You can’t go too far these days without hearing or seeing the words: Declutter! Organize! Tidy up! There appears to be a massive movement towards minimalism, towards clearing out what you don’t need – and nicely and efficiently organizing what you do need. And the recognized leader of the movement is, of course, Marie Kondo.
Ms. Kondo is teaching us the KonMari Method of Japanese Decluttering and Organizing through books like “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, her KonMari website, and her new Netflix TV show, “Tidying Up with Mari Kondo.”
How to Organize Like Marie Kondo
Briefly, here’s Marie’s “tidying” process:
- Pick a Category: for example, Clothing, Books, Papers, Miscellaneous (kitchen, kids, office, garage, bathroom, etc.) or Sentimental and gather all items of each category in one place before starting.
- Hold or evaluate each item and ask if it “Sparks Joy” for you. If no joy, thank the item and discard it immediately (sell, donate, trash).
- Once you’ve decided which items to keep, organize them all together. Use Marie’s storage methods (minimal bin or boxes) or the space-saving, visually-appealing KonMari Folding Method to store.
Why Packbands are a Fun and Functional Storage and Organization Solution:
At Packbands, we’re also all about organization and storage, and see the benefits in various approaches: twist ties, hook and loop straps, storage bins, packing cubes, bungee cords, rubber bands…all serve their purposes.
But we’re also partial to a storage and organization solution that serves many of the same purposes as the tools listed above but, with a little ingenuity, has hundreds of other uses. Of course, we’re talking about Packbands. Packbands’ 3-step method is simple, too: simply Stretch, Wrap and Snap!
In addition to the hundreds of uses Packbands offer, here are some of our favorite attributes of these fun – and functional – straps:
They Stretch: When you travel, Packbands can fit around a heavier pair of jeans, a couple of t-shirts or a puffy jacket. In the garage, they’ll stretch to fit around extension cords, power tool cords or different-sized cables or hoses.
They’re Adjustable: A Packband has three reinforced holes to accommodate items from large to small.
They're Expandable: Packbands stretch so they can easily store items of many sizes. Need a longer band? Just attach two Packbands together.
100% Silicone: Silicone Packbands are heat-, cold-, and UV-resistant
Lightweight: Each Packband weighs about 1 oz. which makes them easy to take with you when you’re traveling, hiking, cycling, shopping, working, going to the gym, rolling a yoga mat or headed to the beach.
One-piece Construction, No Metal or Moving Parts: Unlike twist-ties, bungee cords or ratchet tie-down straps, Packbands have no metal or moving parts to break, rust or scratch.
No Snagging: Hook and loop-style straps can snag and pull fabric and clothing.
Waterproof: No worries about water, rain or mud – your Packbands will be fine!
Washable: Other types of storage bands or straps like tie-downs, bungee cords or hook and loop straps get dirty, sometimes rendering them ineffective.
Reusable: Use Packbands over and over – they don’t stretch out (or fill up the landfills).
They're Strong: They’re virtually unbreakable.
Brightly-colored: Packbands are fun and functional – use each color for different purposes or to identify categories of home, work, adventure or travel items.
Securing Loop: Each Packband comes with a loop to secure the end (if necessary). The loop is marked with +/- on each side to indicate soiled or clean clothing.
It all adds up to a storage and organization solution that we think Marie Kondo would approve of (we're waiting on a callback). If you're looking for a way to stash your stuff in a visually-pleasing and efficient manor, we think the Packbands Method is second to (n)one.