Döstädning The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Introduction
In decluttering circles, two crucial concepts are in vogue right now. One is the KonMari method devised by the Japanese Netflix sensation Marie Kondo. The other is Margareta Magnusson Döstädning or death cleaning as it translates into English.
As an avid book lover since my childhood days, I, of course, buy and read books related to decluttering and organising to stay abreast of current developments within the sector and pass this knowledge on to my clients.
Recently I read, Döstädning The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Swedish artist Margareta Magnusson, a book not just for those with one foot in the grave. Read on to find out what I thought about the book.
My thoughts on Döstädning The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
While the title of Margareta’s book might seem morbid, it is not so much about death itself but what you can do in the here and now to sort your clutter for when you leave planet earth.
In the forward to her book, Magnusson says: ‘The only thing we know for sure is that we will die one day. But before that, we can try almost anything.’
In the first chapter entitled ‘Death cleaning is not sad’, she gives us a definition of what death cleaning is:
‘I am death cleaning, or as we call it in Swedish: Döstädning. Dö is death and standing is cleaning. In Swedish, it is a term that means removing unnecessary things and making your home nice and orderly when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet.’
In a nutshell, rather than leaving clutter to your children when you die and risk fallout between them, she advises elderly people to sort their possessions while alive. Do you really need everything that you have amassed over many years? Do you even know what you have amassed? Would you feel better and happier living with less?
Many people know all too well what the death of a loved one can mean to family peace. People are still grieving and, on top of that, need to sort through their belongings. Families have many arguments over the cutlery set or the book collection.
In the proceeding chapters, she details what death cleaning looks like in practice. She highlights that it is not a quick fix where you eliminate 80% of your possessions and become a minimalist. Instead, she says that death cleaning is an ongoing process in which you eliminate belongings that you no longer need. You only keep things that make your life more pleasant and that you use regularly. The longer you work on your decluttering project, the easier it will become.
With items we wish to part, she suggests inviting relatives and friends over to your house. They can then choose from the ‘to discard pile’, and we know they go to a good home. She outlines this and other methods to ensure items find a new lease of life rather than ending up in a landfill.
Further, Margareta Magnusson discusses what to do with personal items such as journals and letters. For example, do we really want those left behind to read what we thought about them?
In the book, she gives us step-by-step guides on how and why to eliminate specific categories of items. For example, Margareta has chapters on parting with books and clothing. Chapters on Decluttering your kitchen and bathroom. Chapters on Photographs, Unwanted gifts and much more.
She gives real-life examples from her own family, making the book engaging, personal and honest. Some of what she outlines seems obvious for organising nerds like me. But as many people struggle to keep their homes clutter-free, many of her tips and suggestions are invaluable.
I am still relatively young and not in the group of people that think about death or inheritance of their belongings. Still, many of the strategies she deploys in Döstädning you can apply at any stage in your life. Even as a forty-something, it is good to prevent your home from overflowing and find responsible ways of parting with stuff.
The book was published in 2017 and is available in both eBook and printed formats and could make an excellent present for someone.
Further info
The book is widely available. You can get your copy here, or if you wish to avoid Amazon here.
To get further ideas on how to get organised and more productive, check out my other posts here.
trabantbettina
Bettina Anna Trabant, Founder of Life Organised, your professional organising and decluttering service in East London. Eco-conscious minimalist and avid tea drinker,