Re: Swedish Death Cleaning

santorini · ‎03-09-2010

I might be the only one but I have never heard that term used before. I saw "Swedish Death Cleaning" and thought I was going to read about a horrific incident in Sweden where they were euthanizing senior citizens. Glad to know that's not the case.

SueyMsB · ‎07-01-2010

@santorini Same.....never heard that term either.

Mary Bailey · ‎03-09-2010

Before I knew it had a name, I started when my MIL passed. I kept picturing our sons going through my stuff and them saying "WHF did she have this for?" LOL They don't want any of our stuff at all.

The only thing I regret getting rid of is old love letters from my HSBF.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@Mary Bailey wrote:
Before I knew it had a name, I started when my MIL passed. I kept picturing our sons going through my stuff and them saying "WHF did she have this for?" LOL They don't want any of our stuff at all.

The only thing I regret getting rid of is old love letters from my HSBF.

Exactly! 😄

jackthebear · ‎03-11-2010

@Maizie Green wrote:
We just went through this with my mom. She passed in August and we had to clean her house out. She had so much stuff. It was not only time-consuming, but very overwhelming at the same time.

it really made me think about my own possessions and I am on a quest to downsize. my home is packed to the gills and I also have two storage units. The problem is my stuff is very nice and I do use it. So making the determination of what to get rid of or keep is very difficult.

been there done that

jackthebear · ‎03-11-2010

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@Still Raining wrote:
Been there! Sorting seems to be the big problem. After you are gone, a simple solution is go hire a firm to remove everything and dump it and then have the house cleaned up for sale. Or just hire them now and be done. Our treasures don't have the same meaning for some else.
That's true @Still Raining about the value we all put on things being different. It would also be easier to dump it all and be done but there is a lot that's good and useable. We have a local resale shop that supports the Christian schools so we bring things there. Once we get that part done, the trash guys will get the leftovers.

buy nothing dot org
freecycle dot org
are wonderful methods to dispose of your items
just post and someone will take them away

Pink123 · ‎07-10-2019

@Maizie Green wrote:
We just went through this with my mom. She passed in August and we had to clean her house out. She had so much stuff. It was not only time-consuming, but very overwhelming at the same time.

it really made me think about my own possessions and I am on a quest to downsize. my home is packed to the gills and I also have two storage units. The problem is my stuff is very nice and I do use it. So making the determination of what to get rid of or keep is very difficult.

@Maizie Green Sorry about your Mom but my parents passed 4 years ago. Stuff is just stuff, it was their stuff. It was nice, but no one wanted anything other than a beige marble very long table to be a family heirloom from me. I gave it to my Mom 27 years ago. That's all my brother kept and it it is now in his new house.

I moved and left everything in my own home for the new owner which they happily accepted. It was off my back as I am not a hoarder.

Desert Lily · ‎06-24-2011

I did the Swedish Death Cleaning when I moved to PA from the west coast. Sometimes I cried over the memories attached.

Most of the things I've kept are from my family's home decor biz, gifts, from travel as a Buyer, or auctions. I kept the items that hold the strongest memories & greatest attachments.

When I mentioned to my brother that I think I could get rid of more things, he said, "What will you care? You'll be dead." And even though that may sound harsh, I think he has a point. So, I'm not worrying about it as much anymore. Lol.

Goldengate8361 · ‎01-27-2014

I genuinely like having a lot of stuff. I enjoy my stuff and lots of it. I think decluttering is over rated. Just my opinion.

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

@Bird mama wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch Wow, talk about a timely topic I lost my sister quite unexepectedly in February and I am the last one left of my immediate family (parents, siblings). Her estate will have to go through probate so I have been mentally 'tagging' the items in her house that will be donated, discarded and come home with me once it's all settled. My hands are somewhat tied until the estate inventory is complete.

My sister was not 'hoardish' and the contents of her house reflect her life as well as remnants of my parents lives. I find myself grieving my parents and my sister as a result. I have been on a mission to declutter and reduce since I retired 8 years ago and I was feeling pretty confident that I reached all of my goals.

t's easy to say wow I need to declutter my own house while I'm in the middle of clearing out my sister's house. It's a sentimental, poignant experience when you go through items that someone you love valued. Once a person makes it through that he/she might not be so inclined to repeat the experience right away in their own house.

I started Swedish death cleaning my own house last week and I'm finding it surprisingly easy to let go of things.

@Bird mama - I can relate. My brother died at 28. We had to clean out his apartment quickly, so we took everything to my mom's home. Everything but the furniture ended up in her attic.

My brother's first job was for a local newspaper where he lived near a historic town. He covered the part of town where all the antique stores were, and he got to know the owners. He kept looking at this dining room table, but it was part of a huge dining room from a southern plantation, and the owner did not want to split it up. Finally she sold the table and chairs to him.

My mom refinished furniture as a hobby. My brother bought an old bed. After he got it, my mom found a brass plate on the bottom. It had been made in England in the early 1800's. Mom refinished it and it is beautiful.

Both the table and chairs, and the bed went to me.

I'm the last one too. When my mom died suddenly before Christmas I was responsible for everything. DS was one. It wasn't easy. Not only did I have to go through her history; I had to bring everything of my brother's from the attic. It was tremendously hard.

I need to clean out too, but the thought of doing it overwhelms me.