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Swedish Death Cleaning
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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I stumbled upon a video on YouTube yesterday about a type of decluttering process called Swedish Death Cleaning.
I am usually pretty organised and don't have too much clutter and junk anyway, but this caught my attention due to it's name.
Sadly my Dad passed away very recently and I am currently helping my Mum to sort through his possessions, which is a horrible and daunting task. He was a hoarder and anything he owned wasn't at all organised.
We are barely making progress!
So I thought that the idea of "death cleaning" is a good one. The basis is...
Sort through your possessions, get rid of what you don't use, need or want any more so that other family members won't have such an awful job of doing so once you die.
Yes it sounds morbid, but we are all going to die someday, classic Swedish Death Cleaning is usually performed by people who are older, but there is no reason why the technique cannot be done at any point in your life.
So I begun the process in my own home yesterday.
My first task was something as simple as looking through my kitchen spice rack to see what ones were way past their best before date (I had multiple jars over 20years old!)
My recycling box is now filled with glass jars, and my kitchen cupboard is much tidier.
It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate that we don't use!
I tackled my makeup and nail polishes and my jewellery collection as well.
So Bella, what are you going to do with all your unwanted "stuff"!?
This is a process that will take time and be ongoing.
Unwanted items of value can be sold. Gifted. Or donated to charity.
Some items are only good for repurposing, recycling or the bin.
I am aiming for a more minimalist look in my home, and the thought that when eventually I kick the bucket the task of disposing of my physical estate will be easier for whoever is left behind.
So the poll to the forumites is...
Are you a hoarder? Would you be able to or even want to part with some things?
Are you an organised person and this is part of how you live your life anyway!?
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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When my Dad died, we called in guys for a house clearance. It helped we already knew him (an auctioneer) but none of the family could cope with it.
I took a couple of framed photos.
My Dad had a load of items for antique fairs etc stored away...
Christ sooo much!!! |
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I like the idea of this as I had to go through my mums house after she passed and the amount of crap she had was unreal. Although some crap to me might have been sentimental to my mum but most of it was crap and still in bags years later, not worthy of having on display.
I’ve moved house fairly regularly so I de-clutter as I go and so I don’t hoard but it does still add up.
K |
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I'm pretty organised and try not to keep hold of thing's that are not necessary,I like a tidy house as I always worry that if I die outside of the house on that day I don't want my family to have to sort my messy house out.
I don't know why I have this train of thought  |
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By *a LunaWoman
over a year ago
South Wales |
I am a hoarder yes. I have to keep it in check by having decluttering sessions, usually when I start feeling overwhelmed by the clutter.
I tend to do the 15 minutes a day thing when I get going. It’s the getting going that is the hard part.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've always said I wasn't a horder until I realised I had no room for anything, drawers, cupboards and everywhere else, full of stuff I keep "just in case". I need to do this clean up for sure! |
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I (GG) could probably be a legitimate hoarder if I thought about it. The idea of a minimalist home fills my belly with dread.
Have you ever seen Dita Von Tease’s house? (Give it a YouTube or Google)! that’s the level of maximalism i would love. Being surrounded by ‘Stuff’ brings me lots of comfort - that and I’m as lazy as sin! Lol x |
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I'm not as bad as I used to be but still have hoarding tendencies. I helped my mum and dad clear my brother's stuff after his untimely passing at the beginning of the year.
I admit though OP that Swedish Death Cleaning sounds like the name of a metal band!  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I like the idea of this as I had to go through my mums house after she passed and the amount of crap she had was unreal. Although some crap to me might have been sentimental to my mum but most of it was crap and still in bags years later.
K"
It takes even longer when you have to go through each and every thing with your other parent just to be sure they are o.k. with it being got rid of! |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"
Have you ever seen Dita Von Tease’s house? (Give it a YouTube or Google)! that’s the level of maximalism i would love. Being surrounded by ‘Stuff’ brings me lots of comfort - that and I’m as lazy as sin! Lol x"
No. I haven't. I will have to take a look. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I (GG) could probably be a legitimate hoarder if I thought about it. The idea of a minimalist home fills my belly with dread.
Have you ever seen Dita Von Tease’s house? (Give it a YouTube or Google)! that’s the level of maximalism i would love. Being surrounded by ‘Stuff’ brings me lots of comfort - that and I’m as lazy as sin! Lol x"
Wow I had a look, her house is amazing!! Like living breathing burlesque.  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I hate stuff, ornaments, things scattered around. I like to live as minimalistic as possible but still feeling like a home. Everything is organised, even the loft although everything is in boxes which we are going to sort through after Christmas. I found people moving homes get so stressed because of the volume of stuff they have - when we move I don't want that. I want to be able to pack everything up in a day, neat and tidy boxes and that's it. Not loose bags, cardboard boxes etc flying around everywhere. Also, if I died I want Mr to know where everything is to make single parenting easy on him. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I hate stuff, ornaments, things scattered around. I like to live as minimalistic as possible but still feeling like a home. Everything is organised, even the loft although everything is in boxes which we are going to sort through after Christmas. I found people moving homes get so stressed because of the volume of stuff they have - when we move I don't want that. I want to be able to pack everything up in a day, neat and tidy boxes and that's it. Not loose bags, cardboard boxes etc flying around everywhere. Also, if I died I want Mr to know where everything is to make single parenting easy on him. "
That's a good way to look at it. |
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By *anky_PankyWoman
over a year ago
Filthy Fuckeryville |
I could do with some decluttering, esp in my kitchen!!
I have a million what if and just in case items..... Tinned potatoes for just in case - I have hit 44 and NEVER YET needed tinned potatoes, but I have a tin anyway - it's also probably years out of date by now!!  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I could do with some decluttering, esp in my kitchen!!
I have a million what if and just in case items..... Tinned potatoes for just in case - I have hit 44 and NEVER YET needed tinned potatoes, but I have a tin anyway - it's also probably years out of date by now!! "
Oh gosh. Thank you for reminding me to sort out my packet food cupboard!  |
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By *anky_PankyWoman
over a year ago
Filthy Fuckeryville |
"I could do with some decluttering, esp in my kitchen!!
I have a million what if and just in case items..... Tinned potatoes for just in case - I have hit 44 and NEVER YET needed tinned potatoes, but I have a tin anyway - it's also probably years out of date by now!!
Oh gosh. Thank you for reminding me to sort out my packet food cupboard! "
The one with the emergency cheese sauce mix for just in case you HAVE to have cauliflower cheese but have no cheese in.....!? 
I would be more likely to not have the cauliflower in anyhooo!  |
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I sometimes wish that I could throw out!!!!
I run a property development company building and marketing new homes, plus I invest in property myself, and so dress up show homes and renovations. Whether it's left over building materials, or furnishings left by clients in part exchanges, I don't bin anything just in case it's the first thing that I have to go out and buy to complete a job.
That's not to mention that I also have my mum's house, and what was originally my great grandfathers cottage in the village in Scotland I grew up in. Every solitary item in there tells a story, and I look at them and think, I can't get rid of that! It's part of my heritage yet meaningless to anyone else.
Will my 1920s wind up gramaphone which has Cliff Richard and The Drifters, yes The Drifters, before they became The Shadows, on the turntable ever get played again, or my late dad's collection of LP's and eight track cartridges ever get listened to again? One day maybe when I get five minutes to myself.
I wonder what the psycho analysts here would make of me? |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I could do with some decluttering, esp in my kitchen!!
I have a million what if and just in case items..... Tinned potatoes for just in case - I have hit 44 and NEVER YET needed tinned potatoes, but I have a tin anyway - it's also probably years out of date by now!!
Oh gosh. Thank you for reminding me to sort out my packet food cupboard!
The one with the emergency cheese sauce mix for just in case you HAVE to have cauliflower cheese but have no cheese in.....!?
I would be more likely to not have the cauliflower in anyhooo! "
Yep. THAT cupboard. (Found 2 packets of cheese sauce!)  |
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We both have a lot of things connected to our hobbies, personal interests and previous careers. Neither of us is getting rid of anything that gives us pleasure or comfort but there are probably things that could go.
My aunt and I got rid of many hundreds of her books when I helped her move from a house to a small flat. When she died about ten years later my mum, uncle and Mr N boxed up the same amount again that she'd accumulated since . We now have a lot of them. She enjoyed a wide range of genres, some way too intellectual for me that I was able to donate to local educational institutions.They were very grateful and without prompting assured me they'd be well cared for in her memory. That pleasure and comfort would have been denied me if she'd been a death cleaner.
I don't relish sorting through a loved ones possessions but I hate to think of them disposing of things just to save me the trouble. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"We both have a lot of things connected to our hobbies, personal interests and previous careers. Neither of us is getting rid of anything that gives us pleasure or comfort but there are probably things that could go.
My aunt and I got rid of many hundreds of her books when I helped her move from a house to a small flat. When she died about ten years later my mum, uncle and Mr N boxed up the same amount again that she'd accumulated since . We now have a lot of them. She enjoyed a wide range of genres, some way too intellectual for me that I was able to donate to local educational institutions.They were very grateful and without prompting assured me they'd be well cared for in her memory. That pleasure and comfort would have been denied me if she'd been a death cleaner.
I don't relish sorting through a loved ones possessions but I hate to think of them disposing of things just to save me the trouble. "
Hubby got rid of all his law books and downloaded them instead, makes it much easier lol |
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I go from one extreme to the other ... I will will collect and hoard things for years, then have really brutal clear outs.
I think that's because i have one parent in each camp, dad hoards (mostly clothes, golf balls and DIY stuff) mum throws everything out.
I know I won't have much of a problem when they go! |
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"We both have a lot of things connected to our hobbies, personal interests and previous careers. Neither of us is getting rid of anything that gives us pleasure or comfort but there are probably things that could go.
My aunt and I got rid of many hundreds of her books when I helped her move from a house to a small flat. When she died about ten years later my mum, uncle and Mr N boxed up the same amount again that she'd accumulated since . We now have a lot of them. She enjoyed a wide range of genres, some way too intellectual for me that I was able to donate to local educational institutions.They were very grateful and without prompting assured me they'd be well cared for in her memory. That pleasure and comfort would have been denied me if she'd been a death cleaner.
I don't relish sorting through a loved ones possessions but I hate to think of them disposing of things just to save me the trouble.
Hubby got rid of all his law books and downloaded them instead, makes it much easier lol "
I'm sure it does . My aunt was afraid of what computers were "thinking" |
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