The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - My Top 5 Takeaways

This book by Margareta Magnusson is about the art of Swedish Death Cleaning. It was such an easy read. You can borrow it from your local library or grab a copy HERE.

Swedish Death Cleaning is something very common in Sweden. It’s where you have the idea that death comes to all of us. And we want to prepare our homes for the season of life we are in and that we will be in sometime in the future.

In this book she share about her experiences. Her first was her parents home. Her mother had passed and her dad was unable to care for the home or the stuff in it and was moving to a smaller apartment.

Her second experience was her mother-in-law’s home and her third was her own home. Her husband passed away after they had been married for 48 years. She talks about how it felt lonely and she wished they would have done it together.

I love her perspective in this book. We are all going to die at some point. It’s not being morbid or sad. It’s just a fact of life. Start now. Don’t collect things you don’t want.

Here are some of my favorite takeaways from this book.

1. Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization that makes our everyday life run more smoothly. This isn’t just for your kids or the people who will take care of your estate one day, but this is for you; for you to function in your home the best you can in the current season you are in.
   She talks about how that her home runs so much better when it’s organized and minimized. And if you begin this process when you’re young, it will be so much easier to do when you’re older.

2. Don’t start with photographs or personal letters or papers. Start with easy things to get rid of. Kitchen gadgets, things in your garage, clothing.

3. Make a record of what you want done with your items. Don’t leave it to chance. This will give you peace and peace to those who will receive your things when you pass away. Better yet, if you are done using an item, go ahead and give it to the person.
   A note on the bottom of a lamp. A document saved on your computer with a list. Email that list to someone you trust.
   When her mother passed and she cleaned out her home, she found notes attached to things. It felt like a gift her mother was giving her after she was gone.

4. Throw away box. The concept of a throw away box are things just for me. This is a box for a trusted loved one to know to throw away when you’re gone. These are for items you want to reference yourself, but feel are too private for others to access.

5. Photographs. She shares lots of great tips for going through your items, but her section on photographs was one of my favorites.
   Make a party and go through them with your family. Or take the time over a year to slowly go through and choose the best photo out of the set. Scan them in and give your family members the USB drive for Christmas.

I have a video and blog post I did recently on sentimental items. I know this can be a hard category to go through. You can check that out HERE.

By thinking about what we will leave behind for others, we are adding margin to our home.