Marie Kondo tidying up: Why now could be the time to shop at thrift stores

Now could the best time to score big in thrift stores, thanks to the massive success of Netflix's "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo."

The craze is all over social media, encouraging people to "tidy up" around their homes.

Kondo is a Japanese organizational consultant and author of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up."

In recent months, Kondo has transitioned to hosting her own show, and people are tuning in. Among those accepting the tidying up challenge, is Clayton resident Alicia Carter.

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Carter watched the show and immediately called her husband.

"And I was like, crying. He was like 'You're crying on a TV show?'"

Carter said as she stood in front of trash bags full of household items.

"And I was like, 'Yes! You have to see it!'"

After the show, Carter took Condos advice and cleaned up her drawers as well, incorporating her special folding technique.

Though her items will be donated, others who are tidying up in the Triangle are turning their clutter into cash, selling clothing, shoes, purses, and jewelry that do not "spark joy" to places like Clothes Mentor.

Vikki Cook with Clothes Mentor said that January is typically a busy month for the resale store.

"But this is definitely busier than we've ever seen," Cook said.

Clothes Mentor pays cash for goods on the spot. Cook said normally, women will bring in two or three trash bags to sell, but now the stores are seeing "up to six, seven, and eight trash bags."

Aside from a tidier home, cleaning up has health benefits, said Dr. Cathy Forneris with UNC Department of Psychiatry. She said the reasons are multifaceted.

"One of the jobs of the brain is to help us organize the world around us and our sense are constantly taking in information about our environment," Dr. Forneris said. "When surrounded by clutter and disorganization, the brain cannot perform it's organization duties."

Forneris said that can lead to a decrease in focus, decrease in attention and productivity at work and home.

It can also lead to negative emotions, like anxiety depression, or the general feeling of being overwhelmed.

Forneris said the benefit of tidying up is "in addition to reducing risks of the aforementioned problems and issues, we can actually generate positive emotions, such as a sense of calm, satisfaction or joy."