Marie Kondo's KonMari Method For Hair Tools
My 2000s Chi Straightener Didn't Spark Joy, So I Decided to KonMari All My Hair Tools
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Back in the early 2000s, during the reign of Uggs and Juicy Couture, I begged my mom to buy me a hair straightener — namely, a Chi. Since middle school, I've only replaced my beloved Chi flat iron once, maybe twice, because I recently discovered I had three in a tangled mess shoved in the bottom of my drawer. After having my family home torn apart by Marie Kondo Jr., aka my mom, it felt like now was finally the time to see what "the life-changing magic of tidying up" was all about, and the drawer stuffed full of vaguely labeled "hair products" — brushes, spare bobby pins and hair ties, curlers, a missing cap, and a ball of cords — felt like a good place to start.
The KonMari method has two parts: discarding and, only then, deciding where to store things. Here's how I KonMari'd my hot tools, ahead.
Discarding (And Replacing)
Marie Kondo suggests you tidy up by category, not location. My hair "junk" drawer is bathroom komono, also known as miscellaneous items; more specifically, it falls under the subcategory of face- and body-cleansing items. The selection criterion for discarding comes from a simple question: "Does it spark joy?" The tangle of cords in hand did not. Thnks fr the mmrs, Chi, but it's time to move on.
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I replaced my scratched, matte Chi with a L'Ange Le Revé Flat Iron ($89, originally $179) that's shiny black and rose gold — colors that spark joy — and has rounded barrels designed to also curl hair. While I was at it, I tossed my $10 Conair curling iron my mom also bought me in middle school.
In addition to adding joy, Marie Kondo emphasizes eliminating the "essence of un-joy." I cut off the cord's large warning tag (though it explicitly warns not to do this) because as someone who knows not to drop a hot tool in the bathtub, it is an un-joyful, "extraneous appendage." Per Marie Kondo's suggestion, I also threw out the manual that came with the new flat iron — because when was the last time you looked at the manual instead of just Googling it? — and put the warranty with others in a clear file folder.
Storing
As with tidying, Marie Kondo suggests you store by category, not location. I wanted my primary hair styling tools — flat iron, blow dryer, and brushes — together. The KonMari method follows four principles: fold it, stand it upright, store it in one spot, and divide storage into square compartments. Given the lack of built-in storage units in my apartment, which Marie Kondo suggests you fill first with large things, I used an over-the-cabinet-door caddy as an over-the-side-of-my-toilet-tank holder for my everyday hair styling tools. (Note: the hooks are detachable, so it can also be hung or used free-standing in a cabinet.)
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The Yamazaki Beautes Blow Dryer & Iron Holder in White ($23) has a built-in divider, fits the tools upright, and while I cannot necessarily "fold" my hot tools, I can wrap the cords neatly around and still fit them comfortably. (It also comes with optional hooks designed to wrap electric cords around, but I don't have the patience for that). The end result: oh, just the joy of not rummaging through a drawer stuffed with electric cords and odds and ends in a towel after the shower.
