The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta  Magnusson                     Audio Book:  2 hours,  37 mins.      Hardback Book:  128 pages                 

What an interesting take on de-cluttering.   Something everyone should consider at some point in their life – going through your living space and sorting, organizing and decluttering so that at your demise, someone else doesn’t get stuck with a big job of clearing your house out with no idea what your wishes for your things might be and so they aren’t stuck with floor to ceiling clutter that is thrust upon them while they are either mourning your passing or cursing your soul for leaving them with a boat load of cleanup chores and trash to clear out of your house.   When I saw the title of this book, I had to read it and it is a pleasant book not a dark one.   It is a very real issue that is addressed with class, care and realistic tips.       The author has done death cleaning a few times in her life, after both of her parents’ passings ., after her husband’s death after a prolonged illness and then after her mother-in-law’s death.    It gave her the idea that she should go through her own things since she was 78 at the time.    Why put that chore off on someone else?   Decide which of your possessions you really use and really want, which ones are really just taking up space that you keep passing over or ignoring their presence  until the day someone else is forced to deal with the accumulation of your piles of your lifetime of stuff.     There are photos and gifts you received whether you like them or not, there are clothes you wear and those you don’t but you didn’t return them so they are just there.    She laughs remembering when her mother died finding hidden among a pile of clean sheets at the back of a linen cupboard a pack of cigarettes.   Her mother’s guilty secret that no one in the house ever knew about – her mother was a closet smoker!   Her father was very against smoking so her mother had to hide it.   The author also has a chapter on dealing with possessions you might not want someone else to discover in your home after your death – she lists some hilarious things that folks would definetly die of embarrassment if someone else found if they weren’t already dead.   I would disclose the items mentioned, but, this is a family blog so I will leave that to your imaginiation until you read the book for yourself.    She offers suggestions on what to do with your things now and to let others know about it, either discuss it with them, email them if you feel its too hard to openly talk about, but do put your wishes in writing so folks know your preference whether Aunt Susie gets the china or if you have earmarked it to go to your granddaughter.     The author suggests downsizing your things and your house to make life easier for yourself as you get older.   She personally went from a 3 bedroom house to a 2 room apartment and she is in her 80s.     She gave carte blanche to her kids first to come and take their pick of the stuff she could do without then donated, sold or tossed in the trash the things they did not want.     She took only what she needed to get by in her remaining years and just a few loved items and finds life so much simpler not having all those esxtra rooms to clean or dishes to wash, etc.    At one time she had a complete dinner service for 16 people but now she only has room for 6 at her table so that is all the plates, cups, glasses, silverware etc. she keeps.     Much of the furniture and gardening tools that were in the shed in her yard the new owners of her house asked for, so, that saved her trying to get rid of the leftover furniture, etc. her kids did not want as they are all grown with their own grandchildren, so, all the stuff no one in the family wanted that wasn’t sold or donated became the property of the new owners of her house.   She also adds that when you give something away release it.   It now becomes the sole property of the person you gave it to and when they no longer want or need it they are free to pass it on to whomever they choose or dispose of it as they choose – don’t hold on to property rights once you release a thing to someone else.   Relinquish ownership.    It is a very good book I am so happy I read it.    I highly recommend this book to everyone.    A good wake up call to go through our things now so our wishes for our property can be realized not to mention doing a kindness for those left behind to clean up after us once we are gone from this life.    Truly no one is promised tomorrow – so do your (death) cleaning today and be ahead of the game – stop sibling squabbles ( I want that, no, I want that!),  where are all the insurance papers?  (Make a file – in the event of my death – here are the important papers you need, here are bank account numbers, etc.)     So many great ideas here that we often tend to not think about until we have to then it is utter chaos because we didn’t take the time to have the discussions and find out what we needed to know beforehand.    Excellent book.