Spring Cleaning!

It's officially spring! For many of us, that means it's time for spring cleaning. The roots of spring cleaning go deeper than you might expect, with cultural, religious, and practical origins from all over the world. For example, in ancient Persia, people practiced "khaneh tekani" (meaning "shaking the house") just before the Persian New Year (Nowruz) around the spring equinox. This ritual involved deep cleaning homes to prepare for a fresh, prosperous year. Similarly, the Jewish tradition of cleaning before Passover - a holiday that typically falls in the spring - involves thoroughly removing all traces of leavened bread (chametz) from the home.

In practical terms, spring cleaning became common in colder climates during the 19th century, when homes were lit with kerosene and heated with coal or wood. By the time spring arrived, houses were covered in soot and grime, making warmer weather the perfect time to open the windows and scrub everything down.

Spring cleaning remains a ritual for many households today. Some of the most common tasks include decluttering closets and drawers, and deep cleaning carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Don't forget a deep clean of the kitchen and bathrooms - scrub those floors and tubs! After months of indoor living, it is good to tackle hidden dust and allergens, so dust ceiling fans, baseboards, and behind and under furniture. Washing windows is another classic spring cleaning job, letting in more sunlight as the days get longer.

Many people like to organize their house during spring cleaning. But Dana K. White, author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff, says people often start organizing in the wrong place. She wrote, "What I see happen is people get really inspired to declutter and they immediately go to an obscure place in the house. Like the linen closet or the top shelf of their closet. The problem with that is you use your decluttering energy, and your house doesn't actually look or function any better." According to White, the front door / entry area is one of the best places to start: "I'm going to go to the place where guests would enter, and that is where I'm going to use my decluttering energy, because I'm going to see and I'm going to benefit from the work that I've done." By seeing that effort pay off, you are more likely to continue organizing other areas of your house.

Despite the effort many people put into spring cleaning, a few areas often get neglected. One commonly overlooked task is cleaning behind large appliances. In the kitchen, dust, crumbs, and grime love to hide behind your stove, fridge, and dishwasher. Fridge coils collect hair, dirt, and dust - especially if you have a pet. If you don't clean the coils regularly, it can increase your energy bill and your refrigerator won't cool as efficiently. It can also lead to your fridge making loud noises or buzzing sounds. In the laundry room, dust and lint can easily get trapped behind the dryer, creating a fire hazard. People often also forget to think about air vents and filters. Dusty HVAC systems can circulate stale air and allergens. Kyshawn Lane, who runs the Instagram account "Weekly Home Check," said, "Especially if you suffer from allergies as we're going into the springtime... our inside air can be three times worse than the air that's outside. So you definitely want to hone in on changing those filters to reduce pollutants, to reduce allergens and bacteria from the air."

Spring cleaning is a chance to hit the reset button. To make spring cleaning a more enjoyable experience, put on some of your favorite music and let fresh air into your home by opening the windows while cleaning! Whether you embrace the historical roots or just love the feeling of a fresh, clean home, tackling both the usual suspects and the often-missed spots can make a big difference.