The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

I loved this book for its simplicity, short length and the fact that a woman from an older generation wrote about dealing with your stuff while you still can and making your home nice and orderly before you die (she says it in a nicer way though).

This New York Times best selling book was written by Swedish-born artist Margareta Magnusson who doesn’t give her precise age but instead states that she is now “somewhere between 80 and 100 years old.”

I love that she gives an age range. I feel that at that age the number really doesn’t matter anymore - she hit her 80s and felt like it’s time to share what’s she learned. She actually thinks it’s her responsibility of her old age to tell us about her experiences because she thinks this “death cleaning” philosophy is that important.

I love that the older generation speaks their mind more freely than younger ones because life experience has given them confidence and the mindset that “I’ve lived my life…I’m going to say what I think.” And overall she thinks we all need to get more comfortable with the idea of letting go - and as a professional organizer I couldn’t agree more.

what is death cleaning?

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” It’s all about clearing out unnecessary belongings at any stage of life…but it’s best to be done before others have to do it for you.

Margareta states the obvious in her book…that “the only thing we know for sure is that we will die one day.” She writes this book because she wants our loved ones’ memories of us to be nice - not awful - and this can be done by dealing with our “stuff” before we die so that our family and friends won’t have to. She encourages us to go through the things in our homes to declutter and mark what should happen with each item that we intentionally leave. While it most obviously applies to older generations dealing with a lifetime of memories and things (a reflection of their lives) - I agree with Margareta that its concept should apply to ALL of us at any stage of life.

While it can be hard for younger generations to talk about death with parents and other family members, dealing with our “things” while everybody is young and able could be really beneficial for both parties (I’m talking about the physical, not just the medical directives and wills or finances which are equally as important if not more so). Sometimes this decluttering is done when your parents downsize or move from your family home but sometimes it either doesn’t get decluttered enough or your parents never leave the family home (and so there’s no real reason to purge). Margareta suggests ways to broach these sensitive conversations and keep the process from becoming overwhelming by recommending how and where to start decluttering.

If you find that you really can’t broach the topic about managing your older loved one’s things, take her advice in what not to do for your loved ones who will be left after you die. When you have to deal with your parent’s home and things, you’ll see how time-consuming and stressful it can be, and costly too if you need to hire home organizers, estate sale services and junk removal companies to aid you in this process (and/or possibly while fighting with siblings and extended family about helping).

These professional services are great and very helpful - but what they can’t address is all of the sentimental decision making that you might find really hard when sorting through a lifetime of things. Knowing your parent’s and other loved one’s wishes up front, and even having encouraged them and helped them declutter before they cannot actually be a part of it, can make the entire process go more smoothly, which during a sad time can be so helpful (and even help avoid future chaos amongst other family members).

Yes, the topic of death is morbid. But, since literally not one of us is going to make it out alive…why not live in a simpler and more organized home in the meantime so that we can focus on more fun and important things? These concepts can and should be applied throughout your younger years so that you learn to accumulate less stuff and make it easier for not only you to live - but for other people to take care of things without you - enabling them to focus on the memory of you and not your things.

quotes and advice i loved

“Some people can’t wrap their heads around death. And these people leave a mess after them. Did they think they were immortal?”

“The difference between death cleaning and just a big cleanup is the amount of time they consume. Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization that makes your everyday life run more smoothly.”

“I have death cleaned so many times for others, I’ll be damned if someone else has to death clean after me.”

“Your exhaustion with all of this stuff may appear out of the blue one day…The problem is that you have too much stuff to deal with. It is time to change your way of living. It is never too late to start!”

“Do not ever imagine that anyone will wish - or be able - to schedule time off to take care of what you didn’t bother to take care of yourself. No matter how much they love you, don’t leave this burden to them.”

“…with a little practice and preparation, it will certainly be easier for you to make decisions about how to get rid of things. Trust me, the more time you spend going through your belongings, the easier it will be for you to decide what to keep and what not to.”

“In general, when death cleaning, size really matters. Start with the large items in your home, and finish with the small.”

start somewhere but start now

In the fast paced world we live in today, which Margareta acknowledges in her book, people don’t have the time (and often desire or patience in my opinion) it takes to deal with your things properly after you die. This can cause stress both in terms of time and financially too - so don’t burden others with this sometimes monumental task. Carving out time to streamline your life while you can will help you live more simply while making it easier for others once you are gone.

I hope you read this book because it’s a quick read packed with simple points and practical advice, many of which I’ve outlined above that you can apply today - because as with most things, it really starts with mindset. Get on board with the why behind decluttering and simplifying, then start to take small actions to arrive at your end goal. Small consistent steps add up to big changes which includes big savings in time and stress - and who wouldn’t want that?

Until next time,

Meg

P.S. I have Margareta’s other book that I’ll be reading soon (The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly) because I definitely want to hear more of this woman’s wisdom and I would love to age as gracefully as possible. That book’s ultimate message is that we should not live in fear of death but rather focus on appreciating beauty, connecting with our loved ones, and enjoying our time together. I can’t wait to read it!