Decluttering Your Kitchen the KonMari Way

If you’re the type to binge-watch series on Netflix, we bet you’ve come across the hype that Japanese organising consultant Marie Kondo brought to audiences worldwide. Her bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” has been translated into over 40 languages and sold more than 10 million copies. She was also listed as TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015.

While the KonMari hype has died down (or not), that doesn’t mean the things we’ve learned go down with it. As we learned to cook more for ourselves in the new normal, it’s time to organise and get rid of your impulse buys if they barely help you in the kitchen. Let us help you declutter with tips as quoted from Kondo herself!

Discard Items That Are Simply Collecting Dust

“To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose,” Kondo writes in her book.

Remove everything inside your cupboards and you’ll be surprised at the “treasures” hidden in them. Those treasures are items you once used but have forgotten. They end up at the back of the storage as you prioritise and add more items in the kitchen. If you barely remember they exist, let them go to create more space.

Feeling guilty because that blender still works? Donate it to someone who will give it a new purpose.

Keep What Sparks Joy and Let Go of What Doesn’t

If there’s one line that Marie Kondo has ingrained into our minds, it’s the question, “Does it spark joy?”

Take note of all the things you have in the kitchen and choose which to keep and which to let go. Get everyone’s opinion as well since what sparks joy for you may not spark joy for another. Sure, your spouse doesn’t want to part with that fancy cutlery you got as a gift because of its sentimental value, but if you own more than four sets and you hardly invite people over, it’s time to compromise and let go of the rest.

Don’t Rely Too Much on Storage Solutions

“Putting things away creates the illusion that the clutter problem has been solved. But sooner or later, all the storage units are full, and the room once again overflows with things,” Kondo says.

Those Pinterest and TikTok kitchen organisation ideas look nice, but they give you the illusion that you can just put things away from sight. In the long run, you’ll keep on buying organisers instead of letting go of things you don’t use anymore. Don’t fall into this trap. Get rid of things you don’t use anymore (and don’t get attached!) then organise. You’ll realise that you don’t need to buy new organisers.

Declutter One at a Time When Time Permits

Marie Kondo suggests “tidying by category, not by place.” Set goals to look at your appliances today, then move on to the smaller tools like peelers, wine openers, and pizza slicers tomorrow or the next available time you have.

This makes sense because it can get overwhelming to declutter everything in one go, and it takes time to decide when there are a lot of factors to keep in mind. Don’t feel pressured to finish within the day and instead schedule what you think can be done today or your next day off. This also gives you enough time to think thoroughly about the things you’re planning to keep and let go.