Think Light: Tackling Spring Cleaning

Are you as confused as I am by the weather? It was starting to be warm enough to open a window, and now we are back to winter coats! Yet, despite the weather, flowering trees and shrubs are blooming; perennials are starting to get green. It may be too soon to garden, but spring cleaning seems appropriate.

One of my favorite blogs is Sacred Science and recently Nick Polozzi wrote about ways to tap into nature for our spring cFootleaning rituals. In one way or another, we crack open our winter seclusion and get ready to go outside again

There is the usual “declutter.” I want to be lighter, after a long winter, but as I clean out and give away I’ll also buy new and remain the same. I know it's good for the mind to live with less clutter, but mine is neatly placed in closets, cabinets and attics, so my highly organized conscious is clear. LOL.

I love Nick’s idea of making the spring cleaning process a meditative practice. Most of us just push through these chores because we’d rather be doing something else. For me, though, it’s a time to reconnect with the very things I am so attached to I don’t want to let go. Although, I don’t like to clean I love when my house IS clean. So consider the wisdom of Mr. Miyagi and “wax on, wax off.”

Whether you’re doing a mental spring cleaning or the physical kind, it’s a great time to rearrange things for a new perspective. How many times here have I suggested moving stuff around? Spring is a great time to do this. If you’re moving furniture to vacuum under it why not try a different layout? You don’t need to be an expert at Feng Shui to change the energy in a room.

This is also the time I wash my slipcovers. First, I vacuum them then I’ll spot treat them, and put them into a washer with mild detergent. Just like when I’m having my rugs cleaned, I try planning for a warm sunny day. This way I can hang them out for most of the drying, and put them in the dryer to finish. This will keep the shrinkage and the wrinkling to a minimum. I may have to press the skirts, but not usually. If I am ambitious enough and have the time, while I'm washing windows, and putting in screens, it's a good time to take down the drapes, wash them, have them cleaned or at the very least, hang them on the line or vacuum the dust off them. It’s not until I move them to get to the window and get a nose full of dust, that I realize just how forgotten they are. (If you’re slipcovers aren’t washable, take them to the dry cleaner and then air them outside for the smell of the sun).

This ties into the Nick’s point about cleaning the air. It’s not until the house starts to warm up that you notice the stale air or after having the windows open the other day, for just a little while. Of course the timing needs to be right for this. Last year, I had dusted, put screens in, washed windows and opened everything up only for it to be covered completely in pollen. Thankfully, the pollen hasn’t started to fall in my area yet. So opening things up to remove the winter staleness and usher in a spring rebirth.

I’d love you to share your spring cleaning tips, and or your rituals as we look forward to warmer weather and of course the ultimate prize…outdoor living!