Declutter Your Life With the Swedish Death Cleaning Method
“I’ll declutter when I’m dead!” I once heard a friend jokingly exclaim when her partner asked when she was going to get rid of clothes she hasn’t worn in over a decade. Turns out, she wasn’t too far off with this bold statement.
Döstädning, or the Swedish death cleaning method, is the concept of decluttering or getting rid of things before your death, so the task doesn’t fall on your loved ones. Morbid? Only if you’re afraid of the inevitable.
However, you don’t have to be on your deathbed to perform döstädning. You can simply use it to fuel your motivation to declutter and dehoard your living space. Those who’ve tried it now swear by it. Read on to learn more.
Why Swedish Death Cleaning Works
Döstädning doesn’t have to be applied literally, as it can be used as a framework to help you decide the real value of your possessions. Think of it as a Swedish version of the KonMari Method: with a focus on keeping items that “spark joy,” even if you’re not getting ready to say goodbye to this mortal coil yet.
How to Practice Döstädning in Your Home
The book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning illustrates how to dehoard your home before death so your loved ones don’t have to worry about your prized possessions or the worthless junk you’ve accumulated long after you’re gone. As a reminder, döstädning isn’t about getting rid of everything to prepare for death, but rather about encouraging you to take on healthy organizing habits while you’re alive.
How to best apply the Swedish Death Cleaning method to your living space:
- First, start with larger items (furniture that’s falling apart, outdated gadgets cluttering your garage, old bedding, etc.) then scale your way down to the smallest items, like mismatched socks and rusted costume jewelry.
- Create two piles: one pile for everything that’s staying and another for everything that’s not.
As a final step, take all the things you’re not keeping and further divide them into two additional piles. One pile will be for the garbage bin, and the other for donations — either to your family or friends, or to a city donation bin.
Discover the practical air-purifying benefits of Stoßlüften here.
Why Swedish Death Cleaning Is So Freeing
This method of decluttering is seen as a way to maintain a healthy and comfortable living space, even if you’re not anywhere near end-of-life planning. Overall, it’s an ingrained part of Swedish cultural life that anyone can participate in to create a more joyful life — a life that brings less anxiety.
How do you declutter? Answer below.
