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

The Swedes have a solution for this — they call it “dostadning,” or death cleaning, which is a way of taking responsibility for your mess before shuffling off this mortal coil.

From Washington Post • Jan. 31, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2022

Swedish death cleaning has found a kind of American counterpart in the rise of a pair of young men from Ohio who call themselves the Minimalists.

From The Guardian • Jan. 12, 2018

Though I’m not old enough to begin my own death cleaning, I am glad to have the phrase.

From New York Times • Dec. 25, 2017