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Winter is dwindling away and we'll soon be throwing our windows open to springtime. This is traditionally the time of year when we give our nests an extra-good cleaning, a ritual that might date back to cave-dwelling ancestors shedding their insect-infested winter wraps on the first warm day of spring. A thorough house-cleaning is a traditional part of preparation for the Jewish celebration of Passover that may have inspired the spring-cleaning rituals practiced by early generations of Americans. Most of us don't have soot-blackened walls and windows to scrub down like our grandparents and great-grandparents did, yet we persist in reviving the custom each year. There's just something very satisfying about having your home super-clean, even if it only lasts for a few days. In a perfect world we wouldn't need to spring clean because our homes would be spotless year-round, but that's not the way life works for most of us. Clutter and grime build up in the corners while we're busy living our lives. Sunshine and a fresh breeze coming through an open window are all that most of us need to feel the urge to banish the winter blahs from our homes. Debra Lynn Dadd recognizes the dual nature of a spring cleaning ritual, and offers her take on the spiritual uplift it can bring: "For me, cleaning is a spiritual act. It is an opportunity for me as a spiritual being to bring more order, beauty, and harmony to the physical environment in which I dwell. With this viewpoint, cleaning is never a drudgery and is always a joy."
Even if you're still feeling winter's chill, now is a good time to plan your assault and start gathering supplies. Here are some tips to help you get started:
You've planning on using green cleaning solutions this time around, aren't you? Tree Hugging Family's 25 Safe, Non-Toxic Homemade Cleaning Supplies are all easy to make and uncomplicated to use.
Of course Martha Stewart has some advice for us! Martha Stewart's 6 Spring Cleaning Tips
Oprah Radio's Peter Walsh has some practical tips, too, and thinks you should banish spring cleaning in favor of everyday cleaning. Yeah, if we could keep our homes clean via normal, everyday efforts we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?
You'll want your heavy winter clothes and coats to be clean before you store them away. Save money and a trip to the dry cleaner's by steam cleaning them at home.
Get yourself organized! Use storage bins, baskets and boxes to sort and store seasonal items. Label everything! It's so frustrating to find your gloves and scarves the day after you quit searching and buy new ones. Organizing them now will make it easy to find what you need when next winter rolls around.
Mary at Organization for Real Life recommends a zone or "by room" method of organizing your work. Her Spring Cleaning Challenge is already in full swing, but check it out anyway. Day-by-day, step-by-step guidance for those of us who are cleaning-impaired!
What are you going to do with all the clutter you want to get rid of? Homemaking Homesteader donates to charity sometimes, but this week she's trying Freecycle for the first time.
You've been spring cleaning for a few years now. Have you developed some special tips and techniques that make the work go easier? Are there rituals and methods you learned from Mom and still practice every year? Share your spring cleaning stories and strategies.
