Who’s been watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo?

The Netflix hit has resulted in two bin bags full of clothes leaving our house already, and if the online reaction to the show is anything to go by, we’re not alone.

So what is it about the Japanese decluttering queen that gets seasoned hoarders like me reaching for the bin bags? Well, it’s all about the happiness such a clearout brings.

The KonMari Method requires you to pile the contents of your wardrobe in a heap and ask yourself a simple question of each individual item: does this spark joy? If the answer’s no, then it’s time to bid that ugly sack dress or shapeless skirt farewell. Kondo isn’t about getting rid of stuff for the sake of it, mind: if it makes you happy it can stay.

Not surprisingly, I found that most of my old clobber elicited a reaction more akin to confused apathy. Why had it all been cluttering up my wardrobe for so long?

The next stage is a ceremonial binning, in which you thank the unwanted item before bidding it farewell.

This was a bit much for me. I may not like a lot of this stuff, but I still have a bizarre sentimental attachment to much of it, meaning I have to part with it quickly and without ceremony, then try not to think about it further for fear of diving back in on a rescue mission.

The method stretches to all other areas of the home, including the dreaded paperwork.

One step at a time here. But with such a gentle - albeit slightly quirky - approach, I can see us giving it a go.

A wardrobe full of things I can actually leaf through easily, without it being squashed in a creased block, is a revelation, not to mention a source of joy.