If you are like most people, then you have no idea what this is. However, for some it might be helpful and useful to know after a loved one passes. The term was developed by Margareta Magnusson in her book titled “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter” where she suggests a method of cleaning to help individuals deal with loss and possessions.
Margareta discusses how she dealt with the death of her parents and husband, including dealing with their possessions after. It discusses dostadning, the Swedish idea meaning death cleaning. The idea is to remove clutter so that your death does not become a burden to lovedones you leave behind.
The process is supposedly to begin at 65 and older. Possessions should be shed to avoid leaving loved ones with pile of materialistic things, and no idea what to do with them. This could be through selling items, or donating items.
Your Swedish cleaning could also use the help of a self-storage unit. Contact a self storage provider, for a unit to act as a halfway point. You can transfer all your belongings from home to the storage unit, then visit the storage when you are ready to begin sorting and complete the cleaning. Using a self storage unit for your Swedish Death Cleaning will prevent your home from being cluttered while you work through the process. You do not feel rushed and have sufficient space to involve your loved ones in the process.
So how do you get started? If you keep certain items in your home based on memory or feeling, you don’t need it. The process of Swedish Death Cleaning is to only hold on to what you need. The de-cluttering process has to be critical and not sentimental. The book suggests, cleaning your closets as a first start.
hanoverstorage.ca 