As seen on Peacock's new show, Swedish death cleaning is a great way to organize and declutter your belongings. Follow this checklist and steps to get started.
Swedish death cleaning is a cleaning trend resulting from the Swedish cultural tradition of decluttering and organizing one's life before passing away. Margareta Magnussen's recent book, "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter," made this trend mainstream.
Swedish death cleaning (döstädning) is a decluttering method historically practised in Sweden. It is a simple living practice, encouraging people to get rid of belongings before death to spare loved ones from having to manage them. [1]
Swedish death cleaning helps you thoughtfully prepare for the future while easing the burden on loved ones. The process focuses on generosity—passing along meaningful belongings and donating other items so they continue to bring joy. By starting small and moving at your own pace, you can make decluttering less overwhelming and more reflective.
Swedish death cleaning is a slow method of preparing your household for the later years in life. The term became more broadly known through Margareta Magnusson ‘s book, Döstädning. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, which received mixed reviews. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, I did a review of the slim volume, which you can find in my death cleaning book notes.
Swedish death cleaning makes getting organized easier for those you love. We've got a checklist and methods to help you streamline your belongings.
This undoubtedly holds true for death cleaning. While döstädning quickly became part of everyday Swedish language, the habit of cleaning out belongings before dying was not entirely new.