Get a Head Start on Spring Cleaning with the Magic of Tidying Up

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By StressNoMore 7 March 2017 99 Views

Perhaps by now you’ve heard about lifestyle guru Marie Kondo. Her books on the ‘joy’ of tidying up your space have become a worldwide sensation. As March begins, you may find that your New Year’s resolutions haven’t panned out. We’d like to suggest a spring cleaning resolution to clear out your things and organise the ‘joyful’ ones! Try some of these Kondo-inspired cleaning tips and discover how great it feels to have a tidy home.

Deciding what to keep

How many of the things you own ‘spark joy’? The KonMari way to decide this is to pick it up, turn it over in your hands and examine it to see how it makes you feel. This may sound far-fetched, but you’ll be surprised by the emotions attached to seemingly unimportant objects! If it’s something that you like yourself for holding onto, then keep it. If it feels pointless and doesn’t have any practical use, give it to a charity shop or throw it away. It’s often the things we associate with loved ones that have most sentimental value. For your more valuable keepsakes, try the Ideaworks Jewellery Storage Organiser. It hangs over the back of your door to save space and give you easy access to your jewellery just where you need it – very KonMari! It doesn’t have to be an expensive gift to bring you joy. Little notes you’ve received can make you feel like you’re experiencing your most wonderful memories all over again. A great way to make the most of these is to display them in a frame. Try arranging them on some pretty backing paper and making a collage of keepsakes to remind you whenever you pass by.

Cleaning your surfaces

De-cluttering is the perfect opportunity to clean all those parts of your home that are normally hidden. While you're removing things from shelves and surfaces, check for any signs of mould and wipe them away with Problem Solves Mould & Mildew Remover & Preventer. Having a lot of clutter around can lead to a mould problem developing without you noticing, so by tidying up you're making you're home safer! Remove old stains from your fabrics and upholstery with the Problem Solved Dried in Stain Remover. This will make the soft furnishings you decide to keep look good as new.

Finding space for the essentials

You probably don’t get a great deal of joy from your cleaning products, toiletries and kitchen utensils but you’d be pretty stuck without them. You can make your home look a lot better by organising your essentials in a way that uses space cleverly and effectively. This way you can avoid that overly cluttered look. When things look crowded you feel stressed out just looking at them! Our Ideaworks 3 Tier Space Saving Shelves can be attached to white goods like fridges and washing machines. This creates storage and helps you store your things tidily without taking up floor space. Marie Kondo believes storage should be simple, so that it’s just as effortless to put something back as it is to locate it. She also suggests keeping things close to where you will be using them. This saves you the annoyance of hunting for something every time you need it. One of our favourite storage ideas is the Ideaworks Bathroom Caddy. It hooks over your toilet and creates room for magazines, extra toilet rolls, even your phone! Let’s face it, we all like a bit of quality time in the bathroom now and then. Having ways to pass the time next to where you’re sitting is convenient as well as tidy.

Tidy up your drawers and cupboards

A key part of the Marie Kondo way of tidying up is folding things. By folding your clothes in her origami-like manner they'll drawers in a far more elegant way. For even sharper organisation, a set of Ideaworks Snap-Fit Drawer Dividers can be used to divide drawers into pleasingly uniform sections. This will make your newly folded socks, pants and t-shirts look amazing! For non-foldable items like shoes, the Jocca London Fabric Shoe Rack is space-saving and stylish. You can store up to 12 pairs and it features a fun London-themed design! Once you’ve done your big tidy, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. Let yourself feel the satisfaction that comes from having a lovely, organised space! Remind yourself of how good it feels if you feel yourself slipping into old habits. The KonMari method of focusing on what brings you joy can help you stay on track. It’s also a great way to think about life in general. How often do we cling to objects, thoughts and people that no longer bring joy into our lives? By starting with the objects in your life, perhaps you can get a new perspective on what else makes you happy.