Spring Cleaning In The Modern Age
Spring cleaning seems to have always been a thing, right? Every year, Spring brings flowers, longer days, lambs and the feeling that we must clean. Where exactly does the idea spring from, and how can we apply it to the modern age?
A bit of history…
According to Country Living, during the 19th century people cleaned their homes after winter in order to rid the rooms of build up from the fires and gas lights they would have used extensively throughout the cold, dark season. However, the tradition of Spring cleaning stems from older religious and cultural traditions. Linked to festivals such as Passover in Jewish culture, Good Friday in the Christian calendar, and in Iran the holiday known as Nowruz, for centuries different cultures have been participating in the phenomena that is Spring Cleaning!
Why do we do it?
There is some psychology behind why we as humans, feel the need to clean when Spring comes around. While we don’t exactly hibernate during winter, How Stuff Works has suggested it is the fact that we are exposed to less sunlight during winter that we just don’t have the energy to clean. When the longer days kick in during springtime, we have the energy to clean. So you could say Spring Cleaning is in our blood!
Spring Cleaning meets The Internet
Cleaning has hit mainstream media big time this past year. From bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers and Netflix shows inspired by the phenomena we have some suggestions of people to follow, shows to watch, and our favourite tips for you to try if you want to Spring Clean like a pro!
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo - Netflix
Marie Kondo is an organising extraordinaire. Having written four books on organising and tidying, Marie knows what she is talking about. So much so, that Netflix decided to make a show with her.
Our favourite tip of Marie’s for organising? If an item in your home doesn’t give you joy, it is time to get rid of it. Remember, just because it doesn’t give you joy, doesn’t mean it won’t bring happiness to somebody else. Always try to donate items you no longer want or use if they are of good quality.
Mrs Hinch @mrshinchhome - Instagram
Sophie Hinchliffe is a cleaning extraordinaire who took off on Instagram in 2018 with her “hinching” videos on Instagram. Mrs Hinch also has a bestselling book Hinch Yourself Happy. Our favourite tip? Clean your washing machine! We’re not talking a random wipe down every now and again, Mrs Hinch has showed us how to deep clean our washing machines and it is honestly life changing! Check out her Instagram highlights for the video tutorial.
Becky’s blog is crammed with tips and tricks on keeping your home (and life) decluttered and tidy. From printables to get you organised to a subscription to a Homekeeping Society, Clean Mama Blog is every cleaning lover's dream! Our favourite tips her “5 Daily Tasks That Will Change Your Life”.
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash.