death cleaning

American  

[deth klee-ning] / ˈdɛθ ˌkli nɪŋ /

noun

1. the process of cleaning and decluttering one’s home so as to spare others, especially family members, from the chore of it after one’s death.

   While I’m still strong and healthy, I’m going to commit to some serious death cleaning.

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Etymology

Origin of death cleaning

First recorded around 2017; a translation of Swedish döstädning, literally, “death cleaning,” equivalent to dö “to die” + städning, verbal noun from städa “to tidy, clean, clean up, clean out”

Example Sentences

Blöm: With death cleaning, we’re not interested in the amount of items you have.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2023

Döstädning, also known as Swedish death cleaning, comes at organizing from the dark side.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2022

Others are more sceptical about the notion that death cleaning is the product of a distinctly Swedish sensibility.

From The Guardian • Jan. 12, 2018

She writes of the inability of men of her generation to cope with housekeeping after the death of a spouse, and notes how death cleaning has traditionally been women’s work.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2017

“My parents and their friends are death cleaning, and we all kind of joke about it,” Olofsdotter says.

From Washington Post • Oct. 12, 2017