Thought we were done talking about organizing and decluttering aficionado Marie Kondo and her eight-episode Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, which mesmerized and inspired viewers to finally organize their sock drawer and donate bags upon bags of their belongings? Think again — because the numbers from Goodwill are, for the most part, finally in, proving the impact of her organizing approach on the show’s millions of viewers.
A couple of weeks after the first season dropped on Jan. 1, Goodwill told CNN that it was too soon to determine the impact from the show, as the first week of January is typically strong.
“People have New Year’s resolutions, people have time to get their boxes together, that kind of thing,” said Goodwill’s public relations and multimedia manager, Malini Wilkes.
But according to recent reporting by People, many of Goodwill’s local organizations — they have a total of 161 across the country — are now reporting a year-over-year spike in donations in January, and Goodwill branches believe it has a little something to do with Kondo’s show.
Lauren Lawson-Zilai, a representative for Goodwill, told People that donations in the Houston, Texas, market were up 22 percent; Roanoke, Virginia, was up 20 percent; Washington, D.C., was up 30 percent; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, was up 16 percent.
And it’s all thanks to Kondo’s thoughtful KonMari method approach. In short, this method instructs you to clean each of the rooms in your home by category (start with clothes, then books, then papers, then miscellaneous items and finally sentimental items. You then look at each item, and if it doesn’t “spark joy,” then you toss it.
It’s such an easy, simple way of decluttering that other thrift stores and used bookstores have been reaping the benefits since.
I Marie Kondo’d the hell out of my jeans/shorts/skirts/leggings drawer. I’m so happy and my local charity shop will be getting a sizeable donation 👍 pic.twitter.com/ZNJeJl1LfA
— Ellen "I don’t post here anymore" Rose 🐀 (@icklenellierose) January 20, 2019
For instance, thrift store Beacon’s Closet in New York City told CNN that while January is their slow season, they did see an uptick in donations.
“It’s really hard to estimate the amount but it has been a ton of stuff, but I can say thousands of pieces a day,” said store manager, Leah Giampietro. “People are determined to clean up their homes.”
Haven’t joined the Kondo movement? It’s never too late; Goodwill will happily take your non-joy-sparking items.
“We are seeing a steady buzz about the show on social media channels across the Goodwill network, and we thoroughly embrace the philosophy of reorganizing your closets and reusing your household goods!” Lawson-Zilai says.
Looking to do a bit of decluttering in your own home? Check out our new series Master Cleanse for the best tips, hacks and guides to spring-cleaning.
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