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Whenever I see my grandma, she gives me something from her house. Since my grandpa died a year ago, she's been feeling a sense of urgency to get rid of things.
She might not know it, but she's carrying out a practice called Döstädning, or Swedish death cleaning — a philosophy of getting your house in order before you die.
In her book "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning," Swedish artist and author Margareta Magnusson discusses how to downsize with intention and writes about the beauty of passing on items to loved ones before you die.
It may seem morbid, but my grandma doesn't want to leave my mother and aunty with the burden of clearing her things out after she goes. I think my grandma's act of gifting items to her family, and not simply throwing them away, is a kind and considerate gesture.
It means more to receive these items from her now: a scarf for my daughter, my grandpa's belt for my husband, a crystal ornament from her cabinet for me, and a serving plate for our family. I think it's better than the alternative — to be left after she's gone with a house overflowing with papers, boxes of photo albums, kitchen appliances, jewelry, and clothes to sort out and make decisions on.
Watching her do this has also prompted me to look around my own home to see what could go.
Courtesy of Tegan Forder
With 101 million tons of textiles going to landfills each year, I want to think carefully about what I throw out or donate. I've come to love the challenge of finding new ways to rehome clothes I no longer need rather than just taking them to the local thrift store. I've tried a few different methods and quite enjoy using consignment or rent-a-rack stores to get rid of things I no longer want and make some money at the same time.
Consignment businesses select the pieces they believe are most likely to sell and then take a percentage of the sale and pass the remaining profit to you. For a more hands-on approach, rent-a-rack stores allow you to rent space in a storefront for one to four weeks, where you can display and sell your clothes. You control the pricing and presentation and take home most of the profit.
I've also tried selling clothes online, especially more in-demand or fashionable pieces, like dresses I've worn to weddings. Some clothes, like corporate workwear, are difficult to sell online, so instead, I've donated those items to a local charity that provides outfits for women getting back into the workforce.
I'm not completely ruthless though — I've kept my wedding dress, the outfits my mother-in-law made for my daughter, and the knitted cardigans she wore as a baby.
It's always a bit of a conundrum when you have superfluous kitchen utensils, toys in good condition, books, or gardening things that are too good to throw away but probably not worth selling.
I've found online communities to be a handy way to rehome them. You can list them on 'free to a good home' community sites, or on the various parent or community groups you might belong to. Facebook Marketplace is also a useful platform for giving things away for free like furniture, bags of clothes, and kids' shoes.
I've also had great success putting things out on the curb — you never know what someone driving or walking past will want when they see it. We put a broken rabbit hutch out a few months ago and it went overnight.
Knowing someone can use the set of plates taking up space in your kitchen, plant pots, or excess craft supplies makes you feel better about decluttering.
I still have shelves full of things that I've yet to tackle — items like old cameras, schoolbooks, thank-you cards, artwork from my child, and items of clothes that need mending. I need to start storing them away in designated spots, fixing them up, and recycling them responsibly.
The boxes of ornaments, travel souvenirs, and gifted jewelry will stay. I'd like to pass on these things, or maybe I will still end up throwing them away in my later years.
I've learned that decluttering is a lesson in patience if you are doing it thoughtfully — just as the Swedish death cleaning philosophy dictates. By taking this considered approach like my grandma, I hope I won't be leaving an overwhelming burden on my family when I go.
