My Reflections on “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” Show

There’s a new organizing show on TV! As a professional organizer, I felt it was my duty to binge watch Peacock’s original show The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. I wanted to give you my feedback so you could make an educated  decision about it. 

Watching a show about organizing is an easy assignment. I’ve watched just about every show out there, and I usually find something to love about each one. At the very least, it gives me material when talking to people about the profession. When someone says something like, “You’re a professional organizer? Like what Clea and Joanna do on Get Organized with the Home Edit on Netflix?” I can give them an educated answer. My answer usually begins with “Sort of. Here’s what’s the same and what’s different.” 

Show Description

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning debuted in April of 2023 on Peacock. Season One has eight episodes. As of October, 2023, Peacock hasn’t announced whether there will be future seasons.

Here’s the show description from the website: 

“Inspired by Margareta Magnusson’s bestselling book comes a transformational series in which eight people at different stages of their lives are given the chance to sort out their home, life, and relationships before it’s too late. Plucked from Sweden, an organizer, designer, and psychologist—also known as the "Death Cleaners"—come to America to help subjects reinvent themselves by facing their mortality, speaking honestly about death, and confronting all that “crap” that has been collecting dust for years. Each story builds toward a physical overhaul of the home, as well as an emotional evolution, leaving us smiling with a lighter view of death and a more celebratory vision for the future. This is a journey of levity and hope as Amy Poehler hilariously guides us through stories about dealing with our stuff, so that those we leave behind aren’t faced with the overwhelming task of sorting through it.

Swedish Death Cleaning normalizes one of our worst fears, death, by reminding us of all the ways we are alive.”

Below are my reflections on the show: 

What I Like 

I like having multiple perspectives and approaches to the client’s situation. Professional organizer Ella, interior designer Johan, and psychologist Katarina work well together to help the client, and they each have a different focus. I especially appreciate the perspective of the psychologist. There are so many emotions inherent in how we interact with our stuff. 

I love Ella’s red dot system! She hands the client some small round red, green, and yellow stickers and instructs them to place stickers on items. Red is for items that will stay, and green is for items that can go. Yellow stickers are used for items on which someone is undecided, but she encourages them to use yellow sparingly. This simple practice allows clients to quickly identify their plans for each belonging. Because the practice is simple, other family members, including children, are encouraged to help. 

Another technique of Ella’s that I appreciate is the creation of a dilemma box for items about which you’re unsure. She instructs clients to put a deadline on the box, and if they haven’t missed the items by the deadline, they’ll know it’s time to let them go. 

Ella approaches a client’s belongings similarly to most organizers. We encourage making decisions about large items first so that a space can be cleared out quickly to make space to work. Sometimes this requires moving items to another space for sorting. In many cases, this practice of starting over in a new location works well because it allows clients to see their belongings in a new setting with a fresh perspective. 

Like most organizers, Ella employs the container concept, a way of limiting how much of an item you decide to keep. All three death cleaners take particular care to help the client identify underlying issues behind the stuff. This is essential for making the best decisions on individual items and for moving forward in a new decluttered space. The death cleaning team emphasizes reusing and repurposing as much as possible, while throwing away as little as possible.

Other aspects of the death cleaners’ work that I appreciate include incorporating design to make the space more pleasing to the eye, making sure the home is a reflection of the client, involving the family, and emphasizing the value of connections with family and friends. In addition, team members seem to genuinely care about their client. And they had a great time working with them. Yes, there are tears, but there’s lots of laughter as well! 

At the end of each episode, the team gives a “big reveal” to show the completion of the work. Before showing the dramatic “after” view, images of the “before” are shown so the viewers can truly appreciate the difference between the two. While the client has made most of the decisions, there are always a few surprises, often involving new interior design choices. Client reactions are usually emotional and dramatic. 

Each episode ends with some kind of a celebration specific to the client’s culture and needs, usually including family and friends as well as the death cleaning team. This part of the episode is usually my favorite. 

What I Don’t Like

The main problem I have with this show is its edginess. Some aspects appear like they’ve been inserted to give the show a PG or PG-13 feel. Examples include foul language and risqué elements like a spa day with Johan naked in the pool or excessive focus on a client’s collection of male body part replicas. Also, while I enjoy the diversity of clients represented on the show, the diversity is a bit overplayed. Few of the clients would be people you might expect to find living in your neighborhood.  

Otherwise, my objections are similar to most organizing shows. The timelines are always unrealistic. It’s not possible for them to have sorted through everything in a home in the time frame the show implies. Also, although sometimes the final status of items is explicitly detailed, oftentimes you don’t find out where particular items end up. So you may find yourself asking, “Hey, what happened to that giant doll collection?” 

To Watch or Not to Watch

Now you have all the tools you need to make an educated decision about whether or not to watch the show. 

If you decide to watch, I’d love to know what you think and whether or not you agree with my perspective. Email me at angie@shipshape.solutions to let me know. I love hearing from readers!