Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing is arguably the most popular cleaning-oriented book, but it is far from the only one. If you devoured her room-by-room, little-by-little approach to getting your home clean and organized but are still finding it difficult to live a clutter-free life yourself, here are some helpful sources that will allow you to continue on your cleaning journey:
“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter” by Margareta Magnusson.
Just as Marie Kondo took you down the road of Japanese cleaning, explore this Swedish tradition of vigorous cleaning in The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Though “death cleaning” might be an intimidating term, the process is all about disposing of unnecessary belongings and is told with humor. Through her prose, Magnusson makes the task at hand seem inspiring instead of overwhelming.
Buy it on Amazon for $12.91.
“Simple Organizing: 50 Ways to Clear the Clutter” by Melissa Michaels
With 50 organizational ideas and more than 300 helpful tips, Michaels takes you through the process of differentiating necessities from clutter and how to contain your belongings so your home doesn’t become a mess. This book will turn you into a Type A personality, giving each of your belongings its own designated, organized place in your home.
Buy it on Amazon for $13.49.
“Cluttered Mess to Organized Success” by Cassandra Aarssen
If you’re more list-orientated and a doer, this book is perfect for you.Cluttered Mess to Organized Success is a workbook that includes more than 100 checklists and worksheets that walk you through the process of tidying your home. On top of the lists, the book also contains a plethora of tips, labels, and schedules so you can get right to work spring cleaning.
Buy it on Amazon for $13.36.
“DECLUTTER: The Japanese Art of Minimalism” by Phillip Lark
Minimalism is a trend that celebrates simplicity. In order to achieve it, you must exercise restraint and control about what you allow into your home to avoid excess and clutter. That’s the basis for Lark’s book, which argues that people own too many objects they don’t need. By ridding your home of excess, Lark says you will feel better.
Buy it on Amazon for $9.99.
“Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff” by Dana K. White
Are the tops of your end tables covered in so many things that you can’t rest anything else on top? Is your closet overflowing that you’re scared to open it because something will definitely fall out? Chances are, your home has too much stuff. That’s just what happens in life. But in her book, White helps you acknowledge your clutter hoarding and helps you implement steps to rid unnecessary items from your home.
Buy it on Amazon for $11.59.
“Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day” by Cassandra Aarssen
This bestseller walks you through creative storage options to fight back against the house-consuming clutter. Aarssen offers tips and recommendations of small tasks to do once a day — make a Household Management binder, create a kids’ cabinet in your kitchen, etc. — so you can slowly become more organized, despite your busy schedule.
Buy it on Amazon for $12.20.
“Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home” by Danielle Postel-Vinay
This illustrated guide walks you through transforming your home into a place of elegance, beauty and family to achieve la belle vie — the beautiful life. Postel-Vinay gives more than just interior design tips — she focuses on achieving warmth and cleanliness in your home to feel enriched and satisfied in your life. But unlike many of these other suggestions, Home Sweet Maison says minimalism is so overrated.
Buy it on Amazon for $14.
“Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House” by Cheryl Mendelson
Home Comforts is not a how-to guide or a cleaning manual. Instead, it’s a conversational commentary on the importance of keeping your home in working order. Mendelson discusses the importance of keeping house, from ironing and folding clothes to keeping surfaces in spit-spot shape and free from dust and germs. The book argues that housekeeping should be comfortable as well as practical, and teaches you that tidying up doesn’t have to be a chore.
Buy it on Amazon for $16.93.
“Clutter Intervention: How Your Stuff is Keeping You Stuck” by Tisha Morris
Many people find it difficult to dispose of unnecessary items that are making their homes cluttered because we’ve formed an emotional attachment to the object or have associated it with a memory. But not all of these emotional attachments are healthy. This book works you through the process of disassociating your junk from your emotions and takes on a very psychological approach to cleaning and living the life you want.
Buy it on Amazon for $14.53.
“How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets” by Dana K. White
The idea behind this book is simple: cleaning your home is not a one-time feat, but an ongoing life decision. White, a self-confessed slob, fights back against house cleaning myths to spread the word of what really works for maintaining a clean home through wit and humor. It’s an easy, fun and helpful read for anyone who finds themselves drowning in dirty clothes and overrun trash cans.
Buy it on Amazon for $9.98.
