Marie Kondo’s method for folding kitchen towels is a must-try

Marie Kondo folded kitchen towels
Images: AP Photo/Adobe

Everyone’s favorite organizational guru is back with a new tip to get your house in order. Marie Kondo’s method for folding towels — specifically those that are crammed haphazardly into a drawer or cabinet in your kitchen right now.

If you’re not familiar with Kondo, she’s basically the tidying queen of the world. Her Netflix show, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” launched in early 2019 and was an instant hit. But she first showed up on the radar of home organization devotees in 2014, when her first book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” was published and became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. This was followed by another bestseller in 2016, “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.”

Denise Crew/Netflix

Kondo recently announced that she has a new Netflix series on the way. “Sparking Joy” will be available on the streaming platform this summer.

“In this show, I take my teaching beyond the home to share how the life changing magic of tidying can transform our communities, too. I can’t wait for you to see it!” she wrote on Twitter.

Marie Kondo’s Method For Folding Towels

So, what’s Marie Kondo’s trick for folding towels? The Kitchn breaks it down into simple — and super practical — stages. First of all, you fold your towel in half the long way, so it looks like a long rectangle. Next, fold it in half the short way to make the rectangle half as long.

Marie Kondo towel folding trick 1
Clint Davis/Simplemost

The next step is to fold the towel into thirds. At this point, the towel should stand up on its own. If it doesn’t pass the “stand test,” you haven’t done it properly. But if it works, that’s it — and all you have to do is repeat the steps for the rest of your kitchen towels.

Clint Davis/Simplemost

When you’re done, stand them up in a drawer, basket, or other type of organizer (be aware that they’ll be so neat, you’ll probably want to show them off). Of course, this method isn’t just for kitchen towels. Now that you’ve started, nothing is stopping you doing the same for every towel in your house.

The Psychological Benefits Of Folding Towels

Experts believe that decluttering, tidying and organizing your space can have real mental health benefits.

“We live in ‘an acquiring culture,'” licensed psychologist Michael Tompkins, Ph.D., who has written two books on hoarding, told CNN.

“Perhaps there are some of us, myself included, that long for the serenity that can come with less stuff,” Tompkins added.

Adobe

Of course, everybody has their own tolerance level for clutter (including those messy kitchen towels), and there’s also a continuum when it comes to a tendency to acquire and hold onto stuff, Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic psychologist and co-chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health, told CNN. But for most of us, a clearer environment leads to more relaxation because visually there’s “less noise to your brain.”

Have you integrated any of Kondo’s decluttering tricks into your own routine?

Cleaning & Organization, Home, Tips & Advice
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Claire Gillespie

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