I Tried Swedish Death Cleaning and It's Brilliant
151K views · May 25, 2026 · Howto & Style
Comments · 373
@PaulaHeartland · 2 months ago
My Mom in 1985, who just happened to be of Swedish descent, left me her two bedroom and one bath apartment completely removed of extraneous belongings. She had four drinking glasses, plates,cups, bowls, two sets of towels, two sets of sheets and all of her furniture free of clutter. Her closet had only clothes she loved to wear. All her bills were paid in full. It only took one day for my friends and I close up her apartment. I have always felt it was her last love gift to me.❤
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@MrsJohn2018 · 4 months ago
"Death is inevitable, but the burden we leave behind is completely optional." Wow.
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@Eila-i3c · 3 months ago
It's not death cleaning - it's LIFE cleaning❤
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@lisastillittano3347 · 4 months ago
I just finished after a 5 month and 3 week Swedish Death Cleaning. It is liberating! I retired in Dec 2025. This even included paperwork and phone apps. The shocking part was I am a true minimalist and have been for decades, and it still took this long. The time to also donate, trash, consign, and even go to auction took a lot of energy to make sure things got rehomed or tossed. Now I am in the phase of "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, and then do without!"
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@Barnemans55 · 2 months ago
I started renovating my home six years ago. I was 64 at the time and knew that, given my age, waiting was no longer an option.<br>I also got rid of all the unnecessary items so that my children wouldn't get stuck with the clutter later on. I’m hearing about "death cleaning" for the first time now, but I’ve actually already done it myself. <br><br>I also bought a notebook that contains all the information they will need if I die, including the enormous amounts of passwords and usernames for all accounts and apps.<br><br>The title of the notebook is: Sorry it's your problem now (because I'm dead).
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@MrsMementoMary · 2 months ago
Saint Basil the Great said, "The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor." 🙏❤️
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@sillylilysallykaye4917 · 3 months ago
When I had to deal with this after my 94 y/o mom passed, I hired an estate sale company. There was so much stuff. I simply couldn't cope. They made 35% of entire sale & it was sooo worth it to me as an only child. Thousands of $ were made & I got the sentimental items I truly wanted, without the overwhelming stress. Those folks saved my sanity.
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@Grlnuerongir · 4 months ago
I’m going through my great-aunt’s house now. She kept EVERYTHING from her well-lived 94 years and it is overwhelming!
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@simonelara2850 · 3 months ago
I am a crafter and art school graduate so you can imagine the amount of art supplies I have accumulated over the years. When I decided to downsize my art supplies, I really was honest about the projects I wanted to pursue and others that just remained a curiosity. I donated my gently used or unused supplies back to my art school for low-income students to offset the cost.
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@SummaGirl1347 · 4 months ago (edited)
A lot of people don’t realize how much money estate liquidation costs. My father (a narcissist who actually believed he would outlive his children) left no will. The probate process and the subsequent liquidation of his estate cost us thousands, hundreds of hours, and unrelenting stress for almost three years. It’s a nightmare.
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@Squister1 · 4 months ago
Cleaning out my hoarder late father in law's house was the most heartbreaking experience I have ever had. Everything was tossed together: heirlooms with rotting garbage and rodent debris floor to ceiling! We had no idea he was so unwell, his cheery disposition and generous nature kept the whole family in the dark about his horrible living conditions. My stuff isn't even close to that bad, but I learned that I NEVER want to burden my family with that kind of stress of trying to figure out what was actually important from what was just stuff. The anguish over every little things multiplied by 1 million things was horrible when all you want to do is grieve.
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@dawnwilson8017 · 4 months ago
At 63 I developed a sever autoimmune disease and had to leave my job. I really needed to make my life easier. I’ve been decluttering a lot! The more I purge the better I feel. My life changed, the things around me also need to change. Perfect video. Thanks 😊
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