My 2000s Chi Straightener Didn't Spark Joy, So I Decided to KonMari All My Hair Tools

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.

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.

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.)

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.