Springing into action
Spring is sprung, and a spring clean is not just an expression; it is a reality. It has come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organising enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.
One suggestion is that its origins date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of "khooneh tekouni" which literally means "shaking the house" just before the New Year. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture.
A similar tradition is the Scottish "New Year’s cleaning" on Hogmanay (December 31), a practice now also widespread in Ireland, New Zealand, and North America.
But enough of why…let’s deal with how. Like lots of complex tasks it involves a degree of compartmentalisation, of divide and conquer.
So let’s take different parts of the house one at a time Bedrooms Start by pulling the bed out from the wall as well as any furniture too. Air the mattress and wash and air all bedding. Wipe down walls, skirtings and window and door surrounds. Vacuum thoroughly and dust lampshades and ceiling fans. Wash the windows and wash or dry-clean curtains. There are special tools available at hardware stores for venetian blinds, or you can just dust them, slat by slat, with a moist cloth. Finally, clean the mirrors, clear out your wardrobe and clean carpets if needed. You may at this stage, decide to drag out all of your clothes and cast a ruthless eye over them. How many times have you actually worn that particular item of clothing? Hardly ever? Maybe you can take a trip to a clothing bin and recycle it Living areas Repeat basic bedroom tasks, as applicable. Carefully dust framed art or photographs. Make sure you don’t spray cleaner directly onto oil paintings as it can damage the surface. Carefully wipe the TV screen. Dust furniture with a damp cloth, then wax or polish it to make it look its best. Wash decorative accessories in warm soapy water and dry well before replacing. Remove books from the bookshelf, wipe it down, and dust the top of each book.