Swedish Death Cleaning 101

We understand that the name alone doesn’t exactly inspire excitement… but don’t judge it before you try it! 

Swedish death cleaning is a simple way of streamlining your life and cleaning habits in a way that will majorly benefit your future self. It’s less about preparing for death, and more about making simple changes to limit the sheer amount of accumulation that tends to occur year after year.

What Is Swedish Death Cleaning?

This style of proactive tidying was founded by Margareta Magnusson in her book ‘The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning ‘. It was inspired by the events following the death of Magnusson’s husband and mother, when she was tasked with cleaning out and organizing decades of accumulated items from their homes.  

While the process was inspired by tragedy, Magnusson’s method focuses less on death and more on clearing and structuring your living space in a way that meets your current and future needs. 

It has been especially beneficial for those that struggle with cluttered spaces and/or letting things go, as a big part of the approach is rooted in compassion and mindfulness. By taking the time to look at your space and the items within it, you can successfully identify what they mean to you and what emotions they may carry. 

There is also a key focus on accepting that ‘stuff’ doesn’t equate to memories – especially when it comes to those that have passed away. 

Instead, it’s suggested that memories exist independently of material things and are carried within the individual. Therefore, it’s important to look inward, not outward, when it comes to cleaning, decluttering, and organizing a space.

How Do I Start?  

Swedish death cleaning prioritizing starting with the emotionally easiest tasks first and slowly transitioning to the harder ones. 

For example, here’s how you could begin your cleaning process:  

1. Begin with what isn’t visible. This may be your under-bed storage, the crawl space in the basement, or those closet cubbies that everything gets tossed into without much thought.  Start with the forgotten belongings in areas like this as chances are pretty good you won’t miss what’s there. 

2. Do a clothing sweep. From your dresser to your closet, start getting rid of clothes you no longer wear and organize the ones you do using bins, cubbies, and storage racks. Clothing is typically easier to part with as it doesn’t tend to carry as much emotional significance. In addition, donating your clothing items tends to make getting rid of them easier as you know someone else will be getting good use out of them. 

3. Clean up your digital footprint. The world has gone digital and the abundance of photos, videos, memes, passwords, and other information that accumulates over the years can be monumental. Start by getting rid of images that are no longer relevant to you. This may be screenshots of old texts, photos of old exes, or funny images you’ve saved via your many scrolls through social media. It’s also a good time to make a hard copy of your different online passwords so that if something were to happen, your family has easy access to everything they need to. 

4. Look through personal things last. Items that carry high emotional value, such as photographs, letters, or the belongings of someone who has passed, are the hardest to part with. Choose one small task at a time, such as organizing an old photo album or cleaning out your dearly departed’s work desk. Most importantly, take your time, give yourself full permission to feel, and be kind to yourself during the process. This includes taking breaks and practicing self-care as you work through the emotions that come up for you. 

What Can I Do To Make the Process Easier?  

Now that we’ve got the bare bones on Swedish death cleaning covered, let’s move on to some tips that can really help you with the process.  

1. Connect with your family. Cleaning out your home opens the door to having conversations with your family about certain items that you may have given sentimental value to on their behalf. For example, you may be holding onto your old prom dress or academic awards from when you were younger. Do those have emotional value to you? To your parents? Often times talking to your family will help you realize if you’re giving items more value than they actually have because of the people you associate with them. Knowing this can make it a lot easier to get rid of things or transition them into more suitable hands.  
   
   
2. Donate items or give them away to friends and family. Once you’re tuned in to the items that do and do not hold current or future value to you, you’ll find donating and gifting a lot easier to accomplish. Not only that, but you’ll likely find it easier to keep the decluttering process going throughout the year knowing that your items will be going to a good home.

Need Help Getting Organized? Connect With Us!  

If you’d like a more detailed understanding of what was covered above, we encourage you to check out Margareta Magnusson’s book ‘The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning ‘. 

Or, if you’re looking for support sooner rather than later, our team at My Friend, Anna would be happy to help you with your cleaning and organizational projects. Contact us today to ask any questions you may have or to schedule our elite cleaning services. 

Remember: We love cleaning so you don’t have to! 

~Your Friend, Anna