The KonMari Method: Decluttering a Dublin Home

Space is at a premium in Dublin, whether you rent a one-bed in Ballsbridge or share a house in Phibsborough. The KonMari method, made famous by Marie Kondo, is well suited to smaller homes because it forces you to keep only what earns its place.

This guide explains how the method works, how to apply it category by category, and what to do with everything you decide to let go of in Dublin.

What the KonMari method is

The idea is simple: keep only the things that are useful or that you genuinely value, and let the rest go. Rather than tidying room by room, you work through categories in a set order, gathering everything in that category into one place first so you can see how much you actually own.

The order matters, moving from easy decisions to hard ones so your judgement is warmed up by the time you reach sentimental items.

• Clothes first, as the easiest category to judge
• Then books
• Then papers
• Then miscellaneous items, the komono
• Sentimental items last

Working through your home, category by category

Set aside proper time rather than doing it in five-minute bursts. The point of gathering a whole category in one place is the honesty of seeing it all at once.

Step by step

Handle each item, decide keep or let go, then give what you keep a proper home.

• Pile every item in a category on the bed or floor
• Pick up each one and decide whether it is worth keeping
• Thank and set aside anything you are letting go
• Give everything you keep a fixed, visible storage spot
• Finish one category fully before starting the next

Storage that works in a small Dublin flat

KonMari folding, where clothes stand upright in a drawer rather than stacked flat, is ideal for the compact wardrobes common in Dublin rentals. You see everything at a glance and fit more in less space.

Use boxes and drawer dividers to keep categories separate. Vertical space, the tops of wardrobes and the backs of doors, is often wasted in small homes.

• Fold clothes to stand upright so you can see every item
• Use dividers to stop drawers becoming a jumble
• Store like with like so nothing gets bought twice
• Make use of vertical and door-back space

What to do with what you let go

Decluttering only works if the discarded items actually leave the house, rather than migrating to a corner. Dublin has plenty of options for passing things on responsibly.

Charity shops like Oxfam Ireland and St Vincent de Paul take clothes, books and homeware in good condition. For anything not fit for reuse, Dublin City Council bring centres handle textiles, glass and electricals.

• Donate good-condition items to Oxfam Ireland or St Vincent de Paul
• Sell higher-value pieces through local resale groups
• Recycle textiles and electricals at a bring centre
• Set a firm date to remove donation bags, so they do not linger

Keeping the calm once you are done

A decluttered home is far quicker to clean and easier to keep that way. Put things back in their fixed spot as you go and the tidy state holds with very little effort.

If you want the reset to feel complete, an eMop cleaner can deep clean the newly cleared space. Regular cleaning starts from EUR23 per hour, booked online across Dublin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Book a Clean for Your Clutter-Free Home

Once the clutter is gone, a clean home is easy to keep. eMop connects you with vetted cleaners across Dublin, from Drumcondra to Dundrum, to reset your space or keep it that way.

Book your house cleaning in Dublin online at emop.ie, with regular cleaning from €23 per hour and one-off cleans from €24.90 per hour, including next-day slots.