Swedish death cleaning
Decluttering method
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swedish death cleaning (döstädning) is a decluttering method historically practised in Sweden. It is a simple living practice, encouraging 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 term was popularised in the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, by the Swedish author Margareta Magnusson.[4][5][6] Magnussen, who died on 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".[6]
The tradition inspired a 2023 TV show on Peacock streaming[6], The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, produced by Amy Poehler.[7] In the show, three Swedish people help Americans declutter and detach from their belongings.[8]
