KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

grunnie

SpekySquarehead wrote: »

Can I ask, how many of you actually use Marie Kondo's way of folding?

I tried it with some items and it didn't work for me. I didn't like how I couldn't really see what was there and folding and getting it to self stand was murder.

I don't think they really need to self stand I do all my clothes that way and OH's tshirts and they look really good in 2 rows in a drawer. They hold each other up and it is easy to remove one.

MMF007

Have kondo-folded loads of t-shirts, jumpers and undies for a client. My t-shirts, nightwear and undies are also done that way. The little neat squares are then put in their drawer on their side, ie filed! It is soooooo easy to see what you have at a glance, and as Grunnie says, they support each other. It is easy to select one and remove it. I suppose there is a critical mass and any fewer would get dishevelled but most of us have enough to fill a drawer or two! HTH

I have just introduced a client to storing bed lined in their pillowcase. She has *a lot*, much of which is never used because 'it's very old/off white/doesn't go with the duvet cover' etc, etc. I spent a lot of time trying to the extract the linens she DOES want on the bed, having wrestled with a considerable stash in the giant airing cupboard.
Today I gathered together all items of one matching set, kondo rolled all into one of the matching pillowcases and showed her the idea. I have asked her if, at some suitable time, I can get everythjng (:eek::eek:) out of said enormous airing cupboard and match up all sets, folding items into matching pillowcase. It'll save me lifting masses of linens up to locate the exact items to match! And it will save her money as I am paid by the hour :rotfl:

Yesterday's client wanted a few bits out of her garage to go to household recycling centre. She had been putting off the trip but actually said that the things were niggling her. I helped her get the stuff together (and tried to encourage more to go - failed. As the ' tip' is almost on my way home I just loaded the stuff into my car to save her a journey, and happily recycled it a few minutes later. I was a bit suprised to see that small electricals were to be put into an open crate which was filling with rainwater ??

Am still jiggling Stuff from back bedroom - actually it is not taking up as much space elsewhere in the house as I thought it would, but have yet to manage to release much! Electrician not due till Tues next but we are busy out and about for most of next 6 days (some work, some pleasure )

M

The only Kondo-ing here may well be some more HM soup to bereaved friend tomorrow. The last lot seemed to go down well, as it were!

Serendipitious

Some big wins there, MMF.

Mine are minor but I keep telling myself it all counts, so 9 months bank statements (from Bank A) and 3 years utilities now all shredded, but I'm keeping the elec statements on file temporarily as they need looking at properly before they go. Bank B's cumbersome file is next, have a feeling there's 4 years' worth in there...

Junked a couple of cushion inners, no good to anyone so they've been binned.

I remember once keeping an old cushion of my ma's just for the cover and when I got round to removing it, I was horrified to see the stuffing consisted entirely of old laddered tights. :eek: The ones I threw today were not nearly so bad as that!

mrs-moneypenny

fell off the mins game for a couple of days RL is taking priority. Have do some painting and bookcase moving as I needed to keep occupied.

Well done to everyone with their kondoing. Hugs where needed.

Dill

Thinking of you GreyQueen. Hope all's ok with you, and your nan's still at peace.

SpekySquarehead wrote: »

Can I ask, how many of you actually use Marie Kondo's way of folding?

I tried it with some items and it didn't work for me. I didn't like how I couldn't really see what was there and folding and getting it to self stand was murder.

I'm hooked :eek::rotfl: I've now got all my nightclothes standing up on their sides in the drawer. You do seem to be able to get more in that way, rather than piling them on top of each other.

I did the clothes today (just my own) and got rid of 2 binbags, plus another bag which I will take to the charity shop. It feels good to have made a start, and the clothes category was fairly quick and easy.

But I am dreading doing books. I love books and have loads of them! I might take a look at the WeBuyBooks website and see if I can sell a few that I no longer want to keep.

Siebrie

SpekySquarehead wrote: »

Can I ask, how many of you actually use Marie Kondo's way of folding?

I tried it with some items and it didn't work for me. I didn't like how I couldn't really see what was there and folding and getting it to self stand was murder.

I don't, and I don't colour sort either. My wardrobes are quite dark, so if I put all dark clothes together, I won't be able to tell them apart. I pile and hang them light-dark-light. What I did do, was figure out how to fold things to make maximum use of space. My towels, for instance, are folded so that they fit exactly in the drawer from front to back (lying flat), and I can have two piles next to each other.

PollyWollyDoodle

As others have said, it depends a bit on your storage - I have two double wardrobes and once I'd Kondoed the clothes, there was lots of room! I roll undies and fold socks, and cardigans, pashminas and pjs go in drawers - mainly because they don't crease much. I hang t-shirts, long cardies and shirts because I have the room, and skirts, trousers and jackets are all on hangers. I love that nothing is squashed now, I used to be forcing stuff in there.

It's the small wins that still give me joy. I'm packing for a weekend away and it's so easy to select the items on my list from my tidy drawers and wardrobe. I know where everything is from the passport to the spare Euros to the first-aid kit, and when I've finished packing the bedroom will be tidy, not look as if a small tornado just passed through.

I revisited a couple of annoying areas while packing toiletries, and threw out some hotel freebies that I didn't actually like much, and some makeup that passed the first cull but hasn't been used in the last year.

Dill, don't fear doing books - it's easy. There will be a few things that you realise you don't want any more, for me it was some books that represented the person I once wanted to be, not who I am now. Some people on this thread ended up with very few books but the beauty of KM is that it's YOUR needs that dictate what you keep. I still have probably a couple of hundred books, haven't counted - but for me, they all spark joy and so they're worth keeping. I'm just rereading my Patrick O'Brian series for the third time and getting great joy from them.

GreyQueen

SpekySquarehead wrote: »

Can I ask, how many of you actually use Marie Kondo's way of folding?

I tried it with some items and it didn't work for me. I didn't like how I couldn't really see what was there and folding and getting it to self stand was murder.

We all have different kinds of storage and probably different ratios of type of clothing. My own is pretty casual.

My storage is one modest-size 5 drawer COD (drawers are 5 inches deep), a hanging rail in an alcove, just under 3 ft wide, and a small hamper in a very small airing cupboard. I also have a pocket-thing over the back of the bedroom door for undies and two shallow, narrow wicker baskets on top of COD for socks.

The hanging rail holds coats and jackets, and blouses and formal trousers and a couple of skirts. The hamper holds knitwear. The COD holds everything else, kondo-folded and filed sideways; casual trousers, tops, a drawer of nightwear.

I haven't had the iron out for about 3 months, I just fold and file. It takes a teeny bit of practise as the package you fold down to will be determined by the depth of the drawer plus the individual quality of the garment being folded (it's size, fabric and structure). MK wrote about each garment having a sweet spot where it folds naturally.

Sounds a PITA but it's actually true and easy to get to, and easy to remember. With a new-to-me garment, I might have a couple of attempts to get it to fold right before I learn its foibles.

To me, having the clothes folded and filed vertically is fantastic - I don't lose track of items in the bottom of piles in the drawer. I can see them all and choose, and add laundered ones back again easily. It also makes packing a wheeze as you're just transferring a neat little flat packet from one container (the drawer) to your bag or case.

SpekySquarehead

Thanks everyone for your answers on folding As I said, I'll try and tackle folding everything once I'm finished the checklist - which hopefully should be tonight.

I've filled the spare bedroom with things to go. Some of which I'll put on gumtree/ebay, others the CS or skip. Looking forward to it.

VJsmum

Min's game day #22 (I know, I know.... )

6 trade magazines [STRIKE]read[/STRIKE] browsed and recycled (am up to date on trade mags.... :j browsed on the DGAF principle - i.e. if I don't give a F, then I am not reading.... :rotfl:)
1 plastic buttertub used in freezer - split on defrosting so recycled
1 cardi, the one i like but doesn't look good
10 out of date text books to charity shop, who i think can sell them
1 revolting candleabra, bought for us as a present 10 years ago and i've never liked it. To charity (someone might like it....)
1 tatty Winnie the Pooh wallet - bin
1 plastic, ear bud holder - recycling
1 (yet another) watch, probably just needs a battery but that's probably dearer than the watch, charity shop .

22 digital photos deleted.

Probably it until sunday / Monday as my big, big deadline is Saturday. i will finish in October.