A cluttered home sometimes resembles a suitcase without a handle: it’s hard to carry, and living in it is cramped. Things take up space, energy, time, and sometimes spoil your mood from the very morning. It seems that putting things in order once and for all is a dream from the realm of the unattainable.
However, there are at least two effective strategies for combating clutter. The editorial team of AiF analyzed two popular approaches to decluttering — the Swedish "death cleaning" and Marie Kondo's system.
Order with a Philosophical Subtext
The name of this method may shock you, but don’t be quick to panic. Behind the term "death cleaning" lies a profound, purely Scandinavian philosophy of caring for loved ones. The term Döstädning (from the Swedish words for "death" and "cleaning") originally referred to the process of sorting through the belongings of a deceased relative. This is a heavy burden that falls on the grieving family.
Swedish artist and writer Margareta Magnusson reinterpreted this tradition in her book. She proposed a revolutionary idea: to start the döstädning process while still alive, so as not to leave children and grandchildren a mountain of unexamined "inheritance" in the form of old receipts and tableware that no one has ever used or intends to use.
The essence of the method is simple and pragmatic: you look at your belongings through the eyes of your heirs. Which of these will benefit them, and which will become a burden and end up at a flea market, resale service, or in the trash? This outsider perspective sobers you up and helps you quickly separate the wheat from the chaff.
Five Rules of Swedish Calm:
-
The slower you go, the cleaner it will be. Swedish decluttering is not a speed marathon, but rather a meditation. Don’t try to do everything in one weekend; give yourself time to reflect and remember.
-
Strategy first. Make a plan and divide your home into zones. It makes the most sense to start with the wardrobe or kitchen cabinets (where there are fewer sentimental items), leaving the "heavy artillery" — letters, albums, souvenirs — for last.
-
The art of letting go. If an item has been gathering dust for years, does not bring you joy, or (importantly!) may confuse your relatives when they find it after your passing — feel free to part with it.
-
Distribute the "inheritance" in advance. You don’t have to throw everything away. Offer books to the library, clothes to charity, and give away sentimental trinkets to friends right now.
-
Altruism as a driver of progress. The main question here is not the selfish "Do I want to keep this?" but the caring "Will this be needed by someone after me?".
As Magnusson herself writes in her book "The Art of Death Cleaning": "Cleaning is a way to tell your loved ones: 'I love you and I don’t want you to have to sort through mountains of junk after I’m gone.'"
KonMari Method: Seeking the Spark of Joy
While the Swedes urge you to think about the future and other people, Japanese Marie Kondo suggests focusing on the present and your own feelings. Her system, which has conquered the world, is based on emotions rather than bare logic.
The main tool of the KonMari method is the question "Tokimeki?", which can be translated as "Did my heart flutter?" Does this particular item bring you joy? If not — you need to say goodbye to it, first thanking it for its service. This is a purely Shinto approach: respect for items allows you to part with them without guilt.
For the magic of cleaning to work, Marie Kondo insists on following a strict algorithm:
-
Categories instead of rooms. A common mistake is to clean the "bedroom" or "hallway". Kondo teaches to gather all items of one type from around the house. Pile all your clothes on one bed — the mountain of items will impress you with its scale and show how much excess you are keeping.
-
Tactile contact. Each item must be held in your hands. Only physical contact will help you understand whether your connection with this sweater or old notes is still alive.
-
First — throw away, then — organize. Don’t buy beautiful containers before you finish the cleaning. Organizing storage only makes sense for items that have passed the "joy" selection.
-
Vertical storage. This is the hallmark of the method. Items are not stacked in piles (where the bottom t-shirt is impossible to retrieve without destroying the structure), but rolled up and stored vertically, like the spines of books. Everything is visible and nothing gets wrinkled.
Marie Kondo assures that after conducting such an inventory once, you will change your mindset, and clutter will simply stop returning.
Which path to choose?
Both methods lead to the same goal — a clean home, but they take different routes to get there. The choice depends on the personality type of the individual and their life situation.
Choose Swedish "death cleaning" if:
You are a pragmatic, caring person motivated by a sense of duty. This method is ideal for those who tend to hoard "for a rainy day" but do not want to be a burden to their children. It is also suitable for those who enjoy a slow, thoughtful process stretched over time.
Try the KonMari method if:
You are emotional, want quick and radical changes right now, and dream of living surrounded only by beloved items. The Japanese approach will appeal to perfectionists who love clear systems, beautiful organizers, and origami (after all, folding clothes is also an art).
Don’t forget that theory without practice is dead. Even the most brilliant cleaning book won’t take out the trash for you. Start small — declutter one desk drawer or a shoe shelf today. And by the way, order in the home will inevitably lead to order in your thoughts.
