Two months ago I introduced you to the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning. It is a process of letting go of material things that you don’t need, use, and even sentimental items. The latter proves to be the hardest one because we are so emotionally tied up in the item. You truly cannot take things with you when you die and this decluttering method frees your possessions from being a huge burden on your loved ones when you do pass. To read more about Swedish Death Cleaning check out this article.
Today I want to share a video of Kathryn with “Do It On a Dime” showing us how Swedish Death Cleaning works. She proves it is possible, freeing, and takes time. It is also emotional, but that is okay. It is part of the process. Take a few minutes and watch.
Sentimental Items
This is probably the most challenging part of the Swedish Death Cleaning process. I absolutely love Kathryn’s ideas for sentimental items. As someone who has lost all of her great-grandparents and grandparents, it rings true in my own home. You want to remember them, but you are not honoring the person or the item by sticking it in a drawer or in the back of a closet. I love how she took one piece of her grandmother’s dishes that she can use often and kept it. The dish is displayed, but she gave away the rest of the set. Someone else can have the blessing of using the dishes. Also, the teddy bear made of her brother’s clothes is a great idea.
Kitchen & Kids
As she says, these are two areas where people also get stuck. Why do we have so many bowls or teacups and saucers? What do we do with toys our kids rarely play with? How many stuffed animals does a person need? I really like her 5-minute tidy rule per room. What a difference that will make in my son’s bedrooms!
What do you think? Is Swedish Death Cleaning for you? Hopefully, this post allows you to learn a little more about this decluttering method as well as see that it is a process. You cannot expect to get it all done in a day or even a weekend. But at the end of each small decluttering project, you can see the benefits and regain more of your freedom from stuff.