Tidying Up with Marie Kondo – Episode 5 Review

People keep talking about Marie Kondo’s Netflix series Tidying Up. In Episode 4 Margie Hodges, who has recently lost her husband, meets Marie. If you haven’t seen any of the episodes, I encourage you to watch. There is much to learn from watching someone else go through the process.

One of the blessings of being in quarantine is the opportunity to catch up on watching some television shows. And as an organizer, can you guess what I’m getting caught up on? I had taken a break from blogging on Marie Kondo’s Tidying Up show, but I’m back in action. Please join me as I give my thoughts and reviews on Episode 5 featuring young couple Frank and Matt.

Getting rid of clutter helps us feel better about ourselves

The overarching reason Frank and Matt want to declutter and get organized is the upcoming visit of Frank’s family. Frank, the youngest of his siblings, has always been messy and longs to be seen as an adult. His family has never visited since he moved to California and began his relationship with Matt. He wants his home to be a positive reflection of their relationship and his maturity.  Many of us can relate to this feeling. Being organized helps us feel more grown-up and proud of hour homes. 

As usual, the Konmarie method begins with sorting clothing and asking whether specific items of clothing spark joy. Matt struggles with opening up emotionally and as difficulty connecting with feeling joy as he goes through his clothes, which is one of the downsides to Marie Kondo’s methods. 

Though asking if something sparks joy can be one good question to ask, it shouldn’t be the only thing to ask. Not everyone feels as deeply as others. Some clothes are also merely functional instead of something that sparks joy. For example, my undergarments and socks don’t spark joy, but that doesn’t mean I should let them go. They are a functional necessity. 

Organizing books and papers

Books and papers were up next. Though Matt struggled to have an emotional attachment to any clothing, he certainly did with his books. And Frank had a sentimental connection with many of the papers. What frustrated me was Marie’s lack of direction on what to keep and not keep.

Papers are complicated and can have legal ramifications. Marie did not give any direction on how to handle this. It is possible these scenes were edited from the show. Still, I believe that most people need more direction with organizing papers than being told to have three categories: pending, important, and miscellaneous.

As the men move to the “kimono” category (everything miscellaneous), Frank recognizes that he often uses catastrophic thinking, which allows him to come up with an excuse for why he needs to keep everything. This insight helps him realize that fear is not a good enough reason to keep something—a lesson we can all learn.

The benefits of decluttering

Finally, the reveal! Why is this always my favorite part? It’s just so satisfying to see the joy on the faces of those who have done the hard work of organizing! Matt and Frank are beaming and going on about how good they feel and how they want to have people over. Isn’t that true? When our homes are tidy, we want to entertain! When Frank’s family arrives, they are amazed at the work they’ve accomplished, and in Frank’s maturity. He can finally feel like an adult!