When all seems dull and lost, the world brings in a touch of hope. Under the snowy façade lies an unborn life ready to burst through the barriers. The world will now be a happier place with daffodils and crocus flowers aiming at imprinting a smile on that face. The green, the blue, the yellow, the pink, the brown and the frowns are turned upside down. It is spring! The season for rejuvenation and renovation. An excuse to start a new life or a new lifestyle.
Spring comes with a package deal. It is spring cleaning and it means serious business. So get your gloves on, your dust mask tight and hold your broom strong and firm! Because we are going to turn the house upside down.
The 3-W’s of Spring Cleaning:
Where?
The history of spring cleaning is vast. Most of it are rumours. But the gist of it is that, during the winters, especially places with harsh winds and blizzards, the houses were heated with coal, good quality wood and oil. They often lit up with candles. This caused a havoc at the end of the winter season. The soot, the dust and, of course, the stubborn wax were almost everywhere.
At the break of dawn, on the first summer day, they get down business. Each and every soul in the family (who escaped the savage cold) would storm around the house, pulling off the furniture, mopping the floors, replacing bed linens, scrubbing the walls, removing the dust and soot from canvases and probably de-lousing is the worst case scenario. While the rich ones would hire housemaids, who arm themselves with washrags and broomsticks. They would split themselves in to two power teams, where one would take care of the floors, walls and bookshelves while the others work on the more intricate spots of the house.
When?
On a warm and dry day. On a hot and sunny day. On a bright and happy day. On a… basically, spring cleaning can be just about anything, on any day. It is often a metaphor used to describe a heavy duty work or an important work done before an event. Example, you have an audit coming up and you get your affairs in order, then that is you doing some spring cleaning at the office. So go ahead, clean up whenever you feel like or you can wait till your floor goes missing. Works either way.
Why?
Now this Ladies and Gentleman is why we are here.
Why do we have to do spring cleaning?
In the modern day, we no longer have soot, dust and coal marks engraving our homes. With the impeccable technology of heaters, centralised air-conditioning, vacuum cleaners and washing machines, little do we need manual help for heating our houses. But still there are certain trade-offs you cannot ignore: – Our homes are air-tight and full of harmful gases and chemicals from floor wax, wall paints and microfibers existing in our carpets. Our very own kitchen, where we cook and eat has filth that go unnoticed. And our ovens? How many of us actually clean our ovens on a regular basis? Here is a big tip before we begin. Get yourself an oven cleaner or a multi-purpose cleaner. Believe me, it will be worth it.
But just like secrets, our homes too deserve fresh air and sunlight. So let us get the skeletons out of the closet.
Spring cleaning and its benefits:
Uno: It increases productivity and creativity.
How?
When you are cleaning up your entire house, you are bound to move stuff around. This, in turn, increases productivity by making you more energetic and de-cluttering your home. While you organize the things in your house, you are bound to find even the tiniest element like a paper clip or a marker pen and figure out interesting ways of its usage. Thereby increasing productivity and creativity. Moreover, think about it. Isn’t this exactly what a home makeover professional would do? So why to hire anybody when you can do it yourself and get maximum benefits.
Organization experts say that the cleaning process itself increases the energy level of an individual.
Dos: The health benefits are quadrupled.
How?
The experts say that a well- done spring clean can nullify the chances of developing a respiratory disorder. Especially at a time when allergies are a rife, the removal of allergens from your house will serve you well and good. If you have carpet as your flooring then the chances of dust mites clogging up are highly prone.
For a change, remove the carpets and let your house sit in its natural form. Unlike the olden days, we now have things easy for us. There are certain effective and nature -friendly products like carpet shampoos, floor maintainers and floor polishers. They are basically janitorial supplies available in any retail shops or even top online stationery websites.
Not only your home but also your work environment can be kept sparkly clean. If time is a luxury you cannot afford then maybe you could just clean your whiteboard spick and span.
Tres: The ultimate stress-buster and releases serotonin and endorphins.
How?
Studies have proven that the act of cleaning or de-cluttering often releases serotonin and endorphins, the happy hormones. Sounds absurd? Did you know that 83% of the people in Britain think happiness is a clean house? Contrary to the popular belief that cleanliness is next to godliness, the majority of the mass agrees that cleanliness is next to happiness.
And if the facts do not convince you then I repeat myself, we can wait till your floor goes missing. After which, put on some groovy music and get down to cleaning. You will lose weight both figuratively and literally.
Cuatro: Gifting yourself with something new and liberating your life.
It is a way of life that things have to get messy for it to become clean. And anyone who has cleaned their office cabinets or closet can vouch for this statement. Once you have finally cleaned the house, you will have a sense of accomplishment. And soon you will say, if I can clean my room in such a short span, then Mount Everest is going to be a piece of cake to conquer. Well, at least, it would make you believe so.
It is human instinct to love rewards. So do just that. Reward yourself after you have cleaned up your home. And by rewards, I mean beautiful flowers or Jo Malone. If it is your office then buy yourself a new work desk or any office furniture at that.
Spring is all about the new. A new life and a new start are always the way to go. Get rid of the old chocolates, worn out files and pens that no longer work. Got gifts from an ex who is not worthy of the nostalgia? Throw it out! Renew yourself. Find a new you. And maybe you will find a hidden answer you were searching for so long.