Do you really know? How does "death cleaning" help you declutter your life?
Dec 18, 2025
Dive into the intriguing concept of death cleaning, a practice originated by Margareta Magnusson to help people declutter their lives in the final stages. Learn how this unique method gracefully balances between minimalism and joy-based decluttering. Discover practical steps for starting your own journey and the motivations behind it, from easing the burden on loved ones to seeking mental clarity during life transitions. It's a fresh perspective on organization that might just inspire you to tidy up!
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Decluttering As End‑Of‑Life Preparation
- Death cleaning reframes decluttering as preparing for the end of life and easing burdens on others.
- Margareta Magnusson coined the term from Swedish words for death and cleaning and popularised it in 2018.
Origin Story From Personal Loss
- Magnusson developed the idea after sorting her mother and husband's possessions following their deaths.
- She found emotional attachment and difficulty deciding what to keep during those experiences.
A Middle Ground Between Trends
- Death cleaning sits between hygge and Marie Kondo's method as a lifestyle approach to simplicity.
- It combines emotional acceptance of mortality with practical sorting of possessions.