The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter

by Margareta Magnusson

“Putting your house in order, if you can do it, is one of the most comforting activities, and the benefits of it are incalculable.”

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 this stuff may appear out of the blue one day. When someone cancels a weekend visit or a dinner, you feel grateful—instead of disappointed—because you may be too tired to clean up for their visit. The problem is that you have too much stuff to deal with.

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.

Don’t start with photographs—or letters and personal papers, for that matter.

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

Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.

Choose a category that you believe is easy for you to handle. An easy category is one with many items to choose from and without too much sentimental connection.

Give everything a place and you won’t feel angry, irritated, or desperate when leaving the house.

A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you. Not all things from you.

Aging is certainly not for weaklings. That is why you should not wait too long to start your downsizing. Sooner or later you will have your own infirmities, and then it is damn nice to be able to enjoy the things you can still manage to do without the burden of too many things to look after and too many messes to organize.

This cycle of consumption we are all part of will eventually destroy our planet—but it doesn’t have to destroy the relationship you have with whomever you leave behind.

Have you noticed that many people find more pleasure in organizing their stuff than in actually using their stuff?