Well hubby & I have been rather busy doing the Swedish practice of sorting through our possessions, the Swedish call it Death Cleaning, I prefer to call it Life cleaning, why? Well that’s what I’ll be sharing with you over a cuppa today my friend.
So let’s grab our favourite mug of deliciousness, a treat & get comfy. Today I’m enjoying a home baked savory gf Herb & Cheese Muffin with my ‘ol faithful Earl Grey tea blend.
Now we’re comfy let us begin…
Why do the Swedish call it Death Cleaning?
The general consensus is that it is to reduce possessions in later life, so family or friends don’t have as much to sort out when a loved one passes away. This pratice is normally carried out by those who are in their senior years but any age can put this into practice.
There has even been several tv programs made on this. Really it’s just another way of sorting & decluttering our stuff. I actually like to think of it as a Life giving process rather than a death cleaning process because as we sort through our possessions & donate, recycle, bin or keep it’s actually extremely freeing. And that freedom lightens the load not only for my loved ones in the future but also for now & it’s extremely energising.
We all accumulate things that are sentimental to us or that we want or need in specific seasons in life but when that season has passed we no longer need them in the present.
Although, I’ve aways been one that hasn’t held on too tightly to things that others can use, if I no longer need them. Simply because when I was growing up we moved house & location every two years (Dad was a regional accountant) so not enjoying packing & unpacking I kept things to a minimum.
And then as a wife & Mama raising my family we also moved every two or so years, as we were in the Defence force, so postings & attachments went with the territory.
Thus this present home has been such a blessing as I have lived here for over two decades, a lot of things have accumulated in those years.
Although I’ve always had a personal policy when a new piece of clothing comes in, an item that hasn’t been worn in a year must go to charity.
Where to Start?
Starting the process can feel overwhelming as you look around your home at all the accumulation of stuff. I’ve always found a systematic approach helpful by category.
This time I started with clothes, handbags & shoes. If it hadn’t been worn in a year, was uncomfortable or not complimentary to my body shape but still in great condition then it went into the donation bag.
Once delivered to Charity, I believe it’s wise to donate as you go, so as not to be tempted to put it back in the wardrobe! I progressed to the next category which was books, dvds, cds & games, some charities no longer take these but going on line I found that a University accepts all of these things so a road trip will drop these off for their Book Fair later this year.
Then I raided the linen closet, only keeping what’s in use now the rest was either donated that were in great condition or turned into cleaning cloths if not (hubby loves this as he uses them in his garage for messy mechanical jobs.
I’ve just finished tackling the category of kitchenware & have several bags full for the Charity shop in the boot ready to go. Hubby keeps joking that if he stands still too long he’ll be next for donation! LOL!
Speaking of hubby, I think it’s wise for men to do their own life cleaning as they have a tendency to keep things “that may come in handy one day” or “it’s just coming into it’s prime” & get most upset if the lady of the house hone in on their things.
Hubby has a different method of sorting than I, although systematic, he’s doing one entire room at a time rather than categories. Which is fine as it’s important everyone finds their own groove with life cleaning.
A Little Word of Advice
What’s been really interesting is that the items I thought someone in the family may cherish, when I put photos up on our Family Chat, no one expressed any interest. So those things that you think the family may want, it’s best to ask now because they may not! And if they do then why not pass them on now.
However, those items were special to me as they were wedding gifts from my marriage to my late husband. So I put them up on our Ladies prayer chat & they immediately went to new homes where they’ll be cherished, a win win for all concerned.
Let Us Be Mindful of the Legacy We Will Leave Behind
A few months ago this topic was highlighted for our family which I shared in;
Generational Legacies, Blessings or Curses?
You see we all leave some type of legacy behind, I personally don’t want to leave a lot of stuff for my family to have to deal with, my greatest desire is to leave a lasting legacy of blessing.
An eternal blessing just like Paul observed with Timothy’s legacy in the following scripture;
“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” 2 Tim 1:5 NKJV
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
or in Prayer
© 2026 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on pexels.com
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Hey Jen, Thanks bunches for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend.
xo
It’s a pleasure Paula, thank you for hosting! 😊
Joining you for a cuppa this morning Jen. It’s been frigid here so I’m snuggled in a blanket with my hot cup of coffee.
This is so interesting. I’ve never heard of Swedish Death Cleaning. It makes sense. I love how you call it life cleaning. You’ve got some really useful information and tips here.
Visiting today from Joanne’s
Hi Paula,
So lovely to have you drop by sweet friend, snuggled in a rug with a cuppa sounds great! Something I’m looking forward to in our winter ☺️.
It’s been amazing to considerably lighten the load of our ‘stuff’ Paula. Very freeing & interestingly life giving!
I love that you call it Life Cleaning. You are right! It is so very freeing to declutter and shed things. I have been doing that here in our home this month. It is amazing how freeing it really is.
It really is Chrissy, it feels like a heavy load has been lifted off my shoulders! Which is really interesting as I don’t think we realise just how much ‘stuff’ actually weighs us down until it’s gone!
Lovely having you drop by ☺️
Jennifer,
I enjoyed reading your post. I was cleaning the other day and realized how much of my girls’ stuff I wanted to store away as memories, and of course, to pass it down to them later when they are adults.
But I had time to think about it, and they probably won’t want boxes and boxes of their first lessons when they were in kindergarten or first coloring pages, and so on.
It can be hard to part with things, but at time it is necessary.
Jennifer, thank you for sharing your thought-provoking posts with us at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party. We truly appreciate you!
You’re most welcome Stephanie, thank you for hosting such a lovely & friendly linky. 😊
Wow! You are so right on this topic! You have nudged me to get moving more than we have already. My hubby (slow to move on this area for multiple reasons) and I have begun this process (albeit slowly) and been helped a great deal by a dear woman and friend who deep cleans once a month for us and lives near a thrift shop run by Mennonite Missions and happily has been taking bags of things for us for some months now. (My mindset is that I can do this when I know things will be used and appreciated. A few years ago I observed things being tossed around like trash at a site and didn’t go back.)
On a visit from one part of our family I was delighted to have an adult grandchild “go shopping in Grandma’s basement” getting things he would need for his first apartment that I had and no longer used.
We’ve lived in our current home for many years and things so accumulate. I have more than a little difficulty giving away books but have gone through several purges to give professional treasures to some just entering the counseling profession. Hard also has been to sort through professional attire that I recall paying dearly to have over the years that I will never wear again (as well as a few things I loved and hoped I would fit into again and don’t).
Today as I read this I know I need to get back at the process I began. I too have been giving away things I haven’t worn in a while and since Christmas gifts, I need to do it again.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Pam
You’re most welcome Pam! Yes I remember having to purge my professional attire & resources too but it felt so freeing when I did.
How wonderful that your grandchild was able to set up house with unused things from you. That’s a wonderful example of upcycling.
Yes, I find it encouraging when others will benefit from our things rather than things being tossed into landfill which I think is criminal.
Blessings sweet friend, Jennifer
It is so hard to part with items which hold sentimental value. But I have often wondered if it would then be sentimental to my children and/or grandchildren. Would they, in fact, even want the item? This has helped me in parting ways with certain items. The one thing they all keep saying is that they all want one of my Bibles. And for that, I am most grateful to our Lord!
That is wonderful Joanne, what a beautiful legacy to leave.
Yes, I found it interesting that the things that were sentimental to me, weren’t too my daughters & grandchildren. But I’m glad I found people who will appreciate them. 😊
Yes, I was shocked at how much stuff we had accumulated through the years, even tho I thought I was rather ruthless at sorting. When we downsized into our daughter’s home, where we have one room and some storage in their basement, it made me really think about priorities and what is truly the most important in this life! Thank you for sharing these thoughts, Jennifer, about “Life” cleaning. I love your perspective ! Blessings to you!!
Yes, I hear you Bettie. I’ve continued to sort through things, doing the same with prioritising what is needed & what is not.
I keep saying to hubby, “I can’t believe how much stuff has accumulated!” But with each bag that goes to charity, the more life giving & lighter it feels. Blessings to you sweet friend 💞
This is a great reminder. I’ve been meaning to sort through some things for a while now. I love your “Life Cleaning” perspective. 🙂 Visiting from the Sweet Tea & Friends linkup.
Thank you Jennifer. It truly is so very freeing! ☺️ So lovely having you join me in a cuppa today!
Great idea. My problem is that I don’t have any family to go through all these things. Or to leave them to.
I remember years ago working with a young married girl who had a husband who would do this frequently, but not with her consent. She would get home from work and discover pots missing, dishes missing etc. Not a good idea.
A few years back I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. I had a lot of my mother’s antiques that were still in good condition and useable, just sitting in my china cabinet. My pastor has 3 daughters. They were all married by this time. At Christmas that year I wrapped many of these things but didn’t put tags on them. I made a list of “rules” for opening them. Each one was to choose one gift. If, when they opened it, they didn’t want it, they could trade with one of their sisters. They were all very happy with the gifts, had some beautiful items to either use or keep as ornaments. I am rather sentimental like Pam, but I know there is someone to love these items as I did and as my mother probably did before me. And it created a really fun way to distribute gifts.
I love your gift idea Diane! I may give that a go! ☺️
Let me know if you do try it and how it worked. I forgot to mention that once they all had one gift they were just to keep going until everything was claimed by someone.
I will indeed Diane 😊
Jennifer, I have been thinking about this. I am very sentimental but not nearly as much as Butch. I don’t want our son to have to sift through all the stuff when we are gone! Thank you for the encouragement to get started!
Blessings sweet friend❤️
You’re most welcome Pam. Have a great weekend sweet friend 😊