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Imagine walking into your room after a long, hard day and seeing a pile of clothes on the floor and a mess in the kitchen. For many people, seeing a dirty room can create anxiety. This is especially true for college students. Managing classes, athletics and hygiene is tough on its own. While cleaning may not be a student’s top priority, a dirty living space can add to the pressure and anxiety they might already feel. 

In order to help with the anxiety of cleaning, Marie Kondo, a well-known Japanese organizing consultant, has created a Netflix series titled, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo.” In this series, Kondo goes in depth with tactics and methods to enhance your living space’s cleanliness. The show helps viewers re-evaluate their lives and discover what is truly worth holding onto versus what can be thrown away.

Kondo brings a unique perspective to cleaning by incorporating faith. She starts by greeting the living space. She then communicates to the place by praying and thanking it for protecting her before she begins the tidying process. At first glance this may seem abstract, but many students could find this trait helpful. 

Antonio Santamaria, a Grand View sophomore, said that he could work on being grateful and appreciative of what is around him.

Emily Olson, another GV student, could relate to Kondo’s method.

“We’re so lucky here in America with the things we have,” Olson said. “It’s definitely important to be grateful for what you have, and I think doing that before you organize can set you in the right mindset to get rid of the things you don’t need.”

However, some students have differing opinions on the matter. 

“That’s a little weird; that’s not something I would ever do,” said Connor Sonius, a junior at GV. 

The main problem Kondo tackles is clothing clutter. The first thing she advises is to take all of the clothes you own, and put them in a pile in the center of your room. This way it is easy to see all that you have and all that you maybe don’t need. 

“It makes you realize how much stuff you have,” Olson said. “If you put it all together, then I’m like ‘Oh wow, I have all these things; I don’t need all these things.’”

Then after going through and choosing which clothes to keep, Kondo recommends organizing the clothes in a “triple- fold” style. This style involves folding a clothing item in half three separate times. Next, she said to stand the clothing items upright in the drawer so that they are easily seen, even the ones in the back.

“Ever since watching this show I decided to fold my clothes differently,” Olson said. “That was kind of fun to go through my drawers and organize them differently. Stuff does actually fit in my drawers better, so I enjoy using her method.”

Melissa Geis, a sophomore at GV, also said she could benefit from Kondo’s tactic. 

“I try to fold (clothes), and then they get all messy in my drawer,” she said.

Not only does Kondo give tips to help with clothes, she also has a tip for the kitchen: Organize Tupperware by the size of the utensil. Kondo stacks each item in clear boxes; this way, everything is visible. 

This tip can help a majority of college students who have cluttered, disorganized Tupperware drawers. 

“We have a Tupperware drawer, and it’s a mess,” Geis said. 

Although Kondo tries to help viewers gain the courage to get rid of useless items, some things are worth keeping. When it comes to sentimental items, Kondo said to keep those items that “spark joy” in one’s life. “Spark joy” means that the item brings some kind of happiness or a warm, positive feeling. Sometimes keeping these items around the room can be beneficial for students to keep a positive mindset when cramming for a test or pulling an all-nighter. 

“I have medals, and anything I’ve won, I keep,” Sonius said. “I usually hang them on the wall or put them on my dresser.” 

Also, by keeping sentimental items out, it can even motivate students to clean their rooms so those items can be properly shown off.

“My mom sends me cards, and I keep all of them,” Geis said. “I have a drawer full of cards that she has written me.”