"Less clutter, more life" A new lightness with Swedish Death Cleaning

Clear the clutter the Swedish way: how to celebrate and organize your life at the same time with Swedish Death Cleaning.

With a meaningful word, she put friends of downsizing in an even more radical decluttering mood: Margareta Magnusson called her book Döstädning, in which she summarized her personal experiences and findings with this procedure, which is common in Sweden, in 2018. "Dö" stands for death, while "städning" means cleaning up. Internationally, it became "Swedish Death Cleaning".

Originally, the term refers to the process of putting all belongings in order so that the heirs don't have too much trouble breaking up the household effects later on.

But you can't really start early enough, as you can still benefit considerably from it during your lifetime. If you do it right, it's not just a major decluttering project, but a way of life.

Popular among minimalists

"Swedish Death Cleaning" has become a lifestyle term among minimalism fans and is the English translation of Döstädning (Dö, Swedish for death, städning, Swedish for tidying up).

It actually refers to intensive clearing out in relation to the end of life. Above all, it is intended to protect the bereaved. Why not start long before the time comes?

You should start clearing out as soon as you can think

"You should start as soon as you can think," says Margareta Magnusson.

The Swedish author and artist has also made a name for herself outside of her home country with her book of the same name, "Döstädning". It was published in German in 2018 under the title "Frau Magnussons Kunst, die letzten Dinge des Lebens zu ordnen" by S. Fischer Verlag. The art can also be applied to current affairs.

Less frills, more space to live

Mrs. Magnusson, who says she is between 80 and 100 years old, also found an interested audience for her report among people who are suffering under the weight of their clutter. "Swedish Death Cleaning" promises a radical remedy in the form of decluttering and downsizing - sounds somehow chicer than tidying up and downsizing, but means the same thing.

Decelerating when the world situation is upside down

The fact that tidying up has become a trending topic is not just because people have had to keep themselves busy at home during lockdowns and quarantine phases.

When world events seem increasingly chaotic and unpredictable, people at least want to maintain control in their own sphere of influence. Even if it's just the closet.

Who is going to clear out everything?

What's more, in a society of abundance, people usually own too much stuff. This is not only a burden on everyday life in this world. "Who will take care of all this when you are no longer here?" is the key question posed by expert Magnusson.

This perspective makes decluttering much more efficient.

It's about a permanent way of organizing

If you want to master your own chaos, death cleaning should not be a temporary project, but a permanent discipline. "It's not about vacuuming and picking up damp," emphasizes Magnusson, "but about a permanent way of organizing". This should help to make everyday life smoother.

Don't start with letters or postcards

This can sometimes mean fighting against your own nature, especially the urge to collect. It can be difficult to dispose of things, especially when personal memories and emotions are attached to them.

That's why death-cleaning beginners shouldn't start in the postcards, letters and photos department. This level requires some time and experience.

Better to start in the garage or attic

Storage spaces are a good place to start: A lot of stuff accumulates in the junk room, in the attic or in the garage, which is often hardly ever used or never comes to mind.

A guideline that tidying pro Marie Kondo also follows in a similar way can help when disposing of clutter: Anything that is not loved or used can be said goodbye to.

Second-hand clothes can be sold well

Margareta Magnusson advises you to start with your closet to achieve a successful clear-out more quickly. Anything that no longer fits or has never fitted can go, as can anything that doesn't feel like it fits in with the overall look of the wardrobe.

In addition to the joy of a tidy wardrobe, you may also achieve a small financial success if you manage to sell some of your clothes. Only what cannot be donated in the end has to be thrown away.

Books are difficult to clear out

Books, souvenirs from trips or gifts from loved ones pose a greater challenge. However, death cleaning does not mean that everything has to be completely disposed of in one fell swoop. Anyone struggling with a collection, for example, could follow the experienced author's advice: Leave a few favorite pieces on the shelf and give the rest away.

It's okay to indulge in a bit of a farewell party atmosphere and indulge in memories associated with individual items. After all, they have accompanied you on a part of your life's journey and perhaps stood for a special experience. By saying goodbye to such objects, you are also paying tribute to a part of your own biography.

Giving away special and beautiful objects

Not everything necessarily has to be thrown away. Magnusson encourages people to give things away ... especially if there is a special story behind them. This is then passed on. The Swede also advises involving friends and relatives in the project in order to create a bit of social control on the one hand and to get some helpful advice on the other.

What has been sold can no longer cause arguments

In her book, the author describes a logical way out of the dilemma when it comes to individual items that may one day be desired by several heirs at the same time: what has already been sold can no longer cause conflict after a bereavement.

A box full of memories makes sense

It takes less effort to set up a disposable box: You can store everything in it that is of purely sentimental, personal sentimental value and that you don't want to part with.

If you write "Private, please throw away" in large letters on the lid, the bereaved can dispose of it one day without hesitation.

It is also a good idea to set up a throw-away folder like this on your hard disk or a data carrier. After all, we are increasingly collecting photos and messages in digital form. Organizing a virtual legacy is also much easier for heirs if a list of online accounts and corresponding accesses has been stored somewhere.

Treat yourself to beautiful memories as a reward

Death cleaning doesn't have to be a sad affair. In fact, Magnusson finds it rather relieving. In addition to the good feeling of not burdening your loved ones with too much if the worst comes to the worst, you do yourself the biggest favor by keeping your everyday life clear and tidy: less stress with things, more energy for the real things in life.

Apart from this long-term reward for the effort of sorting, you shouldn't forget the short-term reward once you've successfully cleared out a corner. Doing something good for yourself with another purchase would obviously be counterproductive, so ...

... treat yourself to some time out on a trip and create new memories that you won't have to tidy up at some point.