What EXACTLY Is "Swedish Death Cleaning" … ?

We're all guilty of collecting and holding on to things that we don’t necessarily need -- but is the seemingly innocent habit actually more harmful than we think it is?

Well, according to the author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Margareta Magnusson, the answer is yes.

"I don't think that's fair, really," Margareta says of leaving your loved ones with the burden of sifting through all of your unnecessary *stuff* upon your passing -- hence the name "Swedish Death Cleaning."

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(We know, we know, that got real serious real FAST.)

The only belonging Margareta keeps in her storage space, you ask? A bicycle!

She also keeps a "throw away box," which holds possessions that her family and friends can just throw away -- when the time comes -- without even so much as looking through it.

"The whole idea is that by the age of 50," organizing guru Peter Walsh adds, "you’ve lived a huge part of your life."

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"And you should start -- [though] it might sound macabre -- looking toward, when you pass, not leaving a ton of stuff for people to clean up after you," he continues.

So, as morbid as the practice of "Swedish Death Cleaning" may sound, its intent IS rather considerate, wouldn't you say?

Not to mention that it benefits you, too! Who needs useless objects crowding their space anyway?!