Netflix tidying guru sparks charity shop boom

A Netflix tidying guru has sparked a charity shop boom, as branches of Salvation Army, Scope and the British Heart Foundation have said she has led to increase in donations. It comes as decluttering expert Marie Kondo has rapidly risen to fame with her "KonMari" household organisation method, which promises to provide not only a de-cluttered house, but also a clean mind.  Through her hit Netflix show she is teaching those with messy tendencies to get their homes in order by throwing out old and unwanted items to create a calmer home environment. Many people following the craze claim her various techniques have helped their mental health, and are adamant that a clean and organised home helps them feel calm.  Charity shops across the country said they had seen donations of clothes double over the past few weeks since Ms Kondo's show was released on the streaming service.  Marie Kondo, the author of the international best-seller, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," became famous for advising readers to transform their lives by sifting through all their belongings, one by one, embracing those that "spark joy" and bidding a fond but hasty farewell to the rest Credit: Natsuno Ichigo They say they are able to identify items which have come from people who have watched the show as they are folded according to her "signature fold", which sees items placed upright to reduce creasing. For example, according to the method socks should be lain flat as a pair, with one sock on top of the other. The toe is folded inward about an inch from the top, then into to the centre, and then in half so it stands upright. A branch manager for disability charity Scope also said she was able to recognize items donated by KonMari fans due to their immaculate presentation on arrival at the store, adding that the folding hack had led to more donations due to more space being available inside plastic sacks.  The Salvation Army said that although shops usually experience an increase in donations after Christmas, shop managers had seen a larger than usual volume of donations.   It comes amid a decline in charity shops across the UK with numbers down by more than 100 in first half of 2018, according to Third Sector magazine. Yorkshire and Humber was the only region that saw more charity shops open than close, it said.  Charity shops have come under criticism in recent years for pricing items for middle class bargain hunters, rather than the poorest people in society who rely on cheap second hand clothing to dress themselves.