It’s a record-breaking year for holiday travel. AAA reports that almost 120 million people will travel 50 miles or more to spend this holiday season with the people they love — that’s up 3 million from last year. If you’re one of those people traveling to spend to holidays with your parents or your partner’s parents, may we suggest doing a little Swedish death cleaning while you’re there?
No, it’s not as morbid as it sounds (and, if done right, it shouldn’t put a damper on your holiday spirit). Swedish death cleaning is actually a practical method that involves getting rid of things you don’t need anymore to make sure your family has less stuff to deal with after you’re gone. As the title suggests, this method was popularized in Sweden and it partly involves a step many Swedes take after they turn 60 — they give away (or sell) many of their possessions to people who are younger than them.
Swedish Death Cleaning is all about passing on items to your family members while you’re still here so you can tell them the history of the object and why you think they’re the perfect person to have it.
Psychologist and Swedish death cleaning expert, Katarina Blom shares practical tips for those of us who are looking to do a little Swedish Death Cleaning in the New Year.
Start Slow And Tread Lightly
Getting started with Swedish death cleaning (especially when you’re doing it with older parents or relatives) can feel daunting. Blom says that the best way to approach it is by being thoughtful, warm, and open to conversation. She says one way is to simply say: You have so many lovely things. Have you made a plan for what you would like to happen with them once you die?
“Some parents might be shocked, but I think if we give it time and keep asking this question every now and then, they will probably open up,” Blom says. “And I’m pretty sure that some parents will feel relieved that their child or their friend is bringing the subject up because maybe they have had this worry.”
Tackle The Messiest Room First
When starting the process of Swedish Death Cleaning, it can be hard to know where to start. If you start with the wrong room, you may end up having mental fatigue from the sheer number of decisions you’re forced to make. Blom suggests starting with a basement or an attic, “because there we often have a lot of obvious trash, and it’s always good to start with the obvious trash because it’s like an easy win.”
From there, she suggests creating a “sorting station,” which is basically just a table where you can lay everything out. “One pile is things that are supposed to leave the house; maybe to other relatives, to friends, or to charity. Then you have obvious trash and then you might have things that you want to upcycle, things that you want to give to the tailor, or things that you want to mend yourself,” Blom says.
Ask Yourself: What Is The Purpose Of My Home?
Finally, Blom suggests taking time to evaluate what the purpose of your home is (Hint: it may change every few years). Are you a new mom who needs your home to be baby-friendly? Are you an empty nester who wants to have friends over for dinner once a week? Or do you travel a lot and frequently rent your home?
If every time you’re home you’re thinking about things that need to be sorted, put away, or get done, it’ll never truly feel like a home. “And I think we all deserve to have a home where we can feel at ease, where we can feel completely relaxed, and where we can feel safe,” Blom says.
Bottom Line: Swedish Death Cleaning Can Be A Life-Affirming Experience
Swedish death cleaning may sound heavy, but it’s actually a thoughtful way to lighten your life. When getting started, it’s helpful to ease into the process with open and honest conversations, start decluttering in rooms with obvious junk (like the basement), and create a sorting station to organize donations, keepsakes, and things to repair.
The ultimate goal? To create a home that reflects your current stage of life — whether it’s baby-proofing for new parenthood, simplifying for empty nesting, or curating for a stress-free life. Swedish death cleaning isn’t just practical; it’s a heartfelt way to ensure your legacy lives on in a meaningful way.
More On Hermoney:
- 5 Surfaces You Need To Clean Now To Be More Productive
- HerMoney Podcast Episode 299: Turn Your Clutter Into Cash
- Clearing Clutter From Your Financial Life: A How-To Guide
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