Swedish way of death cleaning before coming to an end

Based on Swedish writer Margareta Maagnusson’s book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, the decluttering method called ‘Swedish Death Cleaning’ is a useful organizational and reflection method for all of us.

Although the term ‘death cleaning’ sounds pretty morbid at first hearing, the method can be relevant and helpful to any of us interested in decluttering. Even better, Swedish Death Cleaning can help us to think about our lives and things in a whole new way. As such, we have provided a comprehensive guide to Swedish Death Cleaning just for you.

 

What is it?

Döstädning, which literally translates to death (dö) cleaning (städning) encourages us to organize our things with our death in mind. To put it simply, the goal of Swedish Death Cleaning is to organize and keep things based on whether your family and friends would want it once you have died. In some ways, it is more extreme than other practices like the KonMarie method.

Magnusson was first inspired to come up with this method because of her experience going through the possessions of her mother and husband after their deaths. To be sure, anyone who has experience doing this will know that this is an incredibly emotional and difficult undertaking.

Hence, Swedish Death Cleaning makes sure that family members and friends have an easier time dealing with someone’s stuff after their passing.

 

Who should do it?

Although Magnusson’s primary target audience is those in their late-50s, she also says that those interested in creating good habits of decluttering can also find Death Cleaning helpful.

 

When should you do it?

Since Death Cleaning can be a long process (after all, you are sorting through all your things), Magnusson urges her readers to start “sooner rather than later”. In particular, she says that individuals should start cleaning early in the ageing process. This gives one full control over how their things are managed and also reduces the anxiety from procrastinating such a big task.

 

What should you clean?

First, you should take a good look at the physical possessions you have. Most importantly, you will want to get rid of things that are embarrassing for you, as well as things that will be hurtful or upsetting for your family or friends who might come across them. In essence, these are the things that you would not want other people to see.

Secondly, it helps to discard things that are no longer useful. These could refer to unused or faulty appliances, magazines or books that ‘you were going to get to’ but never did, and clothes you no longer wear. This helps to ease the burden on your family after your passing. In general, it is also a good way to keep your house free of junk.

Last but not least, be sure to organize your digital affairs as well. With everything ranging from our social lives to financial activities increasingly done online, it is important to ensure that your family or friends have access to those platforms if necessary. As such, it is best if you put together the documents and passwords that will be important after your passing.

 

Who should you do it with?

Unlike other decluttering methods which can be very individualized and personal, the Swedish Death Cleaning Method requires regular contact and communication with one’s family and friends. It is important to communicate clearly with the people around you about your intentions so as not to alarm them, but also to include them in your process.

After all, if the Death Cleaning method aims to help you figure out what to keep for your family and friends after your death, it is best to ask them what they would actually want. This is also a good opportunity to approach the topic of death and post-life affairs, especially for families that tend not to broach such sensitive topics.

 

How does it help?

Obviously, the primary intention of Swedish Death Cleaning is to make things easier for your family and friends after your passing. By managing your own things, you ease the emotional burden of others who will have to go through all your possessions. Furthermore, you can also avoid inadvertently embarrassing or hurting them by disposing of sensitive materials beforehand.

It is important to remember that rather than forcing you to imagine your own demise, Swedish Death Cleaning encourages us to reflect on what is truly important in our lives. For instance, we might find that having many material things is not as satisfying as living a simpler, minimalistic life. We might also realize that there are many things in our homes that are simply cluttered.

It is also a good way to get started on thinking about and planning your post-life matters. By starting early, you will be able to focus on enjoying your golden years and creating your legacy. When the time does come, your family and friends will also be able to focus on honouring your memory rather than having to worry about what to do with your things.

 

How to get started?

Magnusson suggests that you start by categorizing all that you have. This gives you a clearer picture of the things you have to go through.

Like Marie Kondo, Magnusson says that you should always start with the things you have in storage. This refers to the things in the storeroom, random drawers, and containers that you have not touched or thought about in a long time. Those things are typically the easiest to deal with.

Then, you can organize things like clothes, books, and other stuff that we tend to have an excess of. Consider giving away, donating, or even throwing away the things that you no longer use.

Only deal with your personal items at the end. This is because such items usually hold the most sentimental value and can be the hardest to deal with. Rather than throwing them away, Magnusson suggests that you keep these things in a designated box or place to make it easier for your family. Most importantly, if you have instructions for specific items that you leave behind, be sure to leave a note with the item stating how you wish for it to be handled.

 

In a Nutshell

Swedish Death Cleaning is a decluttering method that is helpful both practically and emotionally. Beyond easing the burden on our family and friends after our passing, this method pushes us to contemplate our own mortality and encourages us to live our best lives now.