Okay, I’m not going to lie, I really don’t like to clean – spring time or otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, my house is not dirty but I don’t obsess over it either. Kind of hard with a two-year-old running around, spilling things and what not. But, I don’t like clutter either. And I like my house to be welcoming and homey. I’m more of what you would call a tidier upper. I clean a little here, a little there. That’s why I usually pick this time of year to do a major overhaul and I just grin and bear it. For me, it’s essential to pick a day where it’s nice outside and I don’t have any distractions or anything else pressing to take care of. Then I get into my workout gear (let’s face it, this will be a workout), I open up all the windows, blast the music and get ‘er done.
So that leads me to methods of spring cleaning. Almost every person I know has their own way to battle this yearly endeavor. Some use Martha Stewart’s checklist – yes, she really has one and you can print it out here. She’s a little too much for me and I tend not to have any rhyme or reason to my cleaning but I know a lot of people like to have a bit more structure. In doing some research, I came across an article called “5 Feng Shui Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Home”. I was intrigued. For those of you not completely familiar with feng shui, it’s an age-old Chinese philosophy about harmonizing your energy with your surrounding environment. According to Catherine Brophy, feng shui master and interior designer, it is “based on the idea that our homes are a mirror of what’s happening inside us. Everything has energy, even inanimate objects.” She says feng shui helps guide that energy and let it flow freely through your home. But I digress. Let’s get back to the article shall we?
I’m not going to rehash the whole thing here (that would be silly). I will tell you, however, that the purpose is to combine your spring cleaning with the principles of feng shui to not only freshen up your home but your personal energy as well. I don’t know about you, but I could always use a good freshening up of my personal energy! You can read the whole article here but the quick breakdown of the five tips are:
- Get rid of all the items cluttering and blocking the energy in your kitchen
- Bring in three new pots with vibrant feng shui green plants
- Clean and get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last six months in your bedroom and bathroom
- Clear out your closets and make physical space to welcome love in your life
- Clear stagnant energy in your home by space clearing
Of course she goes into more detail regarding each of these tips with links to further information as well. If feng shui isn’t your thing, realsimple.com has some easy tips and strategies for those of us who want our spring cleaning done quickly and those that want to be extra thorough (I know you’re out there and I wish you would come to my house!) But whichever way you choose to go, may good energy find you. Happy spring and happy cleaning.
