Many view the first few months of a new year as a time for new beginnings and a fresh start. With the new season of spring fast approaching, there is no better time to refresh your home and create a space you can feel comfortable in. Spring cleaning is upon us, and with it comes the opportunity to clear clutter from one’s life, both metaphorically and literally.

   First off, in order to successfully complete spring cleaning one must understand what it is. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, spring cleaning is defined as “…the act or process of doing a thorough cleaning of a place” (merriamwebster.com). It is typically done at the beginning of a new year and, according to a cleaning blog, “Spring Cleaning started as a way to clean away the mess made in winter. Previously, homes were heated by fires, and doors were kept shut tight to keep the warm air in. This, of course, led to soot and grime accumulating during the cold months” (thecleaningauthority.com). Regardless of its past, spring cleaning is still beneficial and important as it boosts productivity, helps people find lost items, creates more space, and even opens up the chance to make some extra money by selling old unwanted items. You know what they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 

   The best way to start your spring cleaning is not to overthink it. Many people are discouraged at the thought of having to clean and sort through all of their stuff, with so many different other things going on in their lives. Despite how overwhelming the experience may seem, the solution is to take one step at a time and create a plan of action. Going in sections is an easy way to break down a seemingly insurmountable task: start with changing your bed sheets and washing your blankets, pillows, and covers, or going through your closet to see what still fits or is in season. Choosing to tackle these simpler jobs in sections helps to create a less chaotic environment so there is not as much going on at one time, and allows for a break in between tasks. 

   When cleaning in sections, as mentioned before, consider time management to see what can be done in the given time and to determine whether a bigger task, such as going through your entire closet and cleaning it out, or a shorter one, like vacuuming, is better for your schedule to avoid unfinished tasks. But remember, this is the time to thoroughly clean everything, so don’t try to rush through it; do it well enough to last until next year.

   This is also the time to get anything done that you have constantly been avoiding, or perhaps that even goes unthought of. For example, if you light candles and they are within a close distance of a wall they can create soot and dirt, or even without lighting candles, walls get dirtier than you think and often hold dust that piles up as it goes unacknowledged. Even though scrubbing your walls down may seem odd or unnecessary, there’s most likely more grime stuck to them than you think, and spring cleaning is the perfect time to get that out of the way.

     Senior Javier Lilly-Marrujo said, “Spring cleaning allows you a fresh start and helps you become better organized for the upcoming seasons.”  He continued by mentioning how cleaning is an important habit to develop. It is often neglected because life gets in the way. This is understandable, and doing it thoroughly at least once a year is even more important because of this. 

   Spring cleaning can be tackled in many different ways, and everyone should take on the challenge in whatever way works best for them, whether it be just a little organizing or going through one’s entire wardrobe and clearing out old clothes. Getting rid of what is no longer useful has the power to help one feel more prepared and rejuvenated for the upcoming seasons, potentially saving another proper cleaning a year in advance.