I've been doing this for years, but didn't know there was a book about about it. My husband died suddenly in his early 50s, 20 years ago, and beyond the grief and shock of that it took me another two years to get rid of his mountain of stuff and settle his estate. There was no one else to help me with all this except my lawyer, who did as little work as he could get away with. So, at 71, I'm making sure my brother and sister in law don't go through all that when the time comes.
Thank You, Margareta for your insights and thoughts on the inevitable - We All Die! It's transformed my elderly body into action to enjoy going through boxes, piles and bags of that only appeal to me, but saved the really important stuff that our heirs will cherish in decades to come. The mountains of old photos were the worst.
I laugh every time I hear it (and think about our home...)! I wish my wife thought that the crap level in our house was terrible! I've tried to get her to read the book, but she won't.
i wish my parents had been able to even talk about death... my father has now passed and my mother has been in a retirement home for almost a year. Cleaning out their condo from a lifetime of accumulated stuff was a nightmare. I have promised my kids they will not need to do that for me.
It is good to hear Margareta Magnusson talking about Swedish death-cleaning. - So many of the RU-vid videos are of young women, and those of us much nearer Margarita’s age have a rather different perspective! I declutter fairly regularly and love all the trips to the dump, but still have an awful lot of stuff that I wouldn’t wish upon our children. The idea of a box marked “Private, to be thrown away” is brilliant. At my age it’s important to be a bit more ruthless! However, what do you do when you have a partner who is incapable of throwing away anything at all? At least he has a “workroom” where most of his stuff is piled, jars of rusty nails, multiple pairs of scissors and pencils, bits of metal whose function I have no idea about, as well as good tools mixed in with a load of old, blunt or useless tools. He still collects feathers, stones, even discarded toys he finds by the roadside (primary school nature table syndrome!). Once he brought home an apparently new Pooh bear, perhaps thrown from a car? Everything is gathering ever more dust. He doesn’t seem to care that this will all be a burden for our two children, time and energy consuming, particularly for one of them, who lives the other end of the country. He says “I’ll be dead, I don’t care” … Even if it’s from a deep-rooted insecurity, a question of identity, it’s thoughtless and selfish. Does Margareta Magnusson have a solution?
My husband is not too bad, but Marie Kondo says to focus on your own clutter, and what sparks joy for you. In time others may or may not come around. Release your expectations of your husband as you release your clutter. Joshua Fields Millburn's question to ask yourself is, would you replace it if it spontaneously combusted. And Margareta's question of who would be sad if you got rid of this item. Good luck.
I need to get rid of so much, we are retiring and want to travel and possibly sell our family home. But, the idea of death cleaning really hit home. Thanks for the motivation!
I paid to have my apartment of 24 years cleared out, and I gave away the food preps etc. and at 79, I moved to the beautiful, safe and clean Queretaro, Mexico. I had always Rubber maid my things, so it was an easy clear out.
In 2001 we moved into my husband's Grandparents home. Then in a few years both of our parents and grandparents were gone. Fast forward to 2018. I opened a closet after the kids moved out. The STUFF was overwhelming. I have been selling, donating and getting rid of so much stuff. Now, we are completely debt free. We defintely are careful of each purchase. Thinking about where is it going to go. Another PLUS. Our house smells better and looks better. It is easier to clean. It will take you some time but it is so worth doing this! You can do this! One day at a time.❤
When my in-laws went into an assisted living apartment we had to clear 50 plus years of accumulation from the house before it was sold. My husband kept telling his sister that these were their parents memories, not theirs. It helped in clearing items that if they weren't important enough to take to the apartment, no need for us to keep them.
My book arrived a few days ago. I’m 50 and I’ve inherited my mother’s world to which I’ve added mine, my child’s and my partner’s possessions. I am death cleaning like the grim reaper now.
I saw my first video using this method and when I finished watching it I went and tossed away cups and glasses that I have no need for. I also tossed vases for flowers. I kept 2 and threw the other 8 away. I craft so my death stash are my craft supplies. I realize it is what I love to do but I will apply Swedish Death Cleaning tactics to the stuff I have not touched in years. Loved listening to Ms. Magnusson. On another note I have spent several summers in Stockholm and wherever we have rented, most of the places are well laid out but there is always that one room or closet where it is like the land of lost time and filled with stuff so not sure all Swedes follow this principle.
Read this book, was so inspiring. Re read it, highlighted parts of it and am in the process of decluttering, letting go, for those after me. Many thanks
You know what, all those kitschy vintage china animals that I have collected bring me happiness. I look at them and I like them and I think how much fun it was to unexpectedly find them at a flea market or whatever. She'd die - luckily she'd have death cleaned her place, so she could depart easily - if she saw my apt. I have prints and paintings and gilt mirrors all over my living room. Guess what, I like them! It's what the Victorians used to do. Who the hell cares about what will happen after you kick the bucket. My friends and sister want my stuff anyway! If they don't want it, they can leave it on the curb and here in NYC you can bet someone will find it and like it and think how lucky it was that they found this great thing on the street! (How do you think I got half the things I own anyway?!! Haha. You wouldn't believe what you can find on the street in NYC.)
Well, it is not about getting rid of things you love and bring you joy. It is about getting rid of the excess. The things that lie in basements and are hidden in cabinets that you never use and maybe even don't remember you have anymore. I think it is nice to think about the people who stay behind when you pass on. There is nothing worse than going through a household of stuff after someone passes away. It adds to the grief and stress.
Almost everything I had was stolen from my home. I watched this video as I am still trying to deal with it. In a way someone I don’t know death cleaned for me I guess. 😂
I wouldn't take heirlooms from my family because I knew it was just more accumulated stuff. There are very few treasures in life, and you can't take them with you. If you are lucky....you have memories.
I love decluttering and organizing stuff, so I will have no problem take care of my parents stuff when they die. I like it so much I would willingly have it as my job to clean out other peoples' homes... as long as it isn't dirty and disgusting of course :)
Hello Sir or Madam ~ My name is Wei. I run a RU-vid channel and wanna introduce The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning to my audience. May I please use some parts of this video in my video?
I gave myself permission to throw things out from my own home, when I helped a cousin clear put her parents home. We didn’t sift carefully through stuff, we hurled it onto several skips. I imagine that my children will do the same with my stuff, so out it goes.
i have a feeling she lives in a small flat, so it's probably not that much stuff compared to a whole house. Her storage unit was empty except for a bike . . . .
I didn’t know what I did for my parents was called “death cleaning”. I did it when they were in a bout of bad health with lots of emergencies. It felt like death to me, dealing with mountains of things that hadn’t been used for decades, it was hell over 3 months. I literally feared for my own life as I cleaned away the decades of clutter and mold and what-nots😅 Please don’t do this to your kids
I like to live by the rule if I bring something home , I get rid of something . I donate a lot to the Goodwill . When I shop there they ask if I want to round up my change to help their mission . My response is no , because I have donated so much , they should pay me !!!
I'm sick to death(lol) of hearing that everyone over a certain age should throw away their stuff...just so that beneficiaries can waltz in, sell the house, and collect their inheritance easily!! Mustn't be a problem for anyone must we! I understand if you've hoarded tons- that's difficult for your children, but a normal amount of stuff is OK to keep! Sorting out relatives houses after death is part of life. For goodness sake
Space clearing is a better concept. If something in your home is beautiful for you and you live in harmony with it you should not have to remove it from your life just because it may cause a problem for your family when you die. Mother Teresa only owned one spare habit and a mirror and a comb and her beloved bible. She was happy. I shall continue to declutter but not to please anyone but myself. I have no family so my friends will be free to select anything they want and I will be happy that someone benefits.
Kenny Corris Mother Teresa had loads of bank accounts all over the world ( not all of them have been located ) and when she needed surgery she paid for the best out of those donations. At her so called clinics the same needle was used over and over for all and sundry. She told her patients God loved their pain, pain is good, offer it up, or words to that effect. A CON ARTIST she was. You really need to read up on her and not swallow all the hype IMHO. :)
