Here is another video on how to fold and "file" T-shirts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRtwq_XZEZM

Regarding the folding socks/ and tshirts- I was more intrigued because I could not visualize it. I think for me, I would like the order of how it all looks, but my situation for example is that I have shelves in my big walk in closet. So I have plenty of hanging space and folding space- not so many drawers. So for moi, I will likely continue hanging lots of things but I will try to fold more neatly than how I had been. As many have said, you take her advice and adapt it to your situation. I think her ideas about our possessions being pared down, to include things that we like and enjoy is definitely a valid one.

"As with anything, one size, does not fit all.
Though for those it does fit, it can be hard for them to see why it
doesn't fit everyone else. It's like learning anything, there are
different methods that work for some and not for others."

So true, Justgotabme. We all are different, our families and lifestyles are different too. The secret is finding an optimal system that works in your home and saves you time, stress and effort. I'm going to look into shampoo dispensers - sounds like a good idea!

Strongly agree with Pal on the poor storage design. American reach-in closets are the bane of my existence. In my 70's house:

- The 1ft deep recesses on each side and on the top make it impossible to open the closet fully for airing, organizing and cleaning;

- The standard rod and shelf are barely functional. Yes, there are all sorts of closet systems out there, but wire shelves and baskets look flimsy to me. What I need is solidly built storage like in kitchen: cabinets, drawers, shelves and more efficient compartments for hanging clothes;

- Built-in closets limit the room's functionality severely. If I want to use it as an office or library, the closet doesn't work for the purpose at all. Ditto on using the room as a child's room. I'm saying as a child's room, not as a child's bedroom because kids do more than just sleeping in their room. They play, study and have friends over in their rooms. Also, it's impossible to move the storage in the room without a tear-down;

- Those closets are so dusty. The doors don't seal well. The stand-alone wardrobes and cupboards my family had in my home country had tight-fitting doors and locks with keys. Very little if any dust inside.

I appreciated American closets when I was a student and moved around for school and internships. It saved me the trouble of hauling a wardrobe during each move.

For me. as a homeowner, it's far more efficient to have stand-alone wardrobes and wall unit systems similar to German Schrank / Schrunk. I can put them in any place in the house and buy only the units of the right size and design. For a kid's room I would need a system with a small wardrobe and several cabinet/drawer units to store books, toys, games, sports gear, etc, in an organized way. As the kid gets older, the units can be re-arranged or replaced with storage more suitable for the kid's needs.

Great discussion. Enjoyed reading all comments, particularly Lana-Roma's. So thoughtful and beautifully put.

anele, I didn't mean to imply that I haven't learned to function... I managed to raise kids and run a household, even tho I am a terribly disorganized person who also has trouble with time management! I am still disorganized now that the pace of my life has slowed down considerably! i know my life would be easier if i was a more 'organized' person.

order vs disorder is complex. i think being orderly entails more than just reading a book and learning someone's method for arranging a drawer, etc was sortof my point... it is a life long struggle for some just like some people have with their wt or with alcohol, etc,etc is what I was trying to say. most formerly fat people who are now thin (that I know) continue to struggle mightily to maintain their wt... whereas my organized friend who uses her folding board is naturally and effortlessly organized- you don't 'learn' that....

I haven't read this book, but I guess I became very cynical when I read 'life changing' and watched the youtube videos on how she folds her clothes!!!! but, that doesn't mean I couldn't get some new tips from this book or that it hasn't helped some people put some order into their lives!

The youtube lady using a folding board for t shirts did a terrible job on the demonstration shirt-----she didnt even smooth out the wrinkles before she slapped the board closed. FWIW, the board is NOT needed to fold t shirts just exactly like that. We've done it that way for years but do not "file" them. I would call that obsessive, being more invested in the way the drawer looks than in the way the actual t shirts look when you put them on.

(adding that i realize the lady in th youtube tshirt folding video posted above is not Marie Kindo)

Interesting about the rotating dishes. I like using only the two or three on top in the stack , mine are in cabinets because everything else stays new looking.

I have bins in my closets for "around the house" clothes, never fold that stuff!

"Prescriptions (I don't keep these in the bathrooms, humidity is bad for medications)" makes my little pharmacist heart smile!

Is it a little bad we rotate dishes by just waiting until they are all dirty and in the DW? I probably should pay a little more attention to the items we use less frequently as I'm sure the top couple of bowls get much more use. Never really thought about it!

can't say I understand the point of dish rotation either unless harsh DW detergent is fading the printed design and you want it to wear evenly... I guess if dishes sit a long, long time, dust builds up, but then a simple rinse could take care of that... one's views on dish rotation might give someone a clue about a person's innate sense of order tho!!! (we tend to run a full DW too...)

We are 2 people and our everyday dish set has 12 settings. We rotate our dishes so that they wear more evenly. Otherwise we would be using the same 2-4 plates all the time. And we are hardly compulsive organizers.

Everyone is different, I run the dishwasher everyday and when I am cooking a lot in a day, might run 3 loads or more.

I don't mind if my top two plates get more use, that way the other 12 or so stay new looking. I do have a set of vitrelle corelle that gets used for everything everyday and I don't care what happens to that. it's the plate I drain bacon on, lay out cooking ingredients, etc.

Busybee, I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't function. I agree that some people are more organized naturally, too. But in the case of my sister, as I said, she had to learn these skills and now excels at them. She is one of the most motivated people I know, however. IMO, this book was not written for the naturally organized. Those people write these books, not read them. And again, the key here is that no matter how one's brain works, having too many things makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be organized. You are also right that just reading a book won't change anyone. It takes commitment, but the goal is to provide a framework for lifelong decision-making, where one will never again (after doing the work, which takes about 6 months) be in the same situation. If you join the FB group you will see numerous before and after photos-- not one is organized "before." Several people have admitted to being true hoarders and took a leap of faith and made the decision to change.

Pal - Could you explain more the closet shelves that alternate in depth? My closet shelves will be going in tomorrow, and I would love to understand this beforehand! Thanks!

Gramarows

In cross section the shelves were something like this. There were full depth shelves but also the ability to put in shallow depth shelves so smaller things could be stored without losing track of them or stacking them. You could see past bigger items in the front, and it's easier to move one or two big things from the front to get out something smaller in back than it is to move a bunch of smaller things in front to pull out a bigger thing in back:

We have good dishes and silver if we are really worried about using pristine looking plates for some reason. I don't have a particular agenda regarding preserving the everyday stuff, it's just a habit.

Pal, I don't rotate my dishes but I do rotate my dish towels. I love it when my favorite ones work their way to the top. I try to do the same with bath towels and mats. I agree with you on the Too-Busy people.

Ah, that helps, Pal, got it. Thank you!! I'm having some 16" and one or two 12" deep shelves installed in a narrow (18") deep closet, but I don't think for my clothes such an arrangement would help, especially since the shelves are probably too close in size, but I can see with the narrower shelf as shown, how it could with dishes, office supplies, etc. Thanks again!

..."there's just me in the house. So if I don't muster the enthusiasm for a project, it dies". OMG, Linelle, I can't stop laughing over that!. Mainly because I soooo identify!

This is an interesting topic, kittymoonbeam, thank you for the info re: the book. I've spent much time perusing the responses and exploring links. Mainly because I am surrounded by packing supplies and am supposed to be selecting what brings me joy from the detritus of decades of indiscriminate buying.

I could definitely see the uneven wear when I packed up our old dishes to switch to the new dishes. And yet I still didn't think to rotate, so a big THANKS to Pal for the suggestion!

I had the "Things must leave the house" bug today after reading this thread. Didn't quite get there, since I can only banish things as far as the garage for now, but definitely see progress and I might get to hang my curtains, hang my art, and finish building my sewing center tomorrow which will take care of a bunch of stuff lying around. I have a sewing machine and big box of supplies waiting for their new home! (Not to mention the cabinets, tops, and hardware cluttering up the great room)

One idea I heard was to get just one room free of clutter and finished the way you want it to be as much as possible. Make a commitment to keep that room clean and tidy and then when you master that, take on another room.

It's been fun reading everyone's thoughts on this.

I've found the one thing that I can never keep organized is my tools/ hardware. Partly I think because I don't have a good storage system ( sorry, Konmari, I don't see another way on this) and partly because when I need my tools, it's often under duress. "Mom!!! There's water coming out from under the sink!!!!!"

Has anyone found a system that really works for them in this regard?

what works for me (tho probably would drive others crazy! :) is to have about 3 places I try to keep simple tools, like screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers, tape measurer and a wrench. I have them in a drawer of our bedroom, in a drawer in a hall closet and in the laundry room where most of the other tools, like level, sander, drill, etc are... infrequently used things like saws are in the garage. I find it more convenient having multiple places to keep them and it's more likely i'll put them away where I can find them again if I have multiple places!

kiwigem, it depends on what type of tools you have. I've pretty much organized most anything. I'd be happy to give you some suggestions.

Kiwigem: A big pegboard in the garage works great for me. Many of my "everyday" tools are on it: screwdrivers, wrenches, Allen keys, measuring tools, clamps, pliers, etc. Even garden pruners! I store bolts, nuts and nails sorted by size and type in orange medicine bottles. The bottles lay flat in a plastic Sterilite unit with shallow drawers that I keep on a shelf next to the workbench.

I love my garage workbench and pegboard. I try to do a reorg every year. I still have a mini tool drawer in the kitchen, but man, I love the garage.

Those videos are hilarious. Loved the Sheldon board.

No dish rotating here. My "sets" consist of 2 or 4 of the same color/pattern so they're naturally rotated. I find it boring to use the same dishes every day.

For tool organization dh has Wall Control pieces (metal pegboard) in the garden shed. We keep a bag in the house (utility closet) with a few tools like screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, etc. for quicker access.

I keep a multi hand screwdriver in just about every room. Hubby got to two could rolling cart tool storage thingies for the garage so all hand tools go in there. All small wood working tools are in the basement woodwork shop in two very large metal and one small wood cabinets. I also have a household step ladder with storage for small tools I used to use for hanging things. I pretty much hang everything with 3M Command strips now, so I should put them in there instead.

I have most of my common tools on pegboard on the side walls of my utility closet. It's fantastic! I also have a dedicated electric box with my testers, wire cutters, spare wall plates, wire caps, electric tape, and cable ends/crimper in it. I have a standard box with my plumbers tape and faucet grease in it (the extent of my plumbing abilities) and useful stuff like crazy glue in it. We also have a dedicated box for pinball machine repair, we purchased a machine in good condition for a decent price, but it needs attention now and again so it has the soldering iron, spare bumpers, spare lights, etc.

Then there's the open tote with pockets that lives on the floor of the utility closet. It is usually full of whatever my last project needed, and it gets changed out when I prep for the current project. But it always has my magnetic screw bracelet around the handle, a pencil, and utility knife.

Thank you all for the tool storage ideas! (Sorry to have hijacked btw!) I'll look into the pegboard and I love the idea of separate toolboxes for different kinds of jobs. I can never find my wire cutters!

From one who tends to be organized....for me, it is a little about self discipline and a lot about innate comfort zones; that hoary cliché about 'a place for everything, everything in its place' is one that works and makes me feel better on a daily basis. So there is a bowl on the table next to our front door and if I come in knowing I will go out again soon, the house/car keys go there. If I'm in for the day the house keys go in my purse, the car key goes on the hook in the back hallway. EVERY SINGLE TIME I USE THEM...emphasis because once a set of actions is repeated enough times it becomes a habit, mindless and easy. I do this with most of what I deal with in the house: dishes and cooking utensils get washed nightly. Put away each morning. Clothes are hung in groups in my closet, put in the hamper just beneath them, washed, folded and put away in their places. It just makes life so easy, for me at least. It would be much tougher *for me* and psychologically burdensome to toss clothes on the floor, or leave dishes in the sink, or throw my car key wherever I happened to walk in the house after I enter. Seriously, organizing for someone who is thus inclined is the more comforting and easy way to live :).

Where my system breaks down is stuff, particularly Other People's Stuff. Right now I'm wrestling with clearing adult children's rooms; my daughter was easy as she cleared her room herself when she moved out, taking furniture, sorting and tossing what she didn't want. My son OTOH has moved out and is living with his fiancée; the likelihood that he'll come back is almost nil. Their house is full so he has been fiercely fighting me on getting rid of the piles of stuff in his room-things he doesn't want, but may 'someday' so I'm supposed to keep storing for him. My husband is a borderline hoarder who becomes deeply attached to his possessions and has a very hard time letting go. So for example he saves empty water bottles. Not one, or two but dozens and stores them in the extra refrigerator which is becoming full of empty plastic bottles. He stores the bell bottom cords he wore in 1973 that he must have last worn before I met him in 1983 because I've never seen them on him. He stores throw away ice packs from those steak delivery Styrofoam boxes, that he picks up from people's garbage heaps. He stores the styro boxes. And so on.

Anyway a long winded treatise but clutter and purging and clearing are all subjects dear to my heart!

kiwigem, most (all??) pliers have wire cutters on them too!!

I think I called them the wrong thing- maybe I should have said wire strippers- you know the gauged tools that take the coating off electrical wires for when you're changing out fixtures and such.

runningplace- I so understand the difficulty of dealing with other people's clutter! My dh and kids can't let anything go. The real killer is that they don't think they have anything "extra." Grrrr.

What works in some cases is to take a digital photo of the item. Most people don't actually need the object, they just don't want to forget the memory or good feeling attatched to it.

Kitty, that's for sentimental items--in my husband's case it is a worry/fear that he may need something someday, and that if one something is potentially useful multiples of something are even better. Thus, because someday he may need a rag in the garage, he has a pile of rags that is (literally) 2 feet high and 3 feet wide; there are over a hundred pieces of cloth in that pile, enough so that he has more than enough for the rest of his life, and he keeps adding to it. If he may need a sheet of plywood someday, he feels comfort in having 19 (I counted once) pieces of plywood stacked in his workshop, each 8 feet long and 4 feet wide, taking up an entire side of the room and untouched in over 15 years. If he may someday need a jar, he feels better keeping 5 empty salsa jars on hand--even though we are generating new salsa jars every few weeks when we go through the jars we buy. Occasionally we do need or use one of his somethings and that is unfortunately a powerful reinforcer that seems to drive him to collect more and more and more.

If I sound frustrated, I am. This is as I said borderline hoarder territory; if I weren't around or would tolerate it, our house could easily turn into a place that would be truly out of control. As it is I have a fight *every* *single* *time* I discard anything. It's exhausting, for sure. It does illustrate how very complex this whole issue of clutter, tidying, etc is for people. There are very deep psychological issues tangled up with the detritus of every day life!

I agree about letting your subconcious mind do the everyday tasks. Many times I've wondered if I put the keys in the drawer and looked and there they are but I don't remember doing it because my thoughts were elsewhere.

I think it's human nature to have things we don't really need, such as 4 different cork screws for opening those endless bottles of wine. I could have gotten rid of the first, and the original one, 30 years ago, but it's followed me around to lay in 8 drawers in 8 different houses. Why? Probably because of it's small size, it just never got tossed. Actually my utensil drawer has multiples of several items which have been following me around for years, but because they're 'corralled' in a couple of drawers, it doesn't bother me.

Like several of the above posters, I love my tools! I have the bigger tools in a toolbox in the garage, but keep my handy dandy little wood carrying tool box under the kitchen sink. In it are the things I use most frequently~hammer, 2 screwdrivers(1 Phillips, 1 flat head), pliers, screws/nails, wire cutter, wire, furniture marker, goo gone, wood glue, small glue gun/glue sticks, and of course Elmer's glue.

I honestly have to say I wouldn't be embarrassed if any of my drawers/closets were opened by anyone, as they're fairly well organized, easy to do when there aren't children living in the house IMO. Towels/bedding, all off white, are stacked 'beautifully' in the linen closets(2). Very top shelves are spare pillows/shams, used infrequently, and should probably be given away. Also in the closets are cleaners I use in the bathroom. The master closet contains a basket for my dirty clothes. Household items such as dishcloths/towels, rags, go in a basket in the laundry room.

My personal things look pretty neat, except for the lingerie drawer, where I don't fold anything. Socks get paired, mostly black/white, except for a few pairs of whimsy argyles. There may be a few strays(or holey)that need to be thrown out. Stretch pants, sweat shirts, long sleeve tees, short sleeve tees, spaghetti/tank tops, jeans, all have separate drawers, and are neatly folded. RE:the folding tee video, it's easier and there are less folds, to fold the short sleeve tee in half, bring in sides folding sleeves in, than in half just once. Long sleeves need to be folded vertically because of the long sleeves. This was something my Mom taught me many moons ago, and my kids and even a couple of grandsons have adopted it. We're all sort of neatnics! And on a final note, my hanging clothes are organized by color, making it so much easier to find a particular top, sweater, jacket, etc.

Like runninginplace has said, it does sort of require self disipline, and eventually becomes a daily habit. If you live with others, I could understand it might be difficult getting them to conform. This is one of the perks of living alone!

From the other side: WSJ proclaims KonMari book "sparks joy" for publishers

Marie Kondo and the Cult of Tidying Up

Marketers catching on to the Declutter & Simplify trend:

Declutter & Detox: Key Trends for Marketing in 2015

After being a member of the fb page for about a week, I realize it's just like chalk paint. The followers have been somehow hypnotized and told this is the only way! They've drank the koolaide so to speak. Scary.

Chalk paint?

Justgottabeme, I think it may appeal to some who are looking for more than help tidying. Religion is so out of favor right now that most people seem to disavow it, but they are almost religiously drawn to other ideas or movements....environmentalism, social justice, even tidying.

That's exactly what it's like kswl2. Maybe that's why these things don't take over my life, as I have God. He'll never fall out of favor with me.

Justgotabeme, to be fair, it is the nature of FB groups. Off-topic posts are not allowed. As for it being like a religion-- I don't know. I mostly see posts from people talking about how they are spending more time with their families as a result of this system. It isn't a replacement for religion, or at least it doesn't have to be.

RE: kool aid-- that was a horrific act of murder. I don't think it is accurate to compare people becoming more mindful by tidying up with a tragedy like the Jonestown massacre.

There are always some people who take a popular idea or trend to the extreme. That doesn't mean the idea or trend has no merit in itself. A religion, if practiced within reason, can be beneficial for the person and society, but religious fanatics can often be destructive.

I like KonMari's idea that tidying can be a good way to face yourself. So often we accumulate things as a result of outside influence (TV ads, peer pressure, your mom's admonishments, etc.). Kondo's method of dealing with stuff helps you clarify your own needs, aspirations, likes and dislikes.

It was good for me to face the jumble of cosmetics and makeup rattling around in drawers in my bathroom vanity. There were a few stale perfumes that cost me a pretty penny. I realized that I bought not the perfume itself, but the marketing image it was associated with. Can't even remember who were the models in the ads - Linda Evangelista? Cindy Crawford? Brooke Shields? But do I care now?

Now I'm down to two lipsticks, one lip balm, one mascara, one kohl pencil, one concealer stick, a tube of acne treatment, a deodorant stick and three lotions. Should last for an year or so. All fits in a single tin from Ghirardelli chocolate that my DH gave me as a gift years ago. The tin makes me smile each time I open the drawer. It's good to be happy in my own skin and ignore the salespeople in the cosmetics dep't at Macy's.

Thought you all might be interested in this article on obsessive decluttering:

The Atlantic -- The Opposite of Hoarding

Awm, that is horrific. I guess it is sort of like anorexia vs compulsive overeating.

most extremes in behavior can be problematic!! but, some people might not be disgusted as much by those who are compulsively neat/declutterer as those who hoard just as some people might not be as disgusted by an anorexic person as compared to a morbidly obese person... thankfully, most people fall somewhere in between the extremes of all behaviors!!

Awm - Fascinating article! When I began reading Kando's book I was bothered by the image of her as a teen going through the family home and periodically tidying up and throwiing things away; something seemed not quite right. She appeared to have a physical need for empty space.

One of my favorite Law & Order: Criminal Intent episodes stars Stephen Colbert as the son of a woman who has an extreme decluttering disorder. In the story this behavior is described as being a form of manic-depression. The person feels darker, sadder, and gloomier until, at the nadir, she gives things away, including necessary items and money (even a wristwatch that was a gift from her son). Then she feels light and happy. Until the cycle begins again.

No one would mistake our home for a decluttered place, although if I lived alone it would be pretty fanatically tidy. DH does, however, understand that the bathroom and kitchen towels must be precisely placed and squared away, and the three bottles of dishwashing detergent and handsoap on the counter must be exactly arranged, equidistant, and with their labels cheerfully facing outward! (If they were in unlabeled bottles, family and friends might try washing a mug with the Hibiclens.) Next step is to persuade him to actually use the Huggable Hangers I bought him...

Interesting indeed, awm. A woman I knew long ago was not so extreme but kind of like that. She threw a birthday party for her DH at home. She spent the whole time picking up after people and putting things back where they belonged. Although she was always charming, she did not seem comfortable. Two things that really struck me: While everyone was still there she took everything out of the DW and reloaded it because her DH had placed something in there incorrectly apparently. Then she cleaned the telephone. It was weird talking to her and the other people in the vicinity while she was scrubbing every square millimeter of the phone.

I have been thinking about obsessive organizing and decluttering, so that article caught my eye. Our FR is getting a big makeover & modernization, so the FR furnishings are scattered between the LR, the DR (now a temporary office), and our basement playroom that we've turned into a TV den. The house has been in a bit of disarray. Now I've got 7 college friends coming in next week for a reunion, but the FR won't be ready in time. So I've been in overdrive for the last 3 weeks, reorganizing & decluttering & redecorating to accommodate a crowd in rooms that weren't intended to be on display, so to speak. With the dumpster in the driveway, I've been throwing out like mad whatever can't be sent to the thrift shop. I'm trying to simplify & streamline so the house is easier to clean & tidy up.

I'm trying to keep the house in perfect order. And I can't do it. DH just doesn't want to live that way. He can't. He's too wound up at work, and when he comes home, he uncoils like a too-tight spring, scattering things, not cleaning up. He's a wonderful man, and I don't want to turn into a nag or to try to make him into something he's just not -- an anal neatnik. He is supremely organized at work, but when he gets home, something turns off and he wants to relax. I can understand that. I worked in a library -- talk about supremely organized -- but when I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was to file & organize.

Plus, I find the never-ending effort to keep things in order & clean is starting to get depressing. I WANT TO READ A BOOK!!! I want to get back to my photography & biking! Cleanliness & order is nice to a point, but beyond that, the constant vigilance is taking time away from more nurturing activities. At first I thought those shirt folding boards sounded like a good idea, but now I think do I want to spend my time maintaining military order for a drawer of t-shirts? No way!

Rant over. Wish me luck when my company comes. Hope they don't mind the floor varnish fumes too much, lol. Lots of wine and we'll be fine...

"Two things that really struck me: While everyone was still there she took everything out of the DW and reloaded it because her DH had placed something in there incorrectly apparently. Then she cleaned the telephone. It was weird talking to her and the other people in the vicinity while she was scrubbing every square millimeter of the phone."

Freak alert!