Swedish Death Cleaning - No matter your age, it might be time to start

Japan has Marie Kondo, encouraging all of us to “Kondo” parts of our homes.  Sweden also has its very own organizing term for export, “Death Cleaning” with its own decluttering star, Margareta Magnusson, author of The Gentle Art of Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter.  Thanks to her, "Death cleaning" has become part of the American lexicon.  When I first read The Washington Post’s Americans are pack rats. Swedes have the solution: ‘Death Cleaning’, I immediately felt familiar with the act of paring down one’s items later in life to avoid passing on the burden to loved ones.  I’ve had a number of older clients hire me for just this, some specifically putting in an order for “Death Cleaning.”

Also, I’ve had clients much closer to mid-life who have hired me for the same, clearly articulating that this is for the sake of not passing their life’s collections, papers, and stresses onto their kids, however young. As you’ll see in Magnusson’s short (under 4 minute) video, she ends with a visit to her daughter’s storage unit, encouraging her to death clean it all out, pointing out “you can die tomorrow!"

Just like with Kondo, it’s not for everyone. There are going to be those who think the method, sentiment, or name is too real and insensitive. It gets our attention though. There are going to be fewer storage units and painful post-funeral clean-outs because of it, and that can only be a good thing.  

Magnusson says in the video, “Don’t collect things that you don’t want. Someone has to take care of it one day.”  Are you the person who will likely inherit both the beautiful and painful items of a loved one in upcoming years? Or, are you the person who will more likely be leaving your things for a loved one? Regardless of your age, are you already feeling the pull to death clean? What is your advice for those ready to embark on this journey? Please share in the comments!