How to Declutter Your Home With the Marie Kondo Method: 6 Effective Steps

The Marie Kondo method of tidying up (KonMari) means sorting your belongings by category rather than room by room, keeping only the items that spark joy or serve a clear practical purpose, and giving every item a fixed home. Following the six KonMari steps properly helps you clear out surplus belongings for good, stops the clutter from creeping back, and creates a calm, orderly home that stays that way.

In today's cities, apartments and townhouses are constantly overloaded with belongings. Many people spend hours every weekend tidying, only for the home to look exactly as cluttered a few days later. That failure comes from the traditional approach: moving things from one corner to another without ever reducing how much there is. Marie Kondo's KonMari method is not merely an interior-organising technique but a conversation with your possessions, one that changes how you think about buying things and puts you back in control of your home.

1. The Marie Kondo Method and Its Philosophy

The Marie Kondo method, also known as the KonMari method, is a system for organising the home created by Japanese tidying consultant Marie Kondo. What makes it distinctive is that you tidy by category of object rather than moving back and forth between rooms, and that positive feeling, "spark joy", becomes the central test for whether any item stays or goes.

Who Is Marie Kondo?

Marie Kondo is the author of the global bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world:

• She began working as an organising consultant at 19, while still a student in Tokyo.
• She created the KonMari method, which has helped millions of people break the habit of hoarding.
• She draws a line between ordinary cleaning and systematic tidying: ordinary cleaning is a temporary reaction to a messy house, while KonMari tidying is a one-off turning point, done thoroughly once to set lasting order in the home.

The "Does It Spark Joy?" Principle in Everyday Life

The core of KonMari is one question: "Does this item truly spark joy for you?". The principle asks you to pick up each item with your own hands and notice your emotional response:

• Listen to your body: when you touch something you love, your body tends to relax, your eyes brighten and you feel a certain warmth. Things bought on impulse, or gifts you never use, usually bring a feeling of heaviness, guilt or indifference instead.
• Function sits alongside feeling: the joy principle does not mean throwing out practical items. Nail clippers, a screwdriver set or a folder of tax invoices create no excitement, but they "spark joy indirectly" by keeping daily life running smoothly and safely.
• Give thanks before saying goodbye: for items that have served their purpose, Marie Kondo encourages you to thank them before giving them away or selling them. This small ritual dissolves the guilt of letting go.

The Benefits of the KonMari Method

Applying the KonMari method brings changes that go well beyond a tidier house:

• Reclaiming valuable living space: many households cut 30% to 50% of their surplus belongings, which makes rooms feel larger and lets in more natural light and fresh air.
• Saving time searching: when every item has a fixed home, you stop rummaging through the wardrobe each morning or losing hours hunting for keys and important documents.
• Controlling spending habits: facing a mountain of discarded things makes past shopping mistakes obvious, which builds a more conscious approach to buying — fewer items, chosen deliberately and of better quality.

2. The Six KonMari Steps for Tidying Your Home

The six KonMari steps follow a deliberate psychological order. Keeping to that order, from setting your goal through gathering items by category to sorting them, stops you burning out halfway and trains you to make firm decisions about your own belongings.

Step 1: Set Your Goal and Picture Your Ideal Home

Before you touch a single item, take time to sketch out clearly the life you want to live:

• Clarify your motivation: why do you want to tidy now? Is the apartment too cramped, is the family expecting a new member, do you need a quiet place to work from home, or are you getting ready to move house?
• Describe your ideal space in detail: instead of a vague "I want a clean house", picture something specific: "I want to walk into a bedroom with a clear floor, nothing by the bed but a book and a scented candle, and the faint smell of lemongrass oil in the air."
• Build a moodboard: save images of minimalist interiors online and use them as inspiration throughout the process.

Step 2: Gather and Sort Your Belongings by Category

Marie Kondo's golden rule is to tidy by category of object, never room by room. If you do the bedroom today and the living room tomorrow, you will never see all your clothes together. The five categories must be handled in this order:

Step 3: Decide What to Keep

Once a category is gathered in one place, work through it item by item with full attention:

• Hold each item: don't scan the pile with your eyes; pick each thing up with both hands and feel its weight and the feeling it brings.
• Ask direct questions: does this spark joy? When did I last wear this shirt? If I were shopping today, would I pay for it again?
• Sort into four baskets:
  • Basket 1, keep: things you genuinely love or use for a clear purpose.
  • Basket 2, donate: items still in good condition that no longer suit you.
  • Basket 3, sell: items with real resale value, such as electronics or designer bags.
  • Basket 4, recycle or discard: anything stained, torn or broken beyond repair.

Step 4: Organise What You Keep by Function

Only after you have removed the surplus do you start organising what remains:

• Keep like with like: every pen in one holder, every charging cable in one box, all medicines in the first-aid cabinet.
• Put daily items within reach: everyday things belong at eye or waist level so they are easy to take out and put back. Rarely used items go on high shelves.
• Don't rush to buy containers: use empty shoeboxes and clean carton lids as drawer dividers before spending money on trays.

Step 5: Fold and Store Clothes Properly

Vertical folding is the signature technique of the Marie Kondo method:

• Fold into a self-standing rectangle: a folded garment should form a flat rectangle with a level base that stands up on its own without toppling.
• File clothes like book spines: place the folds facing up and line garments along the depth of the drawer instead of stacking them. This way you see your whole wardrobe the moment you open the drawer and can pull out one shirt without disturbing the rest.
• Hang by length and colour: hang clothes rising from left to right — heavy, long, dark items on the left; light, short, pale items on the right — for a visually lighter wardrobe.

How to fold a T-shirt the vertical way:

1. Lay the shirt flat on a table or bed.
2. Fold both sides in towards the middle, with the sleeves folded in too.
3. Fold the shirt in half lengthways.
4. Fold it in three to form a rectangle that stands on its own.
5. File it upright in the drawer, so you can pull it out without disturbing the others.

Step 6: Keep the Space Tidy

Tidying successfully is only the start; maintaining order is what makes a tidy home last:

• Put things back immediately: whatever you use, return it to its assigned place within 30 seconds.
• The one-in, one-out rule: every time you buy something new, choose an old item of the same kind to sell or give away.
• Review each season: every 3 to 6 months, spend a weekend morning going through your drawers and clearing out whatever has expired or stopped being useful.

3. Applying KonMari to Each Area of the Home

Every space in a home has its own mix and density of objects. Adapting Marie Kondo's principles to each area helps you get more out of the house and turn every square metre into somewhere pleasant to rest.

Tidying the Wardrobe and Accessories

The wardrobe is always the hardest battlefield, and also the most satisfying place to reorganise:

• Let go of outdated clothes: say goodbye to the outfits "saved for when I lose weight", the shirts with frayed collars and the socks worn through at the heel.
• Zone underwear and accessories: use small boxes to separate underwear, socks, belts and scarves. Roll ties and file socks upright rather than folding them inside out, which stretches the elastic.
• Separate off-season clothes: bulky wool coats and winter quilts should be cleaned and then stored in breathable fabric bags on top shelves or in covered under-bed boxes.

Organising the Living Room and Bedroom

These two spaces exist for rest and recovery, so calm and simplicity come first:

• Clear the flat surfaces: keep the coffee table, dining table and bedside table completely empty. Don't let a tabletop become a pile of junk mail, keys and half-finished glasses of water.
• Tame the electronics: bundle the cables under the TV unit into a cable sleeve, and gather the remotes for the fan, air conditioner and TV into one fixed tray.
• Keep the bed simple: keep only bedding and pillows you actually find comfortable, and resist piling on decorative cushions that take up space and gather dust. It is also worth reading where to keep old tech so retired devices don't take over the room.

Tidying the Kitchen and Household Storage

The kitchen is the heart of the home but holds the densest collection of miscellany (komono), so it needs an organised approach for hygiene:

• Clear the countertop: don't leave spice jars, cooking oil or knives scattered around the hob, where grease builds up on them. Gather seasonings into one drawer within easy reach.
• Sort the cookware: store pans and lids upright in a rack rather than stacked, so they are easy to take out and put back without clattering.
• Check expiry dates: go through the fridge and the dry store, and be ruthless with damp spice sachets, expired tins and frozen food older than six months.

Making the Most of a Small Apartment

In smaller apartments of 40 m² to 70 m², using vertical space is the key:

• Go up to the ceiling: fit built-in cupboards to ceiling height for bulky, rarely used things such as suitcases, winter heaters or spare bedding for guests.
• Choose multi-purpose furniture: beds with storage drawers, wall-mounted folding dining tables or sofas with compartments inside.
• Don't hoard cardboard boxes: strip the outer carton from anything you buy, so you avoid bringing cockroaches and insects into the home and cluttering the corners. See also the guide to making the most of a small apartment.

4. Common Mistakes When Tidying the KonMari Way

Although the KonMari method is famous, many people give up halfway because of some classic mistakes in how they approach it. Spotting these psychological traps early saves time and effort and keeps your momentum going.

Rushing to Buy Containers Before Decluttering

This is the most common beginner's mistake:

• The real problem: buying more wicker baskets, plastic boxes or shelves is really just "hiding the clutter neatly". While the surplus is still there, extra containers only make the home more crowded and cost you money.
• The right approach: only consider buying trays and boxes once decluttering is completely finished and you know exactly how much you need to store.

Trying to Tidy the Whole House in One Day

Tidying the Marie Kondo way demands intense focus to make hundreds of decisions in a row:

• Attempting it all in 24 hours overloads the brain with constant decisions (decision fatigue), which leads to frustration, an abandoned job and a house in a worse state than when you started.
• Instead, split the work into sessions by category across several weekends: clothes in the first week, books and papers in the second, miscellany in the third.

Taking the Joy Principle Too Far With Essential Paperwork

Many people misread Marie Kondo's message and throw out important documents simply because they bring no excitement:

• Birth certificates, property titles, employment contracts, diplomas, medical records and warranty cards are documents that must be stored carefully.
• The right rule for papers: gather them into a single multi-pocket folder and split them into three groups: needs action now, keep permanently and keep temporarily (utility bills for a year, for example).

Keeping Too Much Out of Regret and Nostalgia

Regret over the money you spent, or the fear that "I might need it one day", is the biggest barrier between you and a minimalist life:

• Remember that however expensive an item was, if it has sat untouched in a corner for two years its real value to your life is close to zero.
• Pass it on to someone who genuinely needs it, so it stays useful instead of gathering dust and reminding you of past waste.

If what you are letting go of is clothing, shoes, handbags or backpacks in good condition, MyStorage runs a charity donation cabinet at its self-storage facility at 375 Vo Nguyen Giap, An Khanh ward, Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City. The cabinet is open 24/7, donations are collected every two weeks and passed to local charities. Toys, furniture and bulky items need to be arranged in advance; used batteries go in a separate collection cabinet, not in with the donations. You can also read the guide to donating used clothes before you drop anything off.

5. Storage Solutions When the Home Still Has No Room

Even after applying the KonMari method properly and removing the surplus, many families in small and mid-sized apartments still run out of storage because of their work or hobbies. At that point you need a clear line between everyday living space and long-term storage elsewhere.

Sorting What Needs Long-Term Storage

To free up as much floor space as possible for living and resting, set aside the groups of things you rarely touch and store them separately:

• Seasonal items: heaters, winter quilts, artificial Christmas trees, Lunar New Year decorations, summer swimming gear.
• Luggage and travel equipment: 28-inch suitcases, camping tents, sleeping bags, skateboards and golf clubs that come out once or twice a year but occupy a whole corner.
• Records you are required to keep: invoices, tax documents and family company records that must be kept for 5 to 10 years.
• Stock and equipment for a home business: for online sellers and creators, product samples, tripods and livestream lighting turn a bedroom into an airless warehouse. See also how to manage inventory for an online business at home.

Using the Hidden Space in Your Home

Before looking at outside solutions, make sure you have used every "invisible compartment" in the house:

• Add extra shelves inside the wardrobe to use the gaps between hanging rails.
• Use plastic boxes on castors that slide under the bed, turning the space into a dust-proof store.
• Fit hooks or wire baskets on the back of bedroom and kitchen cupboard doors for light items such as hairdryers and travel irons.

When Should You Consider Self-Storage?

When the apartment has hit its physical limit and you don't want to move to a bigger, pricier place, renting self-storage is a sensible way out in these situations:

• The family is about to renovate, repaint the interior, or needs to clear a bedroom for a new baby.
• Someone travelling for long work trips wants valuables kept safely without paying rent on a whole house.
• A small business or sole trader needs secure, climate-controlled space to protect their goods.

MyStorage: Self-Storage in Ho Chi Minh City

MyStorage operates self-storage facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, offering urban families a way to extend their living space:

• Air-conditioned storage with 24/7 climate control: temperature and humidity are kept stable, protecting clothes, leather shoes, artwork, electronics and valuable books from mould in the city's hot, humid climate.
• A range of sizes: from 1 m³ units (about 8 to 10 medium cartons) up to units over 10 m³ for the contents of a whole apartment. See the mini storage sizes for details.
• Layered security: 24/7 camera surveillance, motion sensors, an alarm system, personal access codes and an individual lock on each unit. Tenants have 24/7 access; staff are on site during office hours.
• Flexible contracts: rent monthly, or take a 12-month plan and save 15%. If you would rather not move things yourself, the full-service storage option collects, transports and returns your belongings.

Not sure how much space you need? Use the AI size estimator below:

6. Reference Prices for Organising and Storage

To help you budget for reorganising your home, the table below brings together 2027 reference costs for organising supplies, decluttering services and air-conditioned self-storage at MyStorage:

View prices and book now to get the offer →

7. Start Your New Life Today

Tidying with the Marie Kondo method is not simply about clearing things off the floor; it is a way of renewing your home and clearing your mind. When you have the courage to let go of what belongs to the past and keep only what brings real joy now, you create a home full of inspiration and calm to come back to.

If you have finished the KonMari steps and the apartment still has no room for keepsakes, travel luggage or business stock, MyStorage's air-conditioned, securely monitored self-storage can free up the space so you can enjoy a simpler, tidier life. See the MyStorage locations in Ho Chi Minh City to find the nearest site, or contact MyStorage for advice on the right unit.

8. Frequently Asked Questions About the Marie Kondo Method