Out-of-season things can not be removed - all of a sudden, they will be needed.

folding

Proper storage of things according to Marie Kondo - vertical storage. We fold them into rectangles and put them vertically in the closet. I tried - it's convenient. True, it’s not canonical, but these are the features of my closet.

We also turn the socks into rectangles, and do not roll them into “lumps”. They will last longer.

Books

Books appear at a certain moment and perform their task. It often makes no sense to store waste paper racks: it is better to give them to someone they can help. I don't have a lot of paper books: I usually read e-books - but I put 7 pieces on the bookcrossing shelf - someone took them in a couple of hours. I'm sure now they will bring much more benefits.

The documents

Throw away everything possible.

The remaining documents are divided into three folders:

Need attention (essentially the inbox folder from GTD)
Should be stored (ID, contracts, other important documents)
It is advisable to store (warranty cards, etc.)

Some documents can be scanned and stored electronically in the cloud.

Miscellaneous (komono)
CD/DVD
Skin care
Accessories
Valuable items
Electronics
Household
home stocks
Kitchen
Products
Other

Sentimental

This seems to be the most difficult step. But after ten hours of magical cleaning by Marie Kondo, this stage will pass like clockwork.

Decide where to store things - the second step of magical cleaning

We store all products of the same type in one place. Storage spaces are located nearby and do not creep.

We use vertical storage.

Keeping things convenient in shoeboxes is true.

After returning home, empty the bag.

Cut out the noise by ripping off labels and other promotional crap.

What to do if it is difficult to part with a thing?

You need to part with things carefully, with gratitude. If it's hard to get rid of things, ask yourself this question:

What makes it hard for me to get rid of this thing? Am I attached to the past or do I fear the future?

Sometimes I was choked by a toad. Some things I bought and wore a couple of times. Marie Kondo advises in such cases to see that the thing has fulfilled its function, has already brought benefits and joy. It's time to let her go.

Marie Kondo system: before and after photos

"Sparks of joy. A simple happy life surrounded by things you love.”

Real life begins only after you put your house in order. Marie Kondo, world-famous Japanese tidying consultant and author of the absolute bestseller Magical Tidying, presents her second book.

Offers step by step instructions in pictures: how to fold clothes, how to organize closets and drawers, and how to experience the joys of life surrounded by the people and things you love.

“Hygge, or Cozy Happiness in Danish. How I spoiled myself with “snails” for a whole year, dined by candlelight and read on the windowsill”

How in a country with such bad weather and exorbitant taxes live the most happy people on the planet? After moving to Denmark, journalist Helen Russell decided to find out: how to practice hygge (whatever that word means); how to eat buns without getting fat (and not pay for other pleasures too); how to become Danish happy (even if you were born on the other side of the world).

"French wife. The art of turning routine into a holiday

Any little things and worries that have become routine can be made exciting and attractive. Jennifer L. Scott, author of the international bestseller The Lessons from Madame Chic, reveals the secrets to a happy, stylish and enjoyable home life, no matter how busy your schedule or budget is.

Project Happiness. Dreams. Plan. New life"

Gretchen Rubin proposes step by step plan to find happiness. Through small daily changes, you will learn how to use time more efficiently, get rid of anxiety and dissatisfaction with yourself, become a better wife, mother, friend and colleague, and achieve everything that you consider important and necessary for happiness.

Foreword

The KonMari method is simple. It's witty and effective method defeat clutter forever. Start by getting rid of the trash. Then organize your space—carefully, completely, in one go. If you adopt this strategy, you will never go back to clutter again.

Although this approach is contrary to popular belief, anyone who applies the KonMari method to the fullest successfully maintains order in his house - and with unexpected results. Tidying up the house has a positive effect on all other aspects of life - including work and family. Having dedicated more than 80 percent of my life to this topic, I I know that cleaning can transform your life.

Do you still think it sounds too good to be true? If your idea of cleaning is to get rid of one unnecessary item a day or clean your room little by little, then you are right. It is unlikely to seriously affect your life in any way. However, if you change your approach, cleaning can have a truly immeasurable impact. In essence, this is what it means to put your house in order.

I've been reading housewife magazines since I was five years old, and that's what inspired me, starting at the age of fifteen, to get serious about finding the perfect way to clean. Which, in turn, led to the creation of the KonMari Method (KonMari is my pseudonym, composed of the first syllable of my last name and first name). I am now a consultant and spend most of my time visiting homes and offices giving practical advice to people who find cleaning difficult, who clean but suffer backlash, or who want to clean but don't know where to start. .

Putting things in order in the house, you put things in order in life.

From clothing and underwear to photographs, pens, magazine clippings, and makeup trials, my clients have thrown away the number of things that must have been over a million by now. This is not an exaggeration. I have helped individual clients who have thrown out two hundred 45-liter garbage bags at a time.

As a result of research into the art of organizing and my extensive experience in helping disorganized people who want to become tidy, there is one conviction that I can state with absolute certainty: a significant reorganization of the house causes an equally significant change in lifestyle and worldview. She transforms life. I am not kidding. Here are just a few of the testimonials I receive daily from former clients.

“After completing your courses, I quit my job, started my own business and now do what I have dreamed of doing since I was a child.”

“Your course helped me understand what I really need and what I don’t. So I filed for divorce. Now I feel much happier."

“Recently, I was contacted by a person with whom I have long wanted to meet.”

"I'm happy to report that after I cleaned my apartment, I was able to significantly increase sales."

“There was a much greater rapport between me and my husband.”

“I was surprised to find that by throwing out some things, I changed myself in many ways.”

“I finally managed to lose three kilograms.”

My clients are glowing with happiness and the results show that cleaning has changed the way they think and approach life. In fact, she changed their future. Why? A more detailed answer to this question is given throughout the book; but, in a nutshell, by putting his house in order, a person puts his affairs and his past in order. As a result, he quite clearly understands what he needs in life and what he does not need, what is worth doing and what is not worth doing.

I currently offer classes for clients in their homes and for business owners in their offices. All these are private lessons, taking place one on one with the client, but there is no end to those who wish. Currently, my waiting list is three months long, and I receive daily inquiries from people who have been referred to me by former clients or who have heard about my course from someone else. I travel around Japan from end to end, and sometimes I go abroad. One of my public lectures for housewives and mothers sold out in one evening. Not only was a waiting list drawn up in case of refusal from classes, but also a list of those who simply wanted to get on the waiting list. However, the number of repeated calls to me is zero. From a business standpoint, this may seem like a fatal flaw. But what if the lack of retries is actually the secret to the effectiveness of my approach?