This Is How Marie Kondo Keeps Her Clothes Organized When She’s Traveling
Marie Kondo is known for her folding strategy, and we’ve seen with our very own eyes how she makes magic when packing a carry-on. But packing the clothes into the suitcase is one thing, and unpacking when you get to your temporary destination is another. Translation: things can get real messy, real fast. But once again, Kondo comes to our aid and provides a KonMari-based solution that will keep our lives—and items—in order.
During an exclusive interview with Apartment Therapy, Kondo revealed her secret to keeping things organized when on the road: unpacking just like you would at home. While this might seem like an obvious solution, it’s easier said than done. What’s one of the first things you want to do when you get to your hotel room? In an ideal world, it might be unpacking everything first, but realistically it’s taking a nap or treating yourself to room service.
Kondo is big on emptying your suitcase when you get to your room, which ultimately leaves little chance for procrastination and letting things get messy. “When I get to the destination, I empty out the suitcase. When I come home, the same thing,” says Kondo. “The way I pack my suitcase with the clothes is just like how I have them in my drawers, they’re all upright. So when I pack my clothes, they will be upright in my suitcase, and then when I unpack, I just put those upright into the draws in the hotel room.”
Of course, a crucial part of this is packing the right way, so it all goes hand in hand. When you open your suitcase and things are organized, it’s easy to take items out that go together versus of mixing different groups. So follow Kondo’s steps: fold correctly, pair like with like, do a “spark joy” test, and look for ways to save space in small but crucial ways. An added note: Kondo’s favorite luggage brand is Rimowa, which might bring you great joy via adjustable flex dividers.
Like mentioned above, the way Kondo unpacks during her travels isn’t very different than the way she unpacks when she gets home. The biggest difference: dirty clothes go into the laundry. Everything else goes back right where it came from, and in a folded manner, no less.