I tried "Swedish Death Cleaning" (and it worked!) 

My decluttering technique is to watch an episode of Hoarders. After one show I'm ready to burn everything.

"Swedish death cleaning" is purging items out of lives before we die And Not wanting to burden our loved ones with a mountain of clutter and junk to go through after our death. It's about doing it for our loved ones. That is the concept of Swedish Death cleaning.

When my sister died in a car accident I kept her shoes she was wearing while in the car. I kept many of her clothes as well. I got married & wherever I went they went with us. There was something about her belongings that I felt were attached to her & I just couldn't let go of. Then after many years gone by, I cried very hard, then I let them go.

I took care of my Dad and Mom til they passed. They had 84 years of treasures and items they used to make life better and easier for 7 kids. Then I had to go through it all and donate, etc. I'm 68 and taking care of this job so my family will not have the burden. 😊

I was doing a KonMari cycle through the house and I spilled my drink. My question became, “If this were covered in red wine, would I try to save it?” It really helped with decision-making.

My relationship with 'stuff' changed dramatically after I lost everything in a house fire. My dad built the home I'd lived in all my life up until then. That was the hardest part. Now I don't assign emotional attachment to anything. It drives my husband nuts that I am so quick to donate or toss just about anything. I'm not sure if I'm at a healthy place with that, but to be honest I don't think too much about it. My Dad took his own life a few years after that fire. Now I look back on that house fire, at the time the hardest thing I had to go through, living out of a hotel room with my family, wearing nothing but donated clothing, the only place I felt at home being my truck.... I look back now and think that was nothing. Compared to what came next, it was nothing. Things don't keep love alive. I have nothing but an old work shirt to remember my father by. But you know what? I don't even need that. The memories are what are precious. I remember the tree house he built us as kids. I remember the fairy tale garden he grew in the backyard when my husband asked him if he could marry me. The gazebo he built with our initials on the railing we said our vows in. I remember them with love and sadness. They don't need to be here with me for me to recall what an amazing man my father was, and how much he loved me.

I have been decluttering now for years. I started as a sloppy “pre-hoarding” mess. (I wasn’t so bad as to not see the floor, or not to be able to sleep in my own bed, but... I could definitely see myself decades later in that arena if I didn’t watch out!) I held onto junk mail because I never had a place for it, let alone recycling. I held on to past life’s, like when I was a race horse owner breeder. I held onto to my mother’s/grandmother’s things to give to my daughter, “someday.” I was classic. I had many duplicates because what I couldn’t find , I bought again. And, I bought stuff. I still do buy and I need to let that go too. I got rid of at least half of my STUFF. I was on the that journey when I decided to move to be near my daughter. So I purged hard. There were donations, giving to friends and trips to the recycle center AND many trips to the dump (some of my important stuff was ruined in a large RV garage by the mice. Eek! But, as you know, some of us keep important stuff but don’t give it the respect it deserves.) Today, I saw this video and I realized that the emotional journey has been worth it! I just moved again to be near my daughter. I chose a home nearly 500 sqft smaller than my last place. Again, I purged. But, this time, I list my job in July(I was a tourism director snd as you know the majority of my industry is at zero) but had planned to retire on October 1st. So I was incredibly lucky to move my retirement up by several months. It was a whirlwind because I got out of my house by July 27th. With nowhere to live, everything I owned went into storage. Most of it was packed by a friend because I was working. So most of it wasn’t organized. My daughter just left after helping me unpack 2 different days & to purge. And she helped me make my home exactly that. I know this is a long post but I wanted you to know Kathryn that you gave me a lot of the courage to get where I am today. I have been watching since you were a teacher before KIDS! I know how hard it was for you to share your journey of letting go. I once took a life coaching journey. I was talking about avoidance and not dealing with things. And my coach stopped me short to say that at the time I needed to do what I did because I couldn’t at that time. Holding onto things IS mentally challenging. I think at 66 I’m finally starting to feel the difference of this freedom. The best part is that now that I’ve let go, I get to have my grandkids over because my house is no longer cluttered!

You can always take a picture of stuff to hold onto the memory of the object without actually having the clutter in your home.

I can appreciate that he said it "sparks necessity." My toothbrush doesn't necessarily "spark joy"...but I mean, I *need* it.

The one thing no one ever brings up is to stop buying stuff. We have enough.

When my Mother went into a nursing home my sister and I were left to clean out our family home of 44 years. It was absolutely overwhelming. We ended up having an auction. It opened my eyes to all the things I had in my own home. I had a 2,200 sq foot home packed full. I ended up selling my home and getting rid of probably 95% of my junk. I now live in a 524sq foot apartment with very little and it’s amazing to be free of the stuff.

This really resonates with me. I'm 62 and my sister is 60. We have no children, just cousins in their 80s. Who's going to clean up after us?! Also, sadly, my sis was diagnosed with alzheimer's 3 years ago. She had stopped cleaning. Her 3 bed house was a nightmare, a hoarder who NEVER gave away anything. Kept clothes from her 20s. Only last year did she allow me to start going through stuff. I've cleaned and donated loads. Some was recycled and some binned. I am exhausted and not done yet. Her paperwork was massive but luckily I'm her opposite and started loads of lever arch files. I have a file called Death. I've prepaid my funeral, picked the hymns etc. It's not morbid, I like being organised and don't want to be a burden when I'm gone.

I really feel this. My partner passed away 4 years ago and our just daughter said to me, mum why do you have dads everything like I don't think he wants you to keep his socks. It was an eye opener for me to move on and go through his staff and finding new homes for it and giving the clothes to homeless men mad me feel like it gave it a purpose beyond our cupboard

Decluttering is emotionally draining, but feels so good when it’s done. Everything I own, owns a part of me.

after my grandmother died my mom and aunt spent weeks going through her stuff. she had a modest home that i would not have described as cluttered in a million years. but when you think about the fact that something has to be done with everything, from the dining room table to a box of thumb tacks... it really adds up. after that mom gave her (adult) children stickers and told us to mark the things of hers we wanted after her death. she wrote it all down. she's still young and in great health but she said it helps her make choices about possessions and purchases.

I love that when she shows her home it's a real home. All the time you'll see these influencer homes with this extraordinary expensive closets and most likely messy corners are skipped. This is a real home and a real way to organize. Thank you 🧡

I love my daughters approach when she moved away from home. She took photos. Then got rid of the objects. She said. ‘I have the memory, I don’t need the thing’.

If I were only keeping the things that make me happy, my dog would be under one arm and my cat under under other. And we'd blow this joint.

I agree, but! I have felt a certain loss of identity with my last decluttering. Most of what I kept was utilitarian and the most minimal of momentos. For instance, (btw I'm old enough to be retired), I got rid of my black and white stuffed animal collection last time. Eeeks! Who knew? The attachment I had to them was more than frivolous sentiment, but a whole range of experiences, memories, and even values. I can't get over the feeling of loss. It's been over 2 years. I think I found comfort knowing they were in a box somewhere and I could pull them out at Christmas whenever so inclined. I have lost a whole range of cozy feelings I could instantly acquire by just looking at their furry little faces. Beware. Things CAN be more than things. Sorry. Great video.

Been begging my mother for years to do a cleaning like this...she just says I can deal with it when she dies... seriously it gives me anxiety thinking about the mess she actually wants to leave me with

I read Swedish Death Cleaning and found it very helpful, but having a naturally organized person validate how emotionally draining the process can be was huge! The phone conversation with your dad, followed by tears, told me that I'm not crazy to be blindsided by strong feelings as I go through things. Thank you for the peek inside your experience.

“It doesn’t make me happy and my mom gave it to me because it didn’t make her happy” The best argument I’ve heard for just up and throwing shit away.

I helped my mother move from Indiana to Florida. Believe it or not, she wanted to keep a sales printout from over 30 years ago where she sold furniture. Even that was hard for her to let go. Now that she’s moved down here to even smaller quarters, she still weeding out items to giveaway. But it was extremely jarring for her. After seeing what she was hoarding, I have now been going through and giving things away. You have to just think, “I’m going to let someone else enjoy this”. It’s like sharing!

When you called your Dad and started to cry...I jumped up and decluttered my whole bedroom .You will never know how much your videos...have changed my life .I don't want to leave my kids with all my issues..Everyday it gets a little better. I'M SO HAPPY NOW❤️❤️❤️❤️thanks again

I had the same reaction when I chose to get rid of my grandmothers tea cups. I kept them from when we moved her into a home because I felt responsible for them. They sat in a box, they brought me no joy and I had no use for them. I also had zero memories attached to these cups, like it’s not like my grandmother and I sat down and drank tea out of them. I cried because I felt like I was letting her down and my mother down but the reality was that no one even remembered I had them. It’s amazing when we humanize our stuff and attached so much more value to them than they are actually worth. Good for you, Kathryn!!

"The best t-shirt rises to the top." Classic!😆

Wow! Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing with us how hard it can be to navigate our stuff, especially after a loved one has died.

You know what the organizers say. “You wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time.”

If you can let go of things, but feel a bit emotional about it, take a picture of it and keep the picture. Sometimes, just having a picture of the thing is enough to jog your memory of the good feeling attached to it.

„It sparks necessity.“ THANK YOU, Charlie !! Not everything has to spark joy, there are some things we simply need - joy or not 😉

Thank you for being vulnerable and showing that some decluttering is so emotionally taxing. I did a major declutter of my house over a year ago and there were things I cried over too. But I only gave in on 1 item and kept it. I'm glad I did, but I'm also glad I didn't give in on the rest. If you're just starting your purge, #1...don't start with your sentimental items! But also know that it's okay to cry and purge those guilt feelings. Be thankful for the object and for any joy you experienced while using it, and then let it go so it can bless someone else.

Before I throw out things that I "think" my kids will want after I'm dead, I ask them if they want it now. Either way it's leaving my house. My home motto is "my house is NOT a storage unit."

The best t-shirts rise to the top you know! That was hilarious I love this video thanks Kathryn !

I’m not a materialistic person, but after a huge loss and grief period in my life I definitely have a harder time letting “things” go. Thanks for sharing.

OMGOSH! I am exactly like you! I was in horrible pain for 15 years, and stuff piled up that I couldn’t clean. After successful surgery last year, I felt so much better, and began the decluttering process and remodeling the whole house! It has been exhausting, but it is making me so happy to see the results!

Half my closet is filled with my husband’s clothes. He passed away over a year ago. I feel like I’m almost ready to do something with his stuff.

This is the “realest” decluttering video I’ve ever seen. Calling your dad to ask to get rid of something he gave you? That was powerful. Thank you for making this video.

When I did my first big de-clutter 2 summers ago my biggest revelation was how emotionally draining de-cluttering is. Sure physically draining, but the emotions and memories that are attached to everything you touch is so overwhelming. I used to be one of those moms who saved things "in case any of the kids want it" and man was I wrong to do that. My children are now old enough that I can ask them if it's something they think they may want or want now and then I'll decide if holding onto it is worth it. I've even started using my grandmothers good China every day, and I've started wearing my good jewelry on a more regular basis - we have these things to use and because we loved them when we bought them so why hide them in cabinets and jewelry boxes? Life is too short - use the good China, wear the good jewelry, and don't worry about saving things for the kids. Thank you for sharing.

I neeeeded to watch this! Thank you! Over the last 10 years I have gone from “collecting” to teetering on “hoarding”!😱 I’m an antique dealer and home stager so it’s easy to justify holding onto things that could be considered inventory. I’m ready to get rid of things that don’t serve a purpose!

I did a "death" de-cluttering/KonMarie and a year later was buying a few of the same things I tossed. Not sure if the absolutism of some of these practices is practical.

I appreciate you calling your father to offer the items back to him. I hold on to everything & it's really difficult to let go. I can attach sentimental value to almost anything. This helped me because, I guess I never thought about calling. Thank you!

My marriage of 33 years has come to an end and it is amazing how I have picked up the pieces of my broken life and have decluttered everything in my home and I feel so much stronger and more alive than I ever have. Thank you for sharing your videos they have helped me so much. ❤️❤️

I appreciate the fact that it was mentioned, as weird as it may sound to some, that people can get emotionally attached to items. Case in point for me; my husband of 34 years was murdered. Initially, I held on to everything. Notes I found with his writing, old cologne bottles, clothing, etc. etc. It's been a few years now and I have been able to offer items to family members and have slowly gained the strength to part with items that would mean nothing to anyone else. I need the strength to continue and your video inspired me to keep moving forward. Thank you for the positive look at how decluttering can help people heal.

Me: declutters my space so i can use and find the things i like and need. My husband: oh yay an open space i can throw all my old mail, receipts, and dirty laundry! 😑

I thought this was just going to be her cleaning like a lunatic while listening to Swedish death metal

It isn't that I don't want to declutter, it takes energy to do it.

I kinda rolled my eyes at this as i clicked on it anyway lol.... and it was actually very helpful as i find myself sifting thru my mothers things 💜🧡💚

My closets (2) were small and very dark, I was losing my mind with three dressers in the room. Focus! I bought (2) wardrobes and created a wall of closets and love it. One closet removed and three dressers gone. A wardrobe wall that focus where all the clothes all go. S/O was not happy at first but he now gets it. Benefits incalculable! Now it is organized and manageable! Thank u for allowing me to share!

Yes, I went through my house three years ago after my husband died and it was very emotional. Could not stop crying. Made it through and now it is time again, oh dear

Your husband nailed it. Very little in my life sparks joy. It is useful or it is necessary.

"Sorry mom, I love you". "That's all right son, I'm making another one just like it for you on Christmas", lol.

I read somewhere “these things are not your mother”, we don’t have to keep all their stuff to feel we love them after they pass, it’s ok to keep a few special things and yes it’s hard to bin things. So for that as well as general declutter, I much prefer to donate, preferably I give to ppl I know first, then I also put stuff outside my house it invariably finds a new owner who wants its, I also use freecycle, eBay or charity shops, only in the end it’s the bin. Sounds like a process but it’s easy for me.

My fist time I realised I cannot hold time and have to let go was when I had to donate my daughter's little dresses because she was not a little girl any more. I had a good cry surprisingly. That was years ago...and tomorrow I have to give her away, she is getting married. We don't need a stuff for memories...but I did save one of her dresses hopping one day to give it to her daughter. 😉

I started crying after you called your dad...it was like you were giving joint permission to each other to get rid of the objects and jointly hold on to the memory instead. So beautiful. And thank you for talking about how grief has it's own timeline- and it cant be rushed. Thank you for this video, your insights, and th e humor and love between you and your husband!

You’re so kind to be so vulnerable for those of us who need you to be even though that means you’re opening yourself up to being hurt by people who won’t appreciate you. Thank you for showing your pain and by way allowing me to feel mine in this area. ❤️

It's so wonderful and inspiring to see a professional deal with her own emotional clutter. It makes the process seem possible.

wow .. Seeing the video today was perfect timing .. I lost my brother 25 years ago today ... I needed to hear that it's okay to let it go .. Carrying around his stuff for all this time has weighed me down ... At 60, I'm finally ready to let him go ... Thank you.

I have been trying to pick a spot a day to declutter. You know “that chair” in the bedroom with clothes tossed there carelessly that soon becomes a hulking mass of material, sleeves and legs poking out here and there? I found my chair today! And amazingly, my closet was much less empty after.

More than anything, your warm kindhearted approach was so uplifting, ....Excellent !

This video made me cry! 😢 I have a hard time letting go of things especially after loosing both of my parents just three months ago! 😢 When you called your Dad and I saw you cry 😢 oh that hit me and I cried with you. I felt that with you!

I've been doing this method for the last 6 months. It's freeing and helps to maintain my minimal life.

I always thought I was a hoarder because my flat seems permanently packed and then I saw the size of their walk-in wardrobe and realised I just need more space. Yes I do.

I know this video is years old and you probably won't read this BUT you openly talking about dealing with things from loved ones lost is exactly what I needed to hear. We have lost five close family members in the last 24 months - my mother (adopted), my bio mom, then my bio dad, then my dad (adopted), then my husband's closest brother. We have all of their belongings on our property right now. I feel surrounded by death and stuff. And I think I feel like I am surrounded by death simply because I am surround by their things. It is time to let go of the vast majority with this mindset in play. Thank you for sharing more than just cleaning tips. ❤

Truthfully, I think this channel is so inspirational. I was on my way to work and just driving and decided to put this on just to break my usual thinking and worrying about life, and yeah, totally did the trick. So refreshing just even to listen to on the road.

I look at de-cluttering as " letting go of the ropes that bind us to the past". Keep treasures you LOVE and display them or let them go, so you're FREE to move forward in your life in a healthy way. My sister was a hoarder and even kept ALL wristbands she got from all her hospital stays and cancer treatments. She accumulated hundreds before she past away. When we were cleaning out her organized, cluttered home, we discovered that, aside from garbage, she saved EVERYTHING. It was depressing and emotional for our family to go threw it and donate most of it. It was like we were giving pieces of our beloved sister away. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS TO YOUR LOVED ONES.

I have been cleaning and organizing my office this morning. I lost my Husband almost 3 years ago and have found some things I can not face. I sat down to have lunch and this video popped up. Thank you, could not be better timing. I am jumping back in to get it done. ❤

Love this. It was so inspiring. "Everything has it's own timeline ". The best line in the video. I'm ready to do this! Thank you.

I love American “closets” which are actually like small rooms.

I recently went through this with an old pan. It was big, bulky, worn, and from 1973. But it was my mom's. I couldn't get rid of it for some reason even though I never used it, and honestly neither did she! She hated cooking. I told my husband to take it to the recycling bin for me and cried. Over a pan! But my mom wouldn't want me to cry and to mourn a pan she didn't even like to use. Thank you for this video

You're almost to a million subscribers!! So excited and happy for you!! ♥

This was so good! Thank you for sharing about the emotions you go through in trying to let go of sentimental items. I have a small bedroom I call my catch all room, and you can only imagine🤪❤️

Thank you so much, I needed this right now! I am going through an entire collection of crafted things I made as a child that reappeared while emptying the house I grew up in...and it's so emotional. But I don't have space for it and who's ever going to look at it again??...

Accidentally stumbling across a RU-vid video titled Swedish Death Cleaning is what started me on my decluttering journey. It was just after my 67th birthday, and I remember thinking “If I don’t do it, my daughter will have to, and that’s not right.”. I hope your video will inspire others.

Thank you for sharing this! After my husband's grandmother died, we bought the house and moved in as it was where he grew up and it was the main hub of all family holidays, alot of memories. We wanted to raise our family there too. After her children came in and dealt with the items that they wanted to keep we were left with the responsibility/burden of having to deal with and dispose of evrything that was left over. Which was the vast majority of it. An whole house and basement full of an entire lifetime of someone elses stuff, it took 2 large dumpsters the size of our drive way just to get rid of all the stuff that wasn't fit for donating. What we ended up with after that is still far too much. More of what we have sitting around is someone else's stuff, leaving not kuch room for our own things. We've been putting it off for a few years now but everytime I go near it I can feel the stress, anxienty and feeling of burden weighing on me and I just want to throw it all out. The emotional connection to some of it and the makes it difficult for both of us but it also feels overwhelming. Little by little I keep tackling it and getting rid of things, and finding a place for the items that will definitely stay. It's definitely a process but so worth it to do. Thank yiu for this! I will share this with my husband in the hopes that it helps him to let go of these things and hopefully we will both be better off without so much stuff just sitting around driving us crazy.

I gave this book to my mom as I've been helping her with this for years. It really helped her let things go and she is so much happier without it. Lots of it was emotional like we see her process.

Thank you for being so open & honest about what it's really going to be like to go through & get organized! 👏

This made me tear up and wish I had your energy. Depression and anxiety make it hard to face stuff like this.

I too hang on to things due to emotions. I have a really hard time getting rid of anything that was given to me especially by someone who has passed. I really needed this today. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you for being so real and helping me with what I know I have to do to move forward. 💜🙏🏾💜🙏🏾

I love that this is timely for me having lost my mom recently and being afraid to do something with her things that take up a whole bedroom in my house. I also love that you showed your emotions to us. Thank you for that and today, I will Swedish clean!

I love how honest she is being here, even confessing how her stuff is in his closet that she have forgotten about 🤣🤣🤣

Girl this is like a therapy session! We do hold on to things because of the emotional aspect of it and I know I do. Thanks for this

Thanks Kathryn. Realize I have kept stuff from when my Dad passed. Now caring for my Mom and have been trying to have her declutter. It is so emotional.❤❤❤

This made me feel so normal!! Every day I scroll through social media seeing what I think are picture perfect homes & I feel so down that MY home is not that way. Seeing your home made me realize that I am a normal person and I just need to organise every now and then, I don't need to be picture perfect. Thank you x

I cannot tell you how much I needed to hear this. We hold on to so many thing in our home, and our home has no space for it. I definitely want to apply this to a few closets and our spare room.

My mom just passed from covid, I needed to see this, I was bawling the whole time, I already have a room full of her things and I'm not done sorting her house out yet.

Kathryn, Thank you so very much for this video! I already “knew” the basic reasons for keeping unnecessary items but your charming, practical and emotional demonstration seemed to give me permission to do the same❣️ I’ve held onto things since my Mom died 5 years ago and succumbed to the mental inability to also dispose of my own unwanted items, as well. Both you and your husband are such good sports for sharing your own “purge”. Much love and gratitude for your help! 🙏🏼

I'm a minimalist...I needed this. To see your emotions when discussing your brothers items; I needed this. Thank you.

Omg, my brother passed away when i was pregnant with my first son, 8 years later with 3 sons now and we've gotten rid of almost nothing, i was full of fear of facing these decisions, this video was so helpful ❤

The lake house painting... That's one thing to KEEP definitely...

Last year I decluttered most of my apartment, sold and donated everything. What helps the most is that people are owning a home for the first time and don't want to buy expensive stuff and they go to FB Marketplace to buy the items. And yes, it is emotional to rid of albums, what I did was scanned all the pictures and saved them into a USB disk and made a backup disk in case. And bought a digital frame online, and gifted it to my sister for her wedding. She loved it! Now she owns a house for the first time, has a baby with Charles and they too used FB Marketplace to find items, except for their bed - they bought the king size bed at the furniture shop store. Thanks so much for the inspiring video! ❤🌲🌲☃️

That painting of a childhood lake house seems like a thing you’d want to keep no?

Decluttering while in the process of moving... This is an EMOTIONAL process

I 'm an active 67 year old. I've been married for 34 years but we have no children. I still save stuff as though we do! Cards, clippings, and other memorandum. When my mother died in 2009, I felt compelled to save many things she gave me. Plus, she passed on little things she saved from HER mother. By little things, I mean trinkets with no value except for memories. I'm getting to the stage where I now realize I have no one who really cares about what I'm saving. I have two younger brothers (they were both born in my late teens) who really don't care about my tiny hoard. Thanks for your wisdom! I asked my husband why I'm keeping cards from our wedding in 1985 and he laughed. I get it!

Gotta say the "It doesnt really make anybody happy" saying is *so* much more palatable than "Does it spark Joy?" caca-doodie. I have never looked a a clean pair of sox and felt joy. However I have been happy I had em when I needed them. I cant think of much in the way of STUFF that 'sparks joy,' but I am grateful to have the stuff that allows me to function. "Happy" is much more down-to-earth than "Joy." Joy is reserved for seeing your newborn Baby for the first time. Happy is every-day stuff like not being out of ice, or coffee. Great video!

I just came across this video at a time I really needed it. My house is starting to be cluttered with stuff. I live in a one bedroom and I know I'm holding on to too many things because of the people I have lost in my life. I know I need to let go and its starting to affect me mentally and I don't want it to affect my children. Seeing how real you were and how strong you are made me feel and realize its not just me and I too can let go. I now know and realize because my mom gave it to me because she didn't want it I don't have to hold on to it. I do have so many things that have memories but I know I need to move on. Thank you for making me see this and know it is a hard process but it can be done and the finish project I know will bring me joy. You are awesome a true inspiration. Thank you again. God bless you and please do not stop sharing what you do . 🙏 ❤

A real key to being organized and having a peaceful space is to be sure you actually have a designated place for everything you own. It's really handy and smart to keep a few extra bins, clear plastic lidded shoe boxes, small plastic baskets, etc in storage so you can grab a container when needed to keep everything as organized as it was the day you completed your 'big clean'.

This was so emotional. You are so right that we hold onto things because of emotional reasons. Thank you for sharing with us. Should have watched this later because you have me tearing up at work.

Yes! You always inspire me and that's what it takes to get me motivated and... YOU'VE done it once again. My home is shaping up, THANK YOU AGAIN !

I don't comment often, But your emotional vulnerability and authenticity about the emotional aspects of holding onto "stuff" really struck a chord. Thanks for this video