There might be a lot of different ways of decluttering, yet the most responsible way is Swedish Death Cleaning. It’s a lot less gloomy than it sounds… Although the motive behind is not about keeping items that “spark joy”, it has a bigger and more meaningful rationale.

What is Death Cleaning?

Death cleaning refers to a Swedish decluttering methodology known as döstädning, popularized by a charming Swedish lady named Margareta Magnusson, whose age falls somewhere between 80 and 100, as she prefers not to disclose it. In an interview (which is available for viewing below), Margareta shares that,

“Generally, people have too many things in their homes.”

and that,

“One day, when you’re not around anymore, your family will have to take care of your stuff. I don’t think that’s fair, really.”

which rings very true to me as a life and retirement planner - I plan people’s lives from their days of living to death, their funerals, and beyond (successions), according to what they really want in their hearts. I have processed death claims for people’s sudden passing and witnessed how traumatic it is for the person’s family to go through his/her stuff while they are emotionally unstable. In my view, death cleaning applies to tangible items and also intangible ones such as investment products and other overseas assets.

“Death cleaning to me is for LIFE… for LIVING INTENTIONALLY and MINDFULLY.” ~ Grace Chan

Margareta has written a book entitled "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Liberate Yourself and Your Loved Ones from a Lifetime of Accumulated Clutter." Within the book, she shares her personal experience of decluttering the belongings of her parents, in-laws, and husband following their passing. Overwhelmed by the task of handling their possessions, she resolved to proactively declutter her own belongings while still alive, aiming to spare her five children from the burden when she passes away.

*The idea of death cleaning is to be responsible for our own possessions. Decide what to keep and pass on while we are still alive.*

What Death Cleaning Is NOT

Death Cleaning shares similarities with Marie Kondo's "Life-Changing Magic of Cleaning Up," but it also stands apart in significant ways. While Marie Kondo advises keeping items that “spark joy” and discarding the rest through donation or disposal, Margareta's approach to decluttering a lifetime's worth of possessions places greater emphasis on open communication with loved ones and gifting cherished items to them while still alive.

THE BENEFITS

The biggest benefit of death cleaning is that it encourages open discussions surrounding death, dying, and the material possessions associated with it. The reality is that death is an inevitable part of life; while nobody knows the exact timing, it is important to communicate our final wishes to others before we pass away, to avoid leaving them in doubt regarding our true intentions.

Moreover, death cleaning means decluttering too, freeing up more space in your home, ultimately letting you enjoy it more. Studies have even suggested that possessing an excessive amount of belongings contributes to stress, so the act of decluttering is potentially beneficial for extending your life!

Furthermore, you’ll feel the true joy of seeing your loved ones use and enjoy your possessions while you are still alive. For example, my mom passed on some vintage brooches and jewellery to me a few years ago which I adore! Every time I wear them, she also spots them - I can tell it puts a smile on her face that I treasure them.

You can also take the opportunity to effectively address the potential issue of loved ones contending over your estate after your passing, which brings more harmony to the family.

WHEN SHOULD WE START?

Margareta suggests starting the process of death cleaning once you start thinking about your own mortality. However, the timing will vary from person to person. Some people may have started thinking about their death for quite some time (like myself), in which case we will need an earlier start to the death-cleaning process.

WHERE TO START

I would suggest starting with the tangible stuff at home first and then moving on to intangible assets like your investment accounts, insurance, etc. And then have a plan for everything in between, like financial instructions for when you might be sick in bed with dementia (Enduring Power of Attorney), your funeral design and finances, your company’s voting rights and share transfer rules…etc, which I will discuss further in a separate post as each of these needs a fare bit of explanation.

START NOW AND ENJOY THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

To conclude, it’s best to start death cleaning as soon as possible and communicate your wishes with your loved ones when you are still here, alive. I’ve started mine for a few months and to be honest, it can be quite difficult at first as you might give yourself a guilt-trip going through all the junk accumulated for the past decades. But once you get the momentum going, and start communicating openly on things you want to pass on, it’s rather liberating - this feeling is undescribable as so far no other cleaning methods can offer.

Happy Death Cleaning folks! This might be the new “minimalism”… I wish you joy in this process and be sure to make it as heart-aligned as possible!

Supplementary to this article:

Margareta’s interview about Death Cleaning

Death Cleaning: When Should You Start?