Kelly Brask, CPO®

If you’ve seen the phrase Swedish death cleaning pop up online and thought, Nope. Too morbid. Not today! I get it.

I’m a Certified Professional Organizer® (CPO®) who lived in Sweden for 22 years, and even I did a double take when the term started trending. But I was intrigued! Then I read the book and embraced the concept 100%. Swedish author Margareta Magnusson literally wrote the book on death cleaning: Döstädning – Ingen Sorglig Historia (and its English edition, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning). And yet, despite the name, it’s not about being gloomy. It’s about being kind.

I even had the chance to meet Margareta in Stockholm, and what struck me most was how practical and warm her approach is. Swedish death cleaning isn’t a dramatic purge. It’s a steady, intentional way of deciding what you want to keep and what you’re ready to let go of, so you can enjoy a simpler home now, and so your family can enjoy a simpler estate cleanout when you’re gone.

You don’t have to be moving, selling a home, or preparing for a major life transition to practice Swedish death cleaning. And you don’t have to be “old.”

In fact, practicing it before you “have to” can be one of the most helpful parts. You get to make decisions slowly, revisit items as your feelings change, and pass along meaningful things while you’re still here to tell the stories.

Below are practical ways to start—without turning your weekend into a grim marathon.

Make It a Conversation, Not a Secret Mission

If you live with other people, Swedish death cleaning works best when it’s not a surprise. You don’t need a big family meeting, but a simple heads-up can prevent misunderstandings:

• “I’m trying to simplify and be more intentional about what we keep.”
• “If there’s anything special you’d want someday, I’d rather talk about it now than leave it as a surprise later.”

Sometimes gently sharing your purpose can lead to meaningful discussions.

Start with the Easiest Category: Bulky and Obvious

Magnusson suggests starting with larger items. I agree. Big items create big visual (and emotional) relief. They also tend to be less sentimental than the small stuff.

Examples:

• extra furniture you’ve been “storing for later”
• exercise equipment you’re no longer using
• boxes of décor you don’t actually like
• kitchen gadgets you never reach for

The contents of your home should not taunt you for not using them! Letting go of aspirational furniture, equipment, and projects can be liberating. If you’re not sure where to begin, ask yourself:

If I moved tomorrow, would I pay to move this?

Do a “One Last Look” Pass through Momentos

Swedish death cleaning gives you the opportunity to reminisce without requiring you to keep everything forever.

Consider the collections you’ve kept because you might want to look at them one more time:

• Playbills
• Trophies
• Old letters and holiday cards
• Notes from courses you’ve taken (or even college!)

Give yourself permission to enjoy the memory, take a photo if you want to keep the story, and then decide whether the object still needs to live in your home.

Practice Offering, Not Inheriting-By-Default

One of the most rewarding parts of Swedish death cleaning is passing along treasures while you can. Instead of assuming someone will want an item “someday,” or waiting until your will designates a new owner, talk to your loved ones now.

A simple script:

• “I’m going through some things and thought of you. Would you want this, or should I find it another home?”

And here’s a key mindset shift: A loving offer is not an obligation. If they say no, that’s fine; accept the answer and remove the item from your home another way. And if they say yes, then you get to see their happiness in receiving it from you directly, while you’re still here!

Save Stories So the Meaning Doesn’t Get Lost

If an item is meaningful enough to keep, it’s meaningful enough to write down WHY it was kept. This doesn’t have to be complicated. A sticky note, an index card, or a short note tucked into a jewelry pouch can be enough. On the other hand, you can write and laminate the story or share this history in a video.

This way you’re not just organizing objects, you’re preserving context.

Create a “Permission Box” for Personal Keepsakes

Another one of Margareta’s practical tips: Create a box and label it “Throw away when I’m dead.”

I know, this sounds like it would hold something juicy! In reality, it’s usually just old concert tickets, calendars, newspaper clippings, and other personal memory scraps.

Why it works: It gives your family permission to toss the contents later, without guilt.

Revisit Items on Purpose (This Is a Process)

Swedish death cleaning is not a one-and-done decluttering spree. It’s a practice.

You might keep an old diary because you want to read it one more time. That’s fine. But the next time you come across it, you may realize you’re ready to let it go.

Progress can look like

• “not yet” becoming “not anymore”
• keeping fewer items from each category
• feeling calmer when you open a closet or drawer

The Bottom Line

Swedish death cleaning isn’t about obsessing over the end of life. It’s about taking responsibility for what you own, keeping what you truly value, and letting go of what’s in the way.

And you don’t have to be in a downsizing phase of life to begin.

In Memoriam: Margareta Magnusson

Note from editor: My all-time favorite organizing series is Peacock’s The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. Every episode is loaded with gems, and the process is beautifully executed by a designer, a professional organizer, and a psychologist. I promise it’s uplifting and heartwarming (even funny!), and you *will* be inspired to revisit some of what you’ve been holding onto.

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Meet the author, Kelly Brask, CPO®