A Toronto KonMari Expert Explains How To Spring Clean Your Home's Pandemic Vibes Away

After a year of being stuck inside, there are lots of Torontonians looking for 2021 spring cleaning tips.

That's according to The Tidy Moose founder Ivanka Siolkowsky, an organizing expert certified in the KonMari Method created by Marie Kondo.

Siolkowsky spoke to Narcity about tackling spring cleaning this year and passed along some tips for organizing in a COVID-19 world.

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What are some great Spring cleaning hacks for 2021?

Talking to Narcity over the phone, Siolkowsky said people are more excited than ever to clean their spaces after being stuck inside them for a year.

She recommended checking out Dollarama or IKEA Canada for great cheap organizational materials, but there are some pandemic-specific hacks to keep in mind.

If you've spent the last year hoarding Kleenexes, Siolkowsky recommended cutting the boxes up and using them as dividers in a drawer, because their 90-degree angles mean they use up space more efficiently than fancier bins.

As for masks, Siolkowsky suggested hanging a board up on the wall and using clothespins to hang a clean mask up for each day of the week.

“For a lot of people, especially in larger cities like Toronto where you're living in small spaces, you may not have a space for a bin to store all of your masks,” Sialkowsky said. 

How do you tackle Spring cleaning?

Siolkowsky said mindset is hugely important when it comes to cleaning.

“When you are going into a purge," she said, "Instead of framing your mindset around, ‘What do I need to get rid of?’ frame it around, ‘What should I keep, what do I need to keep, what sparks joy or what improves my quality of life?’”

Once someone knows what they are going to rid of, Siolkowsky has an unusual Marie-Kondo-inspired method for what to do next — say "thank you" to the item.

"That could be thanking them to say, 'Thank you, old sweater, for keeping me warm. I no longer need you so it's time for you to go,' or, 'Thank you, dress in my closet, that's been here for a year with the tag on it, for teaching me that I didn't need to buy this," Siolkowsky explained.

"Whenever I recommend this to clients, at first they kind of laugh at me, but once they do it, I can see their energy change," she said.

Why is Spring cleaning good for you?

Siolkowsky said that a decluttered space is a decluttered mind.

“When you're surrounded by clutter, you aren't functioning at full capacity, whether you realize it or not," she said.

"Especially in this last year where we have all been stuck at home, literally, in these small spaces for the last 12 months."

Siolkowsky said people have needed organization and cleanliness in their spaces more than ever but haven't necessarily been able to get it.

"A lot of people are beginning to realize it, and those who already knew are extra stressed, knowing that it's time to make a change," she said.