Döstädning: how to organise your home gradually

The döstädning approach encourages people to sort their homes little by little, before cupboards, drawers and storage areas become packed with things that serve no purpose. Made widely known by writer Margareta Magnusson, this Swedish method replaces an extreme clear-out with regular choices about what to keep, donate or throw away.

What does döstädning mean?

The term brings together Swedish words associated with death and cleaning, although the organising practice called Swedish death cleaning need not be viewed in a gloomy way. Its aim is to reduce possessions throughout life, so relatives will not later have to deal with large quantities of accumulated belongings.

Margareta Magnusson's book brought the method to international attention. Rather than setting a target number of clothes, books or household items, it asks each person to consider the genuine use and significance of everything taking up room in the home.

• Set aside what is still in use;
• Donate items that remain in good condition;
• Give keepsakes to people who may appreciate them;
• Dispose of broken items or those that cannot be reused;
• Avoid buying new things without a clear purpose.

Why begin with the least sentimental spaces?

Garages, storage rooms, utility rooms and service cupboards often hold duplicate tools, empty boxes, out-of-date products and forgotten household items. Tackling these areas first makes it possible to practise making decisions without immediately confronting photographs, letters and family mementoes, which require more time and emotional consideration.

Which question helps determine each item's future?

A central principle of döstädning is to look at every possession and ask whether someone else could use it or find joy in it. This answer helps separate things valued simply because they have been stored away from those that genuinely have a practical, emotional or family role.

An unused appliance may be useful to another person, while well-preserved crockery, books and clothing can be donated before they deteriorate. Photographs, personal documents and highly meaningful objects should be left until a later stage, once clearer criteria for choosing have been developed.

• Have I used this item within the past year?
• Does it work and remain in good condition?
• Would someone close to me like to have it?
• Am I keeping it out of affection, guilt or mere habit?
• Is there a suitable place to keep it?

A continuous practice prevents clutter from returning

This method is not intended as one major clear-out completed just once. Sorting should keep pace with routine changes, new purchases and the reorganisation of rooms. The approach resembles small daily rituals that prevent household accumulation, replacing occasional major efforts with short, regular care.

How can you use the method without emptying the house at once?

Gradual decluttering can start with one drawer, one shelf or one particular category. Once donation and disposal items have been separated, they should be removed from the home; boxes left in a hallway or garage merely move the clutter elsewhere.

By repeating the sorting process regularly, döstädning cuts down the number of unused possessions and makes it easier to clean surfaces, cupboards and storage spaces. The home still retains important memories, but no longer acts as permanent storage for packaging, forgotten clothes and utensils that nobody intends to use again.