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Japan's decluttering queen Marie Kondo says 'given up' on keeping her home clean

Jan 30, 2023 (WION) - Japanese decluttering queen Marie Kondo, who is known for keeping things in order, and removing any sort of clutter, has accepted that even she fails to maintain a spotless and tidy home after her third kid's birth in 2021.

The decluttering queen accepted to have "sort of given up" on maintaining the immaculately clean and tidy house while speaking at a webinar as reported by The Washington Post.

"My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life," Kondo stated, as reported by the outlet.

"Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times," she said. Kondo added that she understands what is important for her now.

Because of her technique, Kondo became well-known across the globe. The decluttering queen also wrote a book on the KonMari method and a series was produced by Netflix on the same. ...continue reading

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