“I think it is less stressful when your house is all organized and everything is not cluttered,” states Mrs. Todd, a librarian and the media specialist at Kempsville High School.
Cleaning is an essential part of de-stressing and illness prevention. Spring cleaning gives people time to clean all the cracks and crannies they usually don’t have the time for.
“For spring cleaning I envision cleaning out closets and doing some crazy deep cleaning things like vacuuming the blinds or lamp shapes, which I know I’m weird for. Or taking all the pots and pans out of the cabinet, vacuum[ing] the cabinet, wip[ing] it down, like really intense cleaning things that I don’t normally do every week…” Mrs. Todd notes.
Mrs. Todd also adds that she never thought of spring cleaning as a “reset” before summer. She thinks of it more as an excuse to declutter her house.
“So I usually do three major cleans a year. One will be right before school starts, one is usually after Christmas, and one over spring break,” says Todd.
Spring cleaning is known as the time for a big clean, but that doesn’t mean to ignore deep cleaning at other times of the year. It’s not healthy to leave that off for once a year. Spring cleaning is a time to finish projects, start new projects, or deep clean things that aren’t a major priority but should get done.
Kayla Schober, a tenth grader at Kempsville High School, advises spring cleaners “to actually go into organizing while you’re cleaning. Do sections, like when I clean my room, [if] I’m doing my desk, I’ll organize my whole desk, then move next to my desk [to clean] my jewelry box and everything.”
Yes, the word cleaning is in “spring cleaning” but that also entails organizing. Organizing is a key factor to a clean home. It’s important to not make a mess while cleaning up a mess. If you move things when cleaning, move them back instead of just leaving them cluttered.
Going through and getting rid of unused items will greatly declutter homes and provide space for more necessary items. It’s easier to clean with less items taking up space.
A spring cleaning article on Better Homes and Gardens advises that you consider cleaning your windows, deep cleaning your carpets, dusting your light fixtures, power washing the sides of your house, and cleaning and repairing your gutters. These are just a few suggestions, but are big tasks the typical homeowner should tend to when intensely cleaning their home.
Spring cleaning is not a requirement; it is not something everyone has to participate in… but it is recommended. The general idea of having a designated time for deep cleaning is definitely suggested, and it doesn’t have to be in the spring. Spring cleaning is just an optional activity lots of people do.
An article from 1-800 Got Junk mentions that spring cleaning reduces stress levels and provides accomplishment amongst the cleaner. Spring cleaning also boosts productivity since too much clutter can be distracting and get in the way of people completing other tasks.
Boba Vila explains that “during darker winter months, the body produces more melatonin, a hormone that increases sleepiness.” And in spring, we feel ‘“Lighter.”’ Since we have more energy in the spring, that’s when we’re more likely to clean. Hence spring cleaning.
Comprehensively, spring cleaning provides the cleaner with a sense of relief, relaxation, accomplishment, and boosts their health. Deep cleaning can act as a reset in the mind and a person’s habits. We’re more inclined to clean in the spring due to the time change, but spring isn’t the only time to clean. All in all, spring cleaning offers many benefits and motivates people to accomplish more. So if you are hesitant to clean over spring break, don’t be, go out and start cleaning!
