“Swedish Death Cleaning” is an unusual moniker for an interesting process. The purpose of a Swedish death cleaning is to rid ourselves of unnecessary possessions so those we leave behind won’t have to when it’s our turn to do the ashes-to-ashes thing. It’s more commonly used by those wishing to declutter in a big way whether to downsize in general, move to a smaller residence, or just to simplify their lives.
A Swedish death cleaning can benefit many people but it’s definitely not for everyone. Those in the minimalist camp can become even more so. Those on the other end of the spectrum who enjoy lots of “stuff” can ignore the idea altogether. Those somewhere in the middle may benefit by getting rid of some of the unnecessary things in our lives, beginning with those 10,000 plastic shopping bags overflowing from the broom closet.
I enjoyed a comment made by a SurvivalBlog reader a few months back on the subject of simplifying our lives but regret to say I cannot find it to provide a link. About that same time, I read a related article, The Last Temptation of Things. This article is a bit more extreme and if you read nothing else from it, the comments are very entertaining. I hadn’t realized this topic could be so polarizing.
I’ll share some of my experiences from the two times I did a Swedish death cleaning, once in my house five or six years ago and the most recent one in my workshop. Being such an emotional and polarizing topic, I have no suggestions for anyone. The main impetus for writing this article is the many comments on SurvivalBlog over the past few years from those preppers who live in tight quarters not having enough room to store many preps. Perhaps a Swedish death cleaning could help them create more space for at least the most basic necessities.
And for my friend with three rented storage units, perhaps he could save himself some rental fees.
What I’ve Learned From Auctions
I enjoy going to estate auctions for many reasons, not the least of which is for the great bargains. I generally have a “shopping list” with me hoping to find certain items I need for the homestead. There are two basic kinds of auctions: an older couple is downsizing and moving to another house, generally smaller and nearer to relatives, and those auctions when an older person has passed away and their children are selling a lifetime’s collection of things found in most households.
Many times at auctions I look over all the items and think to myself, “Wow, these people had a lot of stuff!” I often think on those occasions how much you can tell about the person’s life by their possessions: things they loved and enjoyed, collections of one kind or another, their taste in furniture, artwork on the walls, even their kitchen wares. I consider myself a minimalist so the sheer volume of all their…