Rhi Axtell – Writer

I have just finished reading The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. I picked it up because I am pretty much reading everything I can related to death at the moment. Also, even though my grandparents have all passed away, my parents still have mountains of their things in storage spaces, taking up room and gently rotting. I wanted to see if this book would be of any help.

If you haven’t heard of Swedish Death Cleaning, or Döstädning in Swedish, it is pretty much what it says on the tin: the act of cleaning a home after (or before, in the case of this book) someone’s death.

Gentle is a very accurate word to describe this book. Magnusson, who frequently describes herself as ‘someone aged between eighty and one hundred’ tackles the subjects of cleaning and death with soft humour. The book really feels like you are having a conversation with someone’s grandmother – perhaps not surprising because she is someone’s grandmother.

In between the gentleness and the jokes, Magnusson also drops words of wisdom. One particular quote that stood out to me was:

“Tact can be an important value so as not to hurt someone’s feelings, but since we must all – one day or another – look death squarely in the face, perhaps tact does not have much place in the discussions we must all find a way to have.”

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Obviously this speaks directly to my current values of what to talk about – and encourage conversations around – death. These conversations are difficult, and people might try to avoid them, but by opening ourselves up to talking about death, we can better prepare our loved ones – and ourselves – for that final moment we must all face.

Here are a few things this book encouraged me to do – both directly and indirectly:

• Clear out the old shoes that were sitting by my front door. These shoes were well worn and broken beyond repair. I was keeping them just in case… but just in case what? I realised I didn’t really know.
• Create a bag of clothing from my wardrobe to be donated – wow, I have a lot of clothes.
• Start clearing out the old cleaning products we have inherited from friends who have moved away – and subsequently haven’t used. (Anyone want some incredibly old Italian colour catchers for the washing machine?)
• Hand write this blog post. Magnusson worries about the current generations losing the ability to hand write thanks to all the technology available to us. I hand wrote the blog post to practice my handwriting AND use up a notebook that has been sitting around for a while. Double win!

Overall, the book was short, fun to read, and thought-provoking. Did it help me learn how to talk to my parents about letting go of some of my grandparents’ objects? Perhaps. I definitely feel in a better space to start that conversation.

Remember, you’re never too young to start your death cleaning! This book has definitely made me think about everything I own in a new light. Do I really care about an object, or has its use long passed?

See you next time.