Queen of Clean, Marie Kondo, has officially stepped off her throne, leaving the cleaning to people with more time.
The KonMari Method of cleaning and organizing, started by Marie Kondo, is built on the idea that if something does not “spark joy,” you should get it out of your life. But Kondo’s version of decluttering involves leaving room for compassion and closure.
Through her best-selling books like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Netflix-series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, consumers across America began getting rid of their stuff. In 2015, second-hand retailers like Poshmark experienced a 60% increase in inventory in just one quarter.
A Poshmark spokesperson told Fashionista at the time that they believed this was because of the popularity of the KonMari method and minimalism.
Marie Kondo Has No Free Time To Clean
Everyone loves a tidy space, but keeping up with clutter can be a privilege. For Kondo, time to tidy is a privilege she no longer has, let alone how she wants to prioritize her free time.
In 2021, Kondo shared on her website about the guilt she had been feeling about not being able to keep a perfect, tidy home and keep up with being what she felt was a good mother.
“Just after my oldest daughter was born, I felt unable to forgive myself for not being able to manage my life as I had before,” she wrote. “But with time, I eased up on myself; then, after I gave birth to my second daughter, I let go of my need for perfection altogether.”
Instead of physical objects, Kondo now focuses on whether or not something — whether it be a goal, event, or physical object — sparks joy. In her latest book, Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life, Kondo introduces recovery over-organizers to the Japanese concept of “kurashi,” which prioritizes deepening relationships rather than just ending them.
Social Media Feels “Vindicated” After Marie Kondo Gives up Tidying
What some see as Kondo’s epiphany has relieved others of the same guilt Kondo was experiencing when she couldn’t keep up with kids and a clean house.
Comedian Davon Magwood tweeted that he found it “hilarious” that Kondo was “giving up on cleaning” because, as a father of three himself, he sometimes just sits “like a child in a war zone playing in the rubble.”
But as Twitter user @deannareads points out, Kondo’s brand was never really about cleaning to begin with.
“Marie Kondo’s entire brand was essentially, “do what makes you happy and comfortable at your own pace” and people took that personally. She never forced anyone to get rid of anything, she encouraged people who wanted cleaner homes to clean in a way that made them happy.”
Another Twitter user felt the same, adding that Kondo’s books aren’t, “even strictly about material things but also relationships, thought patterns and feelings. People really have an allergic reaction to accountability.”
Whether or not you’ll be folding all of your shirts to maximize the most drawer space isn’t something you should care about — unless it is something that helps make your life feel more joyful and more complete.