Folding clothes, decluttering closets, and finding joy in a pair of socks do not make for the typical cultural phenomenon, but Marie Kondo and her KonMari method of home organization are definitely having a moment.

On January 1st, Netflix released Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and already certain thrift stores and consignment shops are feeling the effect, with reports of a “small wave” of people eager to donate books and offload clothes, all chalked up to the show’s purgative preaching, according to a CNN report.

Thrift stores are feeling the effect, with reports of a “small wave” of people eager to donate books and offload clothes.

At the very least, it’s hard to ignore the cascade of Instagram stories depicting newly de-cluttered shelves, closets, and t-shirt drawers. From January 1st to 8th, Kondo’s own Instagram account gained more than 350,000 new followers.

Building upon the success of Kondo’s 2014 best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, the eight-episode series brings Kondo into homes of varying levels of unkempt stress, where she methodically unleashes the KonMari method on her untidy but rapt audience.

She urges people to purge items according to the joy factor (does it provide joy, or not?) and to determine the fate of every single household item this way. She then offers tips on folding, storing, and communicating with your belongings to ensure a smooth spiritual transition into true tidiness.

As January creeps into February and New Year’s resolutions of a cleaner home are challenged by the daily grind, the lasting impact of “Tidying Up” will be tested.  But don’t be shocked if sometime this year you find yourself thanking an old sweater for its service before bagging it up and giving it away.

•January 17, 2019