Do you find yourself with way too much stuff and not enough room in your house to store it? Rather than paying for a storage unit to keep your excess items, it might be time to consider decluttering your life. Two of the more popular decluttering methods developed recently are the KonMari Method and Swedish Death Cleaning. Home organization contractors have developed a quick guide to each method, explaining what it is and the advantages each has in your life.

KonMari Method vs. Swedish Death Cleaning: What You Need to Know

What Is the KonMari Method?

Developed by Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo, KonMari is a minimalism-inspired approach to decluttering, tackling your unwanted stuff by category rather than by room. In deciding what to keep, the KonMari Method asks one simple question – does the item still bring you joy? If yes, you keep it. If no, it’s time to let it go. Once you’re finished decluttering, the next step is a thorough home organization option to store everything of the same type in one place.

What Are the Advantages of the KonMari Method?

• Truly Deciding What’s Important: The concept of joy may seem simple, but it’s also quite powerful. Using the KonMari Method allows you to decide what items you really want to keep, what you don’t, and what you might be hanging onto because of “shopper’s guilt.”
• Determining Joy vs. Sentiment: That favorite pair of jeans that you can’t quite bear discarding but never seem to wear. Is it because you still feel joy when you put them on? Or do they have sentimental value because of past emotions you felt when you wore them? If it’s the latter, then putting them into the donation pile can help you let go of emotions you no longer need to carry.
• Less Is More: Which is better – having a few things in your life that you love and bring you immense joy, or having a lot of things that you kind of like but don’t elicit strong emotions? If you picked the first option, then the KonMari Method is perfect for you.

What Is Swedish Death Cleaning?

Margareta Magnusson, who authored the best-selling book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, characterized it as the process of decluttering and clearing out unnecessary belongings at any age or life stage but doing it before others have to do it for you upon your death. She wrote, “Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization.”

What Are the Advantages of Swedish Death Cleaning?

• Increased Happiness: Decluttering gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction that you’ve rid yourself of unneeded items.
• Relieve Stress: Just think how overwhelmed you feel having to store and tend to all your unwanted junk. Decluttering frees you of that stress.
• Learning to Deal With Death: As Magnusson wrote in her book, “We must all talk about death. If it’s too hard to address, then death cleaning can be a way to start the conversation.”

Are you ready to begin the decluttering process? Cincinnati Closets® has helped Tri-State residents declutter their homes for the last 25 years. Owner Paul Lindemann and his staff know how a well-organized space can entirely change the look and feel of your home, and they provide experienced interior design services and develop custom closets and organizers that fit your style. Visit their website today or call (513) 631-7939 for more information on their home organization services.