6 cleaning and organizing fall traditions from around the world

As the weather starts to cool and we turn our attention to a season filled with hosting, getting cozy and spending more time indoors, it's natural to think about cleaning and organizing our homes.

So much so, that around the world, different countries and cultures have specific traditions for exactly this fall home concept. We spoke to cleaning, organizing and interiors pros to hear more, and how you can implement and benefit from these brilliant traditions in your home this fall and beyond.

From German 'Herbstputz' to Iranian 'Khooneh tekooni', there are plenty of international concepts and practices to embrace when fall cleaning.

6 home cleaning and clearing traditions from around the world we love

1. 'Khaneh tekooni' – Iran

I'm a second generation Iranian and if there's one thing Persian culture has a lot of, it's traditions. From how to welcome, receive, and return the favor to guests who come to call on us ('deed-o-baaz-deed', meaning we saw you, now you see us), to seasonal, family-wide home clear-outs, we have a whole bunch.

I particularly like the tradition of 'khaneh tekooni', also known as 'khooneh takooni'. Translated literally, it means 'shaking the house', and is a seasonal thing Persians do. It's popular ahead of Iranian Noruz – Persian New Year in the third week of March – but in many Persian households like mine, it's also a cleaning and decluttering fall tradition to usher in big seasonal changes, especially when there is a shift in temperature.

Growing up, we did it for Noruz, ahead of the Spring Equinox, and when entering fall to mark the change in how we used our home and garden. It is common in Iran for it to happen again ahead of Shabbeh Yalda, the 'night of Yalda' marking the winter solstice (the longest night of the year) and is symbolic of rebirth.

To do khooneh takooni, my whole family got involved so the burden of the task itself didn't overwhelm one person. We'd dedicate a day, week, or the entire month when the fall seasonal change trickled in to 'move and shake our house'.

You can do the same by taking stock of what you have, need, what could be put away indoors and out, and crucially, clean the more neglected areas under, above, inside or behind furniture. Move it all around to make sure every nook is cleaned.

Iranian culture revolves around hosting and hospitality with big fire-pit cookouts in the summer and indoor feasts in the winter. During khooneh takooni in fall, outdoor cooking items and grills would be put away for fall and winter.

For fall, our khooneh tekooni checklist included:

• Deep cleaning the house from top to bottom, but particularly the areas that might get neglected in the busier summer months and need furniture moved or apparatus to reach it. This included external windows, window tracks and ledges, internal and external doors, as well as tops of cabinets, behind and under large furniture, especially in the living room. That would see us pull all the couches and freestanding cabinets (after emptying and cleaning everything inside them) forward, vacuuming, dusting or cleaning behind them, then returning everything back in a neater, decluttered, and much more presentable state.
• Packing away outdoor furniture, grills and cooking utensils, ready for use next year. We used large Ziploc bags available on Amazon, furniture covers and stashing things in sheds or lofts to stop rust accumulating or taking up space.
• We'd also target areas such as basements and attics to give a real good khooneh tekooni there, donating, selling or taking stuff to the dump that no longer served us to make way for the seasons ahead. It is a practice that my grandmother use to say gave us a good reminder of the abundance we had enjoyed all summer season, and to make way for new practices and fall hosting.

2. 'Kjør Ut Luften' – Norway

Josh Miller, CEO of Clean Carpets, describes 'Kjør Ut Luften', a Norwegian airing tradition. He says, 'In Norway, in the fall, we have a tradition known as “Kjør Ut Luften,” where ‘we open up our houses completely in readiness for the biting cold’. This is a practice that has been passed on from generation to generation, which is based on the idea that cleanliness and fresh air should be in the house, especially before it is cut off from the cold.'

To bring this into your home, Josh advises practicing this in the early morning weather or late in the evening when the air is still clear.

'It involves the entire house but with a special focus on bedrooms and living rooms,' he says. 'Open all the windows wide for a period of about 15-20 minutes. This ensures fresh air replaces stale air. The carpets will also be vacuumed, and nails and dust removed from the areas cleaned. Such practices should be done within that air exchange period.'

Josh explains the practice has its origins in the Norwegian thinking of ‘friluftsliv’, the active philosophy of ‘outdoor life,’ which furthers health through the elements of nature.

He recommends the Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, which we have reviewed and rated 5/5. 'This vacuum cleaner is efficient for the last minute cleaning of very fine dust that settles in the corners during summer,' he explains.

This tradition is common in Nordic countries as well as other European countries such as Germany.

3. 'Hyggelig Rengøring' – Denmark

Ben Johnson, CEO of cleaning company Big Ben, loves blending modern efficiency with time-honored traditions.

He says, 'Hyggelig Rengøring is a Danish tradition of 'cozy cleaning' that comes into play as the days get shorter and cooler, and the Danes move indoors, gearing up to enjoy a warm and cozy home in colder months.'

To do this in your space, pay attention in fall to 'washing, dusting and arranging items in a way that gives the feeling of warmth,' Ben explains. 'Activities include disposing of clutter in the room, cleaning the windows to capture as much of the remaining daytime light as possible and placing seasonal items like blankets and soft-cushioned chairs that you love around the rooms you spend the most time in.'

Each of these processes is supposed to bring positive psychological benefits by bolstering your sense of tranquility and comfort. Ben adds, 'It is practiced in early fall after the intense summer heat, but before the winter cold.'

It's fine to focus your efforts on the most commonly used rooms or spaces where you spend a lot of time with your loved ones and friends.

'The purpose is to change these areas into places that are permissive of rest and hosting,' adds Ben.

To bring home the best cozy looks, consider adding flannel sheets, woven or fabric storage baskets to give extra hygge and function, as well as your favorite candles with seasonal scents to bring home the cozy factor to multiple senses.

Ben's recommendations to help you bring this in are:

4. 'Höststädning' – Sweden

Chris Langley, director of Fascias and Soffitts, recalls this tradition happening in fall in him home.

He says, 'As a child, every fall my Swedish grandmother would summon the family and commence "Höststädning". This made cleaning up fun and necessary at the same time. I am one of those who have been able to carry this tradition and every autumn, I start getting back to the same organizing mode as it gets colder. This is how we made sure our house was set for the winter.'

Chris says the Swedish tradition starts when the days become shorter and cold weather sets in. He explains, 'Höststädning is more than the usual cleaning, and is about making the house ready for the oncoming long, dark winter. The origin of this culture stems from the need for people to keep their houses clean and orderly through the months when there was little light and few activities were conducted outdoors.'

The tradition entails a thorough and detailed cleaning of the whole house, paying particular attention to those spots that normal cleaning exercises would miss.

Chris adds, 'The process begins in late September and should be finished by the last week, preceding the first frost of winter. It includes washing of windows to allow the last light of the setting sun, cleaning gutters in readiness for heavy autumn downpours, and packing away summer clothes whilst making sure necessary winter items are easily accessible.'

Chris recommends using Windex, available at Walmart, as a quick and effective way to clean your windows. He says, 'This allows homeowners to clean windows without additional equipment.

He adds, 'Storm surge gutters should be cleared out with a kit such as the Gutter Guard, from The Home Depot. This helps avoid too much water from the rain damaging the house especially in autumn. If you make sure that the gutters are clean long before the wet season commences, you will be able to avoid expensive repairs. This is a simple to use kit and it ensures that an important area of the house is taken care of.'

He also recommends using 'strong and easy to stack' Sterilite Storage Totes from Amazon to help you 'declutter your attic or basement. This system will also help you when you finally switch to winter hibernation mode.'

5. 'Herbstputz' – Germany

The 'Herbstputz', or 'Autumn clean' is usually done the last week of September or the beginning of October, as the temperature dips.

Samuel Davis, CEO of London Gardeners, says, 'Each fall, I go through the ritual of Herbstputz. This is a ritual that my German family has always performed in which one house cleans and tidies up in every nook and cranny in readiness for the following cold months. This helps to get rid of the clutter built up from summer and make it cozy and warm, welcoming the next winter.'

Samuel advises giving extra attention to the living area, kitchen, and bedrooms we 'huddle' most in winter.

He says, 'Herbstputz is more than the mere act of cleaning. It's a mental preparation for the change of season. The Germans believe how can a quiet and restful winter come in, if the house is not clean and organized?'

How indeed! To do your own Herbstputz, first declutter your home, giving away or recycling things that no longer serve a purpose. Clean all surfaces, vacuum and rotate mattresses, and wash comforters and heavy blankets. Samuel also recalls organizing closets and replacing summer clothes with ones that are most suitable and useful over winter.

Samuel recommends the Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum as 'this powerful tool is perfect for deep cleaning carpets and floors for a true Herbstputz.' He also like The Container Stores clear storage boxes for 'storing out-of-season clothes and household items in such a way that everything is still neat, visible, and accessible.

6. 'Cosecha Limpia' – Mexico

Chris Langley, director of Patio Doors says 'Cosecha Limpia' from Mexico is one of his favorite fall traditions. 'It ties in with my heritage, and translates to 'Clean harvest.' What this tradition truly embodies is the preparation of the home for when the fall harvest hits, usually from September to November, and it happened to come from rural Mexican communities.'

This custom is usually done when autumn just sets in, particularly during the month of September, when crops are about to be harvested, Chris explains.

'The tradition involves the kitchen and dining room, as these two areas are the busiest during harvest season,' he adds. 'Besides, outdoor spaces such as a patio or porch are also readied for guests.'

He also notes Cosecha Limpia is more than just a cleaning routine and is display of gratitude for a season of plenty. 'Gratefulness was a feeling that was so deep inside of me and my family every fall.'

To embrace this south American tradition in your home, Chris says:

• Deep clean: Start with your kitchen, scrubbing down appliances, countertops, and cabinets and clean out any lingering summer residue to make room for th
• Declutter: Especially around the dining area so that all which is not needed is removed to make room for the incoming harvest produce and any festive decorations.
• Decorate with fruits of harvest: Use items such as cornucopias, dried corn, and pumpkins as decorative pieces within and outside your house. These fruits of harvest will put a symbolic meaning into your house, signifying plenty and preparedness for harvest.

Next, delve into our fall decluttering checklist to prep all areas of your home for autumn.