Latest news with #SwedishDeathCleaning
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- General
- Extra.ie
What is Swedish death cleaning? It's not as morbid as it sounds
So we all like to think we keep an orderly house, everything in its place and a place for everything? But what if you died tomorrow? Would your loved ones know where to start sorting out your belongings if you passed on unexpectedly? Well, a concept known as Swedish Death Cleaning promises to show us all how to leave a tidy house and home, and save a lot of trouble for those we leave behind. Pic: Shutterstock But what is it all about, and how do we learn how to do it? The general rule of thumb is that people in their late middle age, and for now we are going to call this late 50s to 60s, need to start getting rid of all that stuff they are keeping for no good reason, except maybe sentimentality. And let's face it, the kids probably don't want your concert tickets from Slane 1986 or your old love letters (God forbid). Time to open up the attic and get to work Pic: Shutterstock Hire a skip and get ruthless with the crap that you have been storing for decades. Margareta Magnusson, author of the book 'The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning' advises everyone to 'Visit your storage areas and start pulling out what's there, because who do you think will take care of all of that when you are no longer here?' 'Plus, you'll be able to better enjoy your life when you have less mess and clutter to deal with.' In Swedish, the exercise is döstädning — a combination of the word 'dö' (which means death) and 'städning' (which means cleaning), she explains in the book. Pic: Shutterstock 'Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up, it is about a permanent form of organisation that makes your everyday life run more smoothly,' she explains. And you may even find the process itself enjoyable, she adds. 'It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth'. So do your kids a favour, get up into that attic, drag out the boxes of old love letters, ticket stubs, scrapbooks and memorabilia and get ruthless. Your loved ones will thank you for it.
New York Times
26-04-2025
- General
- New York Times
2 Books for Cluttered Minds
Image Credit... Joel Saget/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Dear readers, I moved apartments recently, a task that made me sorely wish I had added even the breeziest treatise on D.I.Y. organizing to my reading list. How had the 'life-changing magic' of decluttering so thoroughly passed me by? Perhaps one of those neat, cheerful manifestoes from Scandinavia or Japan could have taught me something about writing more tidily, too. In that arena, alas, as in home decor, minimalism is generally not my bag. Give me a lily and I will gild it; sing me a song of semicolons and fat, flamboyant sentences that wrap around corners like overgrown houseplants. Let my windy paragraphs, like my kitchen-drawer hoard of expired Covid tests and obsolete technologies (hello again, sweet BlackBerry), run free! In the cold light of a moving truck I eventually found some fortitude, consigning piles of personal flotsam and unread periodicals to the curb. Still, all actual houseplants survived the purge, and so did the works of two authors whose prose style evokes its own whiff of Swedish Death Cleaning: direct, purposeful, shorn of sentiment and curlicues. I like to think they both have gorgeous living rooms. — Leah Nonfiction, 1988 Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Globe and Mail
20-02-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Swedish death cleaning and the art of decluttering before you die
Andrea Halford, centre, looks through photo albums with her stepfather, Paul, and mother, Katharine, in their Hamilton home on Feb. 17. Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail When Andrea Halford's father passed away suddenly eight years ago, she found herself not only grieving but also overwhelmed by the sheer volume of belongings he left behind. His four-bedroom home was packed with piles of furniture, over 80 photo albums, a collection of more than 100 elephant figurines in various forms, and much more. 'There was so much stuff that I didn't know what to do with,' said Ms. Halford, now 40. 'I didn't want to get rid of anything. I was very attached emotionally to all the things.' Watching her struggle, her 74-year-old stepfather, Paul Charles, and her mother, Katharine Edmonds, 76, realized they didn't want to leave her with that same burden again when they pass away. In their own home, they saw the cat-scratched dining room table, drawers filled with silverware and countless other things they no longer needed. Slowly, they began getting rid of items. This practice – clearing out possessions to ease the burden on loved ones after death – has a name: Swedish death cleaning. While it could be seen simply as a thorough spring cleaning, experts say it can be a crucial part of estate planning. Andrea's father died suddenly eight years ago, and she was left to deal with all of his belongings in his home, including many photo albums. Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail Rooted in Swedish culture, this decluttering approach encourages people to sort through their belongings, keeping only what's meaningful or useful and ensuring their heirs aren't left to deal with a houseful of unwanted items. The concept was popularized by Margareta Magnusson in her 2017 book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, which made its way onto several bestseller lists, including The New York Times. It's important, in particular, for those in or about to reach their retirement years who have accumulated a lifetime of possessions, said Julie Witherell, a professional organizer and owner of Julie's Organizing Services in Halifax. Ms. Witherell has seen firsthand the difficulties that families face. 'A lot of people are afraid to get rid of things that belonged to a loved member that passed away because they feel like that person is a part of that object,' she said. 'They feel like they're throwing that person out in a way.' Ms. Halford couldn't get rid of most of her father's things for five years after he died. She would look at his couch and remember their conversations, flip through photo albums, and feel unable to move forward. 'I was stuck thinking the objects were the memories,' she said. The Halfords have since adopted the philosophy of Swedish Death Cleaning, a method of decluttering and organizing belongings to lessen the burden on loved ones after you've passed. Nick Iwanyshyn/The Globe and Mail Leaving too many belongings behind can actually stunt loved ones' grieving process, trapping people in an emotional attachment to objects, Ms. Witherell said. Donna Diebel, 63, had a similar realization after a visit to Sunday mass. She recalls the priest asking, 'If you were to pass today, what might your kids want of yours?' Curious, she asked her two daughters, both in their mid-30s. One replied, 'Nothing,' and the other said, 'Maybe the table.' 'At that point, I realized – no one wants any of this,' Ms. Diebel said. Now, she declutters regularly, sorting items into three bins: keep, donate, toss. 'If I were to pass ... one less thing for my daughters to worry about is how much stuff I got,' Ms. Diebel said. Elaine Birchall, a counsellor with expertise in hoarding behaviour and the founder of Ottawa-based Birchall Consulting, works with clients in Canada and abroad. She suggests starting small with decluttering: set a 15-minute timer and sort through as much as possible. When you feel up to it, add another 15 minutes and repeat. It's also important to have open conversations with your children about what they would want to keep, Ms. Witherell said. Mr. Charles did this with stepdaughter, marking the few sentimental items belonging to him and her mother that she wanted, while also identifying valuables, like a painting, that she could sell in the future. Swedish death cleaning can also play a major role in estate planning, Ms. Witherell said. Many of the cases she handles involve wills that don't specify which heir should receive certain items, often leading to conflict during an already difficult time. By incorporating Swedish death cleaning, individuals can create a clear, itemized list of assets and explicitly state in their will who will inherit them. Ms. Witherell has noticed a common theme among her clients after they embrace Swedish death cleaning: a sense of relief. 'It helps to declutter not just their home, but their mind,' she said. 'Their lives feel like they have more joy, more peace and more intention to focus on the things that really matter.'
