We take into account the pros and cons of the “magic” cleaning by the Kondari method and adapt the technique to our realities
According to the Kommari method, the general cleaning should be carried out only once, after which it will not be necessary anymore. It will take a minimum of effort to keep the house in perfect condition. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
When readers began to apply the magic method in practice, a lot of pitfalls came up. It turned out that the system of total relaxation at home is not so perfect. In particular, the Marie Kondo method did not take root in Russia. Let's try to understand the reasons and think about how to improve the method.
1. The habits developed over the years do not disappear by magic.
Ideally, if you follow the recommendations, your home will be clean and tidy forever. But you need to understand that one global cleaning will not save you from impulsive purchases of unnecessary things, which in time will again litter the apartment.
In addition, it will take time to get used to stacking items every day in a certain order. Remember that there are no miracles, you will have to work hard to develop new user habits.
However, Marie Kondo's book contains reasonable and useful recommendations. She advises starting disassembling things not by room, but by category.
So you can immediately assess the volume of clothes, books, jewelry, and other things. It will be easier to find out what you need and what you don't need. It's important to focus on the things you're going to leave behind, not the things you want to throw away.
2. It won't work if you follow the recommendations blindly.
First, Konmari's book describes the Japanese lifestyle, values, and attitude towards things. Russians still have a different mentality. For example, the author advises you to hold the object in your hands and see if it makes you happy or not. You are allowed to leave a thing only if it pleases you. You can not leave something that causes irritation or tires.
But not everyone shares this philosophy. After all, every person has a wide range of emotions. Not all of them are pleasant and positive, in everyday life we often face discomfort, but learn to overcome it. Besides, positive emotions are not always connected with material things.
Better adapt the method to your own needs. If you find it difficult to enjoy holding a cleaning agent in your hand, focus on its useful properties. And so with all the things: if they are beautiful and practical, then leave.
3. Spontaneous cleaning is difficult to complete.
The author recommends that you start cleaning immediately, but it is better not to do so, otherwise, you will just run out of steam halfway through. If the house requires total relaxation, schedule cleaning in advance. You should have plenty of free time to clean the whole house in one go, otherwise, it will seem that cleaning lasts forever.
However, it is difficult to argue with the statement that it is necessary to clean everything and at once — things should be stored in certain places, instead of dispersed throughout the house. Therefore, it is not necessary to clean up each room separately, as things will just start to move from one place to another.
Unfortunately, putting things in order is not only sorting and arranging things, but also cleaning and washing surfaces. It's not the most enjoyable thing to do, so you want to do it as quickly as possible, and it's a good idea to keep up with it.
Fortunately, modern appliances help you to clean quickly and efficiently.
4. Throwing everything away is irresponsible.
One of the main principles of Marie Condo is actually very doubtful. People don't feel enthusiastic about throwing away unwanted clothes, dishes or books. It is so common that libraries in Russian families have been kept for generations. And why throw away books and clothes when other people can use these things?
Instead of irresponsibly producing garbage, it is better to dispose of it competently. We recommend that you make a list of places where you can take your belongings before cleaning. Otherwise, you just put them in trash bags and hide them in the closet, regretting throwing them away.
To avoid taking the bags to the other end of town, look for places near you:
— A clothing collection point for the needy;
— Shelter, social services center;
— Library, book-crossing;
— Recycling of waste — plastic, wood or glass products can be recycled there;
— Animal shelter — they will need old towels and blankets.
5. The Conmari method has not been proven to have a long-term effect.
Finally, Marie Kondo in the book refers exclusively to her personal experience, focuses only on those mistakes in cleaning that she made as a child. But she doesn't talk about what tasks she had to solve with her clients, what difficulties did she face in the process of work? Have her clients had any relapses? How did she get out of difficult situations?
It seems that clients had no choice but to follow Marie Condo's instructions, even if it didn't work out. In that case, we go back to point #1 — if you can solve a mess once, it doesn't mean that the habit of cluttering up space won't come back again.