Swedish death cleaning () is a decluttering method historically practised in Sweden. It is a simple living practice that encourages people to get rid of belongings before death to spare loved ones from having to manage them. As the practice has become more popular in the United States, it has been praised as practical and gratifying but also criticized as morbid. The modern practice was popularised in the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by the Swedish author Margareta Magnusson. Magnusson, who died 12 March 2026, described this practice of tidying up as something to do "when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet".
The tradition inspired a 2023 TV show on Peacock, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, produced by Amy Poehler. In the show, three Swedish people help Americans declutter and detach from their belongings.
See also
Shukatsu (end-of-life planning), Japan
References