Swedish death cleaning
Decluttering method
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swedish death cleaning (Swedish: döstädning) is a decluttering method historically practised in Sweden. It is a simple living practice that encourages people to get rid of belongings before death to spare loved ones from having to manage them.[1] As the practice has become more popular in the United States, it has been praised as practical and gratifying but also criticized as morbid.[2][3] The modern practice was popularised in the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by the Swedish author Margareta Magnusson.[2][4][5] Magnusson, who died 12 March 2026, described this practice of tidying up as something to do "when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet".[5]
The tradition inspired a 2023 TV show on Peacock streaming,[5] The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, produced by Amy Poehler.[6] In the show, three Swedish people help Americans declutter and detach from their belongings.[7]
