Buried under a mountain of mismatched dabbas? Call the Indian Marie Kondo
She won’t let your home turn into a cluttered museum of memories
It’s safe to say that most of us grew up in families where saving restaurant takeaway dabbas and carry-bags was the noble thing to do. Our parents hoarded precious serveware for “special occasions” that never arrived, and our homes often felt like bunkers with enough plastic bags and Tupperware containers to survive an impending apocalypse. We resolved that when we grew up and had our own space, it would be pristine—and that clutter would be left behind, along with our towering pile of Now That’s What I Call Music cassettes. Then we entered adulthood, and without realising it, found ourselves acquiring our own expansive collection of Swiggy delivery boxes.
We tried stuffing the excess paraphernalia of our lives deep into cabinets, wardrobes, and drawers, but like a money plant creeper, the clutter grew, and grew and found its way out—onto window panes, empty chairs, the dining table, and at the foot of the bed. Now every time we see that stray bottle of magnesium capsules, an old hard drive, or the showpiece we bought in a past life, just hanging around, homeless, it fills us with dread.
Enter Rachna Kacker, one of the few Marie Kondo-certified professional organisers in India, who’s helped countless people across the country transform their messy homes into spaces Monica Geller would approve of. Recently, we invited the Mumbai-based expert over to Tweak India’s office to share her organising tips, help make our junk drawer feel purposeful again, and to show us how to fold complicated outfits like 3-kg lehengas. In the course of our session, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that this agent of anti-chaos was once just like us—Kacker used to be in HR, and her house used to be as messy as her clients’. She was a shopaholic who rarely ever returned home empty-handed. “My wardrobe used to be a mountain, a daunting Everest of clothes,” she told us.
So, how did she go from slob to slayer of mess? It was a visit to her parents’ home that planted the seed of what is now her mission. Kacker was visiting them in Lucknow, back in 2018, when her mother complained that she had no space to store things. But it was a large, two-storey house, with just her mother and father living in it. As she looked around, Kacker realised she might have something in common with her mother. The house was overflowing with items that had been accumulated over generations: Kacker’s own childhood toys, old vases, and decorative showpieces that were passed on to her mother by her parents. The house felt chaotic and had excessive visual stimuli. “When I asked her why don’t you clear these things out, she said she didn’t feel like she could do it alone. So I helped her with it,” Kacker says. It took her a week to just go through the various items in her mother’s house together, figuring what to keep and what to donate or discard. While it wasn’t a decor magazine spread-level of organised even after that, the reduced number of possessions made the house feel calmer. It was then that Kacker realised that there must be many other people like her mother, especially empty nesters, who don’t know where to start when it comes to organising their space. She did some research and discovered that ‘professional organiser’ is a job in many countries, but barely explored in India. She saw an opportunity and decided to get certified by the internationally renowned Marie Kondo.
For those who are wondering how a professional organiser like Kacker works: you hire their services for your entire home or specific parts, like your wardrobe or pantry. You offer them a tour of your space, either in person or virtually, and they make an inventory of items. The organiser then begins to guide you through the decluttering process, offering support and holding you accountable.
What’s the big deal about a little clutter?
It could appear like a little mess that makes your home look more ‘lived in’. And sure, a bit of intentional clutter could lend personality and charm to your home. But that pile of unread magazines, the collection of widowed socks, the forgotten vegetable chopper on your kitchen counter? They’re not cute. And what’s more, they’re siphoning your mental real estate and draining your energy.
“When my wardrobe used to be a mess, my mornings began with despair as I stood in front of a pile of clothes, while feeling like I had nothing to wear because I’d never be able to find anything,” Kacker tells us. She was so terrified of her wardrobe that she’d wait for her mother to come over before even attempting to organise it. Her mother, who had sought Kacker’s help to unburden her house, was now the one taking charge of Kacker’s wardrobe-organising project. It’s ironic, but it just goes to show how having someone help you through the process makes things easier.
The perpetual self-consciousness of an unkempt home, the constant visual overstimulation, the stress of not quite feeling on top of things—this constant mental battle against domestic clutter can make you feel exhausted. In fact, research shows that women whose homes were messy have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. It’s like trying to have a meaningful conversation in a room full of screaming toddlers—utterly draining and unproductive.
The cultural context of clutter
The Marie Kondo philosophy is simple: if it doesn’t spark joy or isn’t making your life easy, you let it go. But all Indian households have at least one family member who is a hoarder. For them, every thing sparks joy or will be functional at some point in their imaginary timeline. Kacker believes this is where she comes in, taking the KonMari philosophy and applying it to Indian homes. We Indians, she observes, are very sentimental people—and because so many live in joint families, decluttering can be more than just about an individual’s conviction and action. For example, getting grandparents to let go of things, in her experience, can be quite difficult. Dealing with these cultural nuances with sensitivity and understanding—and trying to find an agreeable middleground for all—is her specialty. Even in terms of more practical wardrobe organisation: the KonMari method will teach you how to fold and store your western clothes, but Kacker offers solutions for optimally organising more complex, heavy-duty Indianwear, too.
We asked Tweak readers on Instagram what they’d like to ask a professional organiser. A woman DM’d us asking for advice on how to convince her father to let go of the old audio cassettes that he has been hoarding. We directed this question to Kacker and here’s what she said, “We expect greeting cards to be sentimental items, and things like cassettes and tapes to be the functional, non-sentimental kind. But there are no rules. If the cassettes are sparking joy and are emotionally important to him, your father can still keep some of them, as a reminder of what they represent. However, instead of putting them in a box, maybe you can help him create something out of them.” She recommended using the cassettes to create an artistic wall or a table so the reader’s father could both, give it right of place in his home and simultaneously get rid of the clutter.
Kacker shared another case of one of her clients in Mumbai, who had the habit of collecting decorative wooden boxes that she’d pick while shopping or on her travels. When they started the decluttering project, it was hard for her to let go, but eventually, she got rid of a few boxes. Keeping in mind her client’s unique passion, and her need for self-discovery after a recent divorce, Kacker encouraged her to think of what the boxes meant to her. Eventually, she started selling these pieces at shopping exhibitions. “The process of thinking about her possessions pushed her to find a use for these boxes and something good came out of it,” Kacker points out.
How do we get started?
The first plunge is always the most daunting. Kacker suggests starting small instead of attempting to declutter your entire home in a weekend. Choose one small, manageable area first: a single drawer, a shelf, or one category of clothing. “Before you begin, set up three distinct categories to sort items into: 1) Keep: for items that truly spark joy and serve a purpose; 2) Donate/sell: for items that are in good condition but no longer serve you; and 3) Discard: for broken, unusable, or expired items,” she advises. Once you are able to organise the clutter this way, half of your job will seem done.
If you’re struggling to let go, and wondering if you may need them some time in the future, Kacker suggests you go back to the past. Try and remember when you last used that item. If it was more than a year and a half ago, you need to toss it out. And if there does come a need for it later, trust that you’ll be able to find a solution even if it involves good ol’ Indian jugaad.
For instance, Kacker shared that just days after she finally gave away a vase that had been collecting dust in her house for ages, she received a gift of flowers. She was briefly wistful, but then something clicked in her head. “I remembered I had a glass jug in the kitchen, so I used that. We are resourceful people and we can always find a substitute.” Decluttering also helps in owning fewer things and using whatever you have for multiple purposes, which is a good practice in consuming less too. You can use an old mug as a pen holder or a makeup brush holder, or an old cotton cushion cover as a bag cover. The possibilities are endless once you start paying attention.
She also recommends using labels, organisers, baskets, drawer dividers to keep your items in place, neatly.
How to maintain the cleanliness of your home
When you intentionally declutter, you’re bound to feel happy and accomplished as you look at the reduced size of your possessions the new-found tidiness of your space. But there is that small little detail: you have to keep doing this periodically so things can stay that way. Kacker shares tips on how you can do that (spoiler: habit-building is key here):
Give every item a ‘home’: Each item needs a designated place. If it doesn’t have one, it will inevitably drift into any space it finds.
The ‘one in, one out’ rule: When you acquire a new item, commit to letting go of an old, similar item. A new shirt means an old shirt exits; a new book means an old book departs.
The 5-minute tidy: Before bed, dedicate five minutes to a quick tidy-up. Put away items that are out of place, clear surfaces, and reset the space. This prevents small messes from escalating into overwhelming chaos.
Regular mini-purges: Schedule short, monthly or quarterly ‘check-ins’ for specific things, like your wardrobe or the masalas in your kitchen. This prevents accumulation and keeps categories manageable.
Involve the household: For shared spaces, everyone must be onboard, you can’t do this alone. Educate family members on the ‘homes’ of items and the benefits of keeping spaces clear.
Decluttering your home can offer you a fresh start, calm your mind, and give you more bandwidth for productivity. And if a previously-messy person like Kacker can transform into a professional organiser, you can start looking for a loving home for that bottle of magnesium capsules today.
