Declutter your home

A practical way to declutter that’s not nearly as scary as it sounds

DOSTADNING or ‘death cleaning’ is a Swedish phenomenon in which elderly people (often with the help of family) set their affairs in order – sometimes for the purpose of transitioning to assisted living.

“It’s all about losing everything you don’t love or use,” explains cleaning expert Jasmine Hobbs. One way to become less afraid is to understand that death cleaning is not reserved for the elderly, despite its name. “Anyone can do it at any age. The idea is to organise your life and make it run smoother.” If you need help decluttering, don’t be put off by the morbid-sounding title.

At the core of death cleaning is minimalism, but the process can also be an opportunity to embrace nostalgia, says Lorne Caplan, founder of Free Home Cleanup, which provides death-cleaning-type services. “Doing this sort of work should be looked at as a walk through history. When it does involve the elderly, it can be an opportunity to learn valuable stories.”

Very often, however, the challenge is in initiating the process, according to Caplan. Therefore, if your goal is to initiate the process with an elderly parent or friend, begin gently. “Start by reminiscing,” Caplan suggests. Slowly, from there, you can begin to work in questions, pointing to things and asking, “What’s this? Do you still use this? How do you feel about this?” Gradually, he advises, you can make your way towards suggesting, “Perhaps it’s time to part with this?” or “So, someday, is there someone you’d like to have this?”