Welcome to springtime! The official first day of spring is March 20, but in my mind, there are two signs the season has changed. One, the first daffodil has poked its head up. Two, I have an urge to open my doors to let the sun in and the old air out.
With the desire to let the sunshine in comes a desire to shake things up a bit, to refresh my life. To do this, I know spring-cleaning my home is always the best place to start.
Here are 5 simple spring-cleaning ideas to welcome in the new season and the new beginnings it represents:
1. Open windows and doors, even for a little while.
This clears out unseen toxins in the air that build up when homes are shut tight. Unless you have the greenest of homes, many home items off-gas things that are best shooed out of the house.
Open up windows or doors on opposite sides of the house to pull air through, then let fresh air clear the rooms, your lungs and your spirit.
2. Clear clutter.
Give yourself a doable time frame to clear all the easy, visible clutter in the house (or choose to do one room). Here are the steps I like to take:
- Put on a podcast, favorite song or playlist.
- Turn phone to silent and set it somewhere it won’t be distracting.
- Find a clothes hamper or an easy-to-carry box.
- Pick up the easiest clutter items and put them in the basket or box.
- Don’t allow distractions! Just put the items in the basket.
When the basket is full, systematically put items where they belong — if you come across items that need to be dealt with ASAP, make a pile and deal with them after you’ve cleared the easy clutter.
When the song, album or podcast is done and you’ve put things where they belong, congratulate yourself on a job well done.
3. Get rid of clothes.
You know, those jeans that just never quite fit right, the shirt that never gets worn — it’s time to say goodbye to the old and unworn and say hello to the things you love.
It helps to have a place in mind where you feel good about donating items, such as your local shelter. This sends a message to the universe saying, “Bring on the good life!”
Donate or toss clothes that:
- You haven’t worn it in the last year
- Have stains, tears, missing buttons or broken zippers
- You never really liked or you liked it once but now, not so much
- You don’t feel good in — it’s time to love yourself as you are right now and loving your clothes will help
- Don’t fit (if you just can’t let it go, keep a small box of clothes for an allotted time and if you come across it in your next cleanup, it’s time to let it go, but write the packing date on the box)
4. Move the furniture and vacuum underneath.
Clear old energy (and dust bunnies) by moving furniture and vacuuming underneath. Feng shui expert Amanda Gibby Peters says, “Rearranging even the smallest space allows refreshment into your life.”
5. Put fresh flowers around your house.
This is a way of welcoming the outdoors in, and a simple but beautiful way of making your home feel fresh and beautiful.
Happy springtime! With a few simple steps, ushering in this refreshing season can bring a shift in your home, your health and your outlook.
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