Tidying guru Marie Kondo shares the decluttering mistake we’re all making – and the foolproof hacks to banish clutter once and for all

As Ideal Home’s resident decluttering obsessive, I regularly take inspiration from professional organisers and experts to tidy and organise my own home. Recently, however, I’ve found myself in somewhat of a decluttering slump and enlisted Marie Kondo's help to understand where I was going wrong.

From her iconic KonMari folding method to her foolproof kitchen organising trick, the Japanese organising consultant, author and Netflix star has certainly made her mark in the decluttering and organising world. And Marie Kondo’s KonMari method of organising has had millions asking if their belongings ‘spark joy.’

But when I sat down with Marie Kondo recently, I wanted to focus on what I shouldn't be doing when tidying my home. Her response? I was making the same mistake she sees so many others make: focusing too much on storage and not enough on the items I’m storing.

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Speaking exclusively to Ideal Home, Marie Kondo explained, ‘I feel that one of the most common mistakes people make when trying to tidy their homes is thinking about storage before deciding what to keep. Of course, storage is an important step in the tidying process, but storage alone cannot solve the problem.’

And while I’m a sucker for handy storage solutions, such as the best storage baskets, what she says makes sense when you think about it. After all, simply storing (or even hiding) things away doesn’t allow us the chance to edit and declutter our belongings - which is particularly essential in smaller homes with limited space and storage.

This means we’re constantly adding more to our homes, leading to clutter blindness and a constant battle to stay on top of the mess. Thankfully, Marie says that there’s a quick and easy solution to this.

‘Before thinking about storage, it is essential to first decide what to keep,’ she advises. ‘Choose only the items that spark joy for you, and let go of the rest. By doing so, the true volume of what you need naturally becomes clear.’

The organising guru says this should also help to prevent unnecessary purchases that strain our wallets and our homes, and that having a clearer understanding of what we have left should allow us to choose storage that works with our homes rather than against them.

However, my chat with Marie didn’t end there. She also shared some other tips for maintaining a tidy and organised home.

Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is a Professional Organiser and Consultant. She has written four books on organising and appeared on the Netflix show 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.' She is also the face behind KonMari, and will be hosting an In-Person KonMari Consultant Course in London in October.

Marie Kondo’s tips for an organised home

1. Reassess how you feel when you come home

A recurring theme in Marie Kondo’s teachings is that your home should evoke feelings of serenity and calm. If it doesn’t, it’s a sign that something isn’t quite right. This is why you should always reassess how you feel when you come home at the end of the day - especially if you feel emotionally heavy.

Marie explains, ‘For example, you come home, but for some reason, you don’t feel a sense of relief. You find yourself spending more time looking for things. You open your closet and, even though it is full of clothes, nothing feels quite right, and you feel like you have nothing you truly want to wear.’

Of course, it can be difficult to declutter when you’re overwhelmed, but taking steps to get rid of items that no longer serve you or your home can make a huge difference.

2. Plan a ‘tidying festival’

There are so many decluttering methods out there, but Marie is a huge proponent of a ‘tidying festival.’ She calls this a ‘dedicated period of time to review all of your belongings, choose what you want to keep, and decide where everything belongs.’

The idea here is to keep only the items that spark joy and always make sure you give the items you’re keeping a designated, permanent home so they can be returned after each use. This should prevent clutter from building up on surfaces that you’d typically like to remain clear.

However, Marie does appreciate that this can be difficult. So, she advises, ‘Imagine your ideal lifestyle before you begin. Ask yourself: “What kind of space do I want to live in, and how do I want to feel there?” Once you understand your purpose and your goal, the way you experience the process changes completely.’

3. Tidy by category

Tidying a home can feel like a never-ending task, and many people choose to do it room by room. However, Marie Kondo’s KonMari method recommends tidying your home by category instead.

She explains, ‘The ideal order is clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and sentimental items. That said, I understand that not everyone has the time to tidy an entire category at once. For those people, I recommend starting with a “small category.”’

For Marie, it’s all about small changes that add up to make a big difference, as something as simple as organising your sock drawer can take away the stress you often feel in the morning when you’re getting ready. It may also encourage you to continue these small steps until you’ve tidied your entire home.

4. Store items upright if you can

Whether you want to organise your clothes drawers or finally tackle your junk drawer, Marie suggests storing your items upright whenever possible. This will allow you to clearly see what you’re looking at and take stock of what you have so you don’t accidentally buy more.

She also adds, ‘For example, with clothing, if you don’t have enough space to hang everything in your closet, try folding your clothes and storing them upright in drawers. Not only does this allow you to make full use of the height of the drawer, but it also lets you see exactly what you have and where everything is.’

If you need help keeping these upright items tidy, Marie also recommends using dividers or small boxes to organise them into smaller categories. For example, socks with socks, pens with pens, etc.

Editor-approved organising tools

I’m definitely going to use Marie Kondo’s tips moving forward, and these are the products I recommend as an Ideal Home Editor to help those doing the same.

Will you be using any of Marie's tidying tips?