Marie Kondo is a household name in home cleaning and organizing and for the right reasons. She first came to the limelight through her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. The book was the New York Times bestseller at one point. Whereas some people did not find it very useful, majority of the readers loved it. What followed was a Netflix show that explored more on topics covered in the book.
The thing that I like most about Marie Kondo is her views on decluttering. As much as I love cleaning, clutter kills my motivation at every opportunity. Typically, whether you are a cleaning enthusiast or not, it is much easier to clean a clutter-free house.
Marie Kondo’s quotes are not only inspiring, but also informative. Besides honing your tidying skills to perfection, they will generally make you feel better about the task.
Also read: Laundry quotes
Marie Kondo Quotes
”Storage experts are hoarders.”
“Discard first, store later.”
“Tidying is the act of confronting yourself.”
“Once you have experience what it’s like to have a truly ordered house, you’ll feel your whole world brighten.”
“Tidying orders and relaxes the mind.”
“Being messy is not hereditary nor is it related to lack of time.”
“Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever.”
“Tidying your physical space allows you to tend to your psychological space.”
“Reducing the amount of stuff in our space also reduces the amount of dust, and we actually clean more often.”
“What was it that motivated you to tidy in the first place? What do you hope to gain through tidying? Before you start getting rid of things, take the time to think this through carefully. This means visualizing the ideal lifestyle you dream of.”
“When we disperse storage of a particular item throughout the house and tidy one place at a time, we can never grasp the overall volume and therefore can never finish. To escape this negative spiral, tidy by category, not by place.”
“By starting with the easy things first and leaving the hardest for last, you can gradually hone your decision-making skills, so that by the end, it seems simple.”
“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle.”
“A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming.”
“If you live with your family, first clearly define separate storage spaces for each family member.”
“The ultimate secret of success is this: If you tidy up in one shot, rather than little by little, you can dramatically change your mind-set.”
“The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.”
“One reason so many of us never succeed at tidying is because we have too much stuff.”
“But when we really delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future.”
“It’s a very strange phenomenon, but when we reduce what we own and essentially ‘detox’ our house, it has a detox effect on our bodies as well.”
“When you come across something that you cannot part with, think carefully about its true purpose in your life. You’ll be surprised at how many of the things you possess have already fulfilled their role. By acknowledging their contribution and letting them go with gratitude, you will be able to truly put the things you own, and your life, in order. In the end, all that will remain are the things that you really treasure.”
“It is only when you put your house in order that your furniture and decorations come to life.”
“The act of folding is far more than making clothes compact for storage. It is an act of caring, an expression of love and appreciation for the way these clothes support your lifestyle. Therefore, when we fold, we should put our heart into it, thanking our clothes for protecting our bodies.”
“The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.”
“The lives of those who tidy thoroughly and completely, in a single shot, are without exception dramatically altered.”
“There are three approaches we can take toward our possessions: face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them until the day we die.”
“Tidying is just a tool, not the final destination. The true goal should be to establish the lifestyle you want most once your house has been put in order.”
“Visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder.”
“To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose. To throw away what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful.”
“Putting your house in order is the magic that creates a vibrant and happy life.”
“Can you truthfully say that you treasure something buried so deeply in a closet or drawer that you have forgotten its existence? If things had feelings, they would certainly not be happy. Free them from the prison to which you have relegated them. Help them leave that deserted isle to which you have exiled them.”
“Your storage space is your private paradise, so personalize it to the fullest.”
“I recommend storing vertically anything that can be stood up.”
“Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out.”
“I’m sure most of us have been scolded for not tidying up our rooms, but how many of our parents consciously taught us how to tidy as part of our upbringing?” — Marie Kondo
“The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat. Some people mimic store displays, folding each piece of clothing into a large square and then arranging them one on top of the other in layers. This is great for temporary sales displays in stores, but not what we should be aiming for at home, where our relationship with these clothes is long term.”
