Invitation to carpet cleaning in Pataholm

Klapphuset, Kalmar – washing carpets the old way

Kalmar, the city closest to Pataholm, is incredibly beautiful. There is one particular building, built on wooden pillars directly in the water, that had me fantasizing already as a child. I always imagined it was a sauna, and that you could swim inside, similar to a Japanese onsen. I remember being disappointed when I learned it was built for cleaning, not bathing.

I still love this building. Last September, I decided to wake up this sleepy house and host a small carpet cleaning event. I really like real-life things you know. And this place was not only built for washing, but also for meeting.

Klapphuset was first established in 1857, and the building that stands today dates from the early 1900s. It is often described as the last remaining of its kind in Scandinavia.

Built on wooden pillars directly in the water, with a floating platform inside, it was designed to make washing possible in wind, rain, and cold. At the same time, it became a shared space - practical, but also social.

In the past, women would wash, children would run around and get into things they weren’t supposed to, teenagers would play music, and some would dance. At the end of the day, the men would come to pick up the wet laundry.

Standing there, you notice something unexpected.
The quiet repetition. Water, wood, rhythm.

It almost feels like a Japanese onsen.
Not because of heat or ritual, but because of the structure:
a place built around water, where people come not only to clean things - but to spend time together.

This September, people once again brought their rugs. They also brought brushes and coffee cups.
We brought såpa, coffee and my sourdough bread. All we needed was water, and time.

No machines. No rush.

The result was clean carpets, but also something else:
a reminder that care can be shared, and doesn’t have to be complicated.

This spring, we’ll do it again - but this time at home in Pataholm.

We’re planning a new carpet cleaning day in Pataholm, right in front of our house, out on the jetty.

Bring your carpet, a brush, a bucket, and a coffee cup.
We’ll arrange the rest.

Save the date: May 24th, in the morning, until noon.

All images from Klapphuset are made by Anna Borefur (she is amazing to work with!) and Alexander Matt (he is amazing too, of course).