The Swedish Art of ‘Death Cleaning’: A Tidier Way to Face the Grim Reaper
Ah, the Swedes! They’re not just masters of furniture assembly with their particle board and Allen wrenches; they’ve also turned tidying up into a full-fledged life philosophy! Forget Marie Kondo for a second; meet Margaret Magnusson, who advocates the Scandinavian approach to handling your belongings before the grim reaper knocks. They call it death feeding—and it’s not nearly as grim as it sounds. Turns out, it’s more about giving your family less junk to trip over when you kick the bucket!
In her book, The Swedish Art of Tidying Up Before You Die, Magnusson isn’t just preaching; she’s practically yelling, “For the love of IKEA, don’t leave a mountain of shambles behind!” After all, what could be more embarrassing in the afterlife than having your family fumigate the attic? She explains that by decluttering, we can spare our loved ones the burden of dealing with our accumulated “treasures.” And let’s be honest, who wants their legacy to be a collection of novelty socks and expired coupons?
Why ‘Death Cleaning’ Makes Sense
“One day when you’re no longer here,” Magnusson rightly points out, “your family is going to have to take care of all your things, and I don’t think that’s fair.” It’s true! Imagine your kids fighting over your collection of expired takeout menus—hardly the sentimental keepsakes you envisioned! Accumulating possessions is an addiction for many, and like all good habits gone bad, this one needs intervention.
Now, let’s chat about the task itself—it’s not all heart-eye emojis and nostalgic moments. Magnusson acknowledges that taking a good hard look at our possessions can stir up emotions more chaotic than a toddler in a candy store. You’ve got to sift through memories—good and bad—like a sadistic archaeologist digging through emotional rubble. But she reminds us that while we might cling to our “stuff,” getting rid of what no longer serves us can be liberating!
Getting Down to Business
So how do you start this wonderfully morbid pursuit? Magnusson suggests tackling those hidden corners—attics, basements, or that closet you’ve designated as a portal to Narnia. Start big! Furniture first, followed by clothes that evoke both joy and dread. And if you find your 1980s high school prom dress just hanging there like an awkward ghost? Toss it! You don’t want your kids to relive your fashion choices for eternity.
As for personal items, think of setting up a “do not open” box for those sentimental relics that only mean something to you. Put a trusted person’s name on it, preferably someone who loves you enough to not open Pandora’s emotional box. Also, consider investing in a shredder! Your secrets deserve a dignified exit too, even if they involve more embarrassing moments than you’d like to recall.
Timing is Everything
Magnusson advises starting this clean-up process at the ripe age of 65, but let’s be real; any time before your last birthday would be acceptable. “Start early, before you’re too old and weak to do it,” which, to be fair, sounds like solid advice and not just your grandma nagging you about your clutter. Because trust me, it’s much easier to be proactive about decluttering than reactive when everyone’s in the midst of your “estate sale” nightmares!
A Difficult Conversation
The best part? Raising the topic with your parents can feel as awkward as discussing their love life. Still, Magnusson encourages these tough conversations. After all, it’s better to broach it sooner rather than deal with the familial chaos that ensues when they shuffle off this mortal coil, leaving a path of unclear ownership of porcelain cat figurines in their wake!
In closing, whether you’re Swedish or not, it seems like a worthwhile endeavor to embrace this concept of death cleaning. By taking charge of your belongings before they’re thrust upon your unsuspecting heirloom-holding children, you’ll remain the beloved, organized family member in their memories. And hey, fewer items left behind means more room for their own clutter. Everyone wins!
Remember: “It’s never too early. It’s only too late when you’re already dead!” Words to live by, or at the very least, to live with a neatly organized closet.
The Swedes, however, seem to have found a very pragmatic way of dealing with this situation: They organize and get rid of most of their belongings before the grim reaper knocks on their door.. It is a practice named death feeding –a relatively recent term to name an ancient custom – which combines the word die (death) and cleaning (cleanliness or order).
This “cleaning before death” consists of getting rid of everything unnecessary before leaving this world. A practice that the nonagenarian Swedish artist Margaret Magnusson explains in detail in “The Swedish art of tidying up before you die” (Reservoir Books, 2017). Basically, “the idea is not to leave a bunch of garbage behind when you die. Garbage that other people will have to take care of,” Magnusson explained to BBC Mundo. “In this consumerist culture we live in, death feeding It’s a way to help those you leave behind,” he added.
What you don’t solve in life, will be left to your family or friends.Getty Images
It is an idea so simple that one would say it requires no explanation, if it weren’t for the fact that more than one person’s death left them with a mountain of unresolved problems, things to organize, as well as infinite grief. “One day when you’re no longer here, your family is going to have to take care of all your things and I don’t think that’s fair.“Magnusson explained in a video he recorded with his daughter. “Think about your favorite people. Do you want to put all your trash in their laps. And think about all your favorite things: should they end up in a bin?” he told BBC Mundo.
“I had to tidy up so many times after someone else died, that I wouldn’t even force anyone to do it after my death,” added the author, who once had to take care of what her father, mother and husband left behind. dead.
Even so, the artist recognizes that the process is not easy for everyone. “Taking inventory of all our old belongings, remembering the last time we used them, and saying goodbye to some is not an easy task for many of us. People tend to accumulate things more than throw them away.“he wrote in his book.
But she admits that she is always doing this type of cleaning, because she likes “to have everything nice around and maintain a certain order.” “I enjoyed going back over my memories, my life. Giving things to my grandchildren and my children. “I don’t see it as something sad,” he says, “but more as a relief.”“he reflected.
Let’s get to work
If this Nordic concept appeals to you and you think it might be useful to you, Magnusson has several suggestions on how to approach the task. First of all, start by seeing what things you have in the attic or basement or in the hall closets. That is, in the places that are not visible and where things of little use tend to end up, those that you don’t know what to do with and that perhaps you don’t even remember that you have.
You can also think of a younger family member or friend, to whom you can give things that no longer serve you and that will be wonderful for them.
His book has already been translated into Spanish.Alexander Mahmoud
“Start with the big things. Tables, chairs, furniture. Then move on to smaller things like clothes or pots and pans,” he told BBC Mundo. Regarding clothing, he maintains that the ideal is have a wardrobe with only what we like to wearwith garments that can be combined with each other, where one could go almost with their eyes closed and always leave well dressed. Proof of this are the majority of the photos you see of her on the internet, in which she always wears plain pants and an invariable striped t-shirt.
The items that only concern you, such as souvenirsletters, diaries or intimate photos, you can keep them in a box labeled with the name of someone you trust, and with clear instructions to get rid of it without inspecting its contents. He also recommends getting a paper shredder to destroy very private documents that could be harmful or simply unnecessary.
Of equal importance are the unresolved problems or situations with friends and family: It’s a good idea to try to clear them up before it’s too late.
You can leave the keys to access web pages and digital accounts written down somewhere to facilitate the procedures for those who stay, he said. And, finally, you can dedicate yourself to organizing (or discarding) the photos and memories. That’s always better leave it for last“because otherwise you will be trapped in the trunk of memories and you will not be able to do anything,” he explained. It is best to do it alone since the objective is precisely not to overload others.
difficult conversation
What is the ideal time to tackle this task? “If you are in the final stretch, don’t wait too long…” wrote the artist. He suggested at least starting at age 65, but in reality he believes it is best is to start as soon as possible.
“Start early, before you’re too old and weak to do it,” said Magnusson, who says he does a little bit every day. “It’s never too early. It’s only too late when you’re already dead“he commented to BBC Mundo.
Magnusson has a wardrobe full of matching clothes.Alexander Mahmoud
“You won’t regret it, nor will your loved ones,” he said. And if we are not thinking about ourselves but about our parents, Magnusson suggests having that talk with them at some point. “Of course it’s not easy, but I think if you don’t do it when they’re alive, then it will be hell for you later,” he explained.
“You have to be a little rude and maybe you can go with them to the basement or the attic and ask them what they want to do with this or that, and if you can help them reduce their belongings. I don’t think they will get angry about it,” Magnusson concluded.
By Laura Plitt
