Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Swedish Author Margareta Magnusson, Death Cleaning Pioneer, Dies at 92

3/17/2026

27 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Margareta Magnusson, a Swedish author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, died at age 92 in Gothenburg.
Her 2017 bestseller introduced the döstädning concept, urging people to declutter to ease burdens on loved ones after death.
Magnusson's insights drew from personal loss and aimed to make sorting belongings a joyful, simpler process.
Her work inspired a 2023 U.S. reality show that helped Americans declutter.

1 of 1

Story summary

Margareta Magnusson, a Swedish author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, died at age 92 in Gothenburg.
Her 2017 bestseller introduced the döstädning concept, urging people to declutter to ease burdens on loved ones after death.
Magnusson's insights drew from personal loss and aimed to make sorting belongings a joyful, simpler process.
Her work inspired a 2023 U.S. reality show that helped Americans declutter.