What is Swedish Death Cleaning?

In Sweden, Death Cleaning is called döstädning. The name is a mashup of the Swedish words
for death and cleaning. The concept was first created by Swedish author Margareta Magnusson
in her 2017 book called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning; it is a New York Times
Bestselling book.

Although it might sound morbid, Swedish Death Cleaning is not morbid or even sad; it is a
decluttering process with a bigger picture in mind. You go through everything that you’ve
accumulated, keep what is important to you and get rid of the things you no longer need. You do
so with the intention of taking this burden off of your loved ones after you pass.

When Should I Start Swedish Death Cleaning?

Margareta recommends that you start the process of Swedish Death Cleaning around 65 years
old when you are still physically able to go through things in your household but are not likely to
continue to need everything that you have. Certainly you can start both earlier or later. Some
people go through the process not just in preparation for their passing but also to help rightsize
or downsize their home.

What Are The Steps of Swedish Death Cleaning?

There are a few commonly agreed upon steps to Swedish Death Cleaning.

• Let Your Loved Ones Know: Letting your loved ones know that you intend on going through your possessions is a good place to start. It opens up the conversation about cherished items and also about death in general. Remember, Swedish Death Cleaning is not meant to evoke sadness but is meant to show that you care for your loved ones and want their grief at the time of your passing to not be exacerbated by having to sort through your entire estate.

• Start With Less Personal Items: Margareta suggests starting with items that are not personal. For example, do not start with photographs or old letters but instead start with non-sentimental items like dishware. Small victories in finishing non-sentimental items will help propel you forward in the cleaning process.

• Gift Possessions Away Gradually: Unlike some of the recent trends surrounding purging items quickly from your home, the art of Swedish Death Cleaning encourages a more mindful and gradual approach. Consider the people you know carefully and then thoughtfully determine which of your possessions they would appreciate.

• Keep Mementos For Yourself: Swedish Death Cleaning recognizes that we are meant to hold onto the mementos that make us happy, remind us of great times in our lives and that have sentimental value.

• Donate and Sell The Rest: Not all possessions are meant to be gifted or held onto. Our possessions that we no longer want but have value to others, we should sell. Our possessions that will not sell, we should donate.

• Make a List of Important Documents and Passwords: We are always told to make incredibly strong passwords to safeguard our personal information. This is great advice, except in the case that you pass away and no one has access. For this reason it is important to make a list of important documents and their locations as well as files and their passwords.

• Declutter Regularly: Swedish Death Cleaning is not a one and done practice. It is natural to accumulate items at any age, so naturally we are going to have to continue to declutter regularly during and after we Swedish Death Clean our homes. The Benefits of Swedish Death Cleaning The purpose of Swedish Death Cleaning is to ease the burden on loved ones after we pass away. However, there are also numerous benefits for the person doing the cleaning.

The Benefits Of Swedish Death Cleaning

• Letting go of items that we no longer need is liberating
• It’s an opportunity to reflect on memories that certain items bring to mind
• It can spark meaningful conversation with family and friends
• It allows you to pass along treasured items to others

Swedish Death Cleaning and Hoarding

Margareta mentions hoarding only once in her book. She explains that the Swedish Death
Cleaning method is not likely to work in the case of people with hoarding disorder as they are
not able to think through the necessity for their items and have trouble parting with them.

She recommends that children of aging parents who are hoarders do their best to encourage
their parents to try and work through their possessions. Yet, she concedes that it may be a
necessity to hire a disposal bin because of the lack of thoughtful disposal of items before people
with hoarding disorder pass away. Margareta also recommends not trying to do it on your own
but hiring a company like HALO who can keep their eye out for heirlooms and useful items and
dispose of or donate the rest. HALO calls this service Estate Cleanout.

If you are the child of aging parents who hoard and are hoping to get them help, please give us
a call. HALO is here and we can help.