Spring cleaning traditions from across the globe
There are many theories about where the tradition of spring cleaning came from, but several cultures practice the ritual. Here are three from around the world.
• Persian New Year or Nowruz: In the Middle East and Central Asia, March 20, 21 or 22 starts the new year. The United Nations describes Nowruz (sometimes Norooz or Noruz) as an “ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature.” Many trace its origins to Iran, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as the Persian New Year. In the weeks leading up to Nowruz, families prepare by khaneh tekani, or the “shaking down the house” and it’s not just cleaning the home, but cleansing the house of bad spirits.
• Chinese New Year: The day before the Chinese New Year, which happens early in the year, families spend the day cleaning their homes to get rid of the past year’s bad luck and prepare for this year’s new luck.
• Passover: The Spring Jewish holiday celebrates ancient Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. They left in such a hurry that they didn’t have time to let their bread rise or leaven. The Torah states that no leavened products or “chametz” may be present in the homes of those who practice the Jewish faith. In preparation for Passover, families will spend days eliminating any trace of chametz from their homes.
Some of us believe cleaning is a necessary evil, while others live for the smell of bleach, ammonia and Fabuloso. When the change in weather brings flowers, allergies and a ritualistic desire to sanitize our dwellings, here are tips and tricks that will help everyone achieve new cleaning heights.
First and foremost
Get rid of the excess. Jason Mancillas, owner of A Better Clean, recommends removing all clutter before attempting anything else.
For the basics
• Drawers: Sort through every drawer and recycle or toss unneeded paperwork. File necessary pages into labeled folders and assign drawers to specific items (i.e., a drawer for all the chargers in the house, a drawer for medical paperwork, a drawer for coupons).
• Shower buildup: The cleanser Bar Keepers Friend “will rip right through all of that stuff [shower buildup]. That’s one of our tricks up our sleeves,” Mancillas said. But do not use it on natural stone.
• Windows: Cleaning the inside and outside of your home’s windows, streak-free, requires a squeegee, a bucket big enough for the squeegee, a window mop, microfiber towels and the solution of your choice. Start by soaking the window mop in the solution. Scrub the window. Starting in the top corner of the window, use the squeegee to wipe away the solution in one, even, snake-like motion. After it dries, use the microfiber towel to wipe away streaks.
• Hard water stains in the toilet: Mancillas suggests using a pumice stone. “You just get it wet, and you go to town. For the worst toilet stain that you’ve ever seen, you can get it off in 15-20 minutes.”
For the often-forgotten spots
• The washing machine: While they’re made to clean clothes, washing machines can get dirty. Consumer Reports notes that front-load machines are particularly prone to mildew, soap scum and mold. They suggest cleaning your washing machine by running a wash without clothes on the hottest setting with a cup of bleach. The bleach will kill the mildew, mold and soap scum.
• The mattress: According to Consumer Reports, you spend about a third of your life in bed, and your mattress absorbs all your dead skin cells that mites and other critters eat. The magazine suggests you vacuum your mattress with an upholstery attachment. Then sprinkle baking soda over the mattress and let it sit overnight to help deodorize.
• The dishwasher: Odors from the food left on dishes can build up inside your dishwasher and waft into your kitchen, according to Consumer Reports. It suggests cleaning the exterior with a disinfectant spray before moving to the interior. Then place a clean bowl filled with vinegar at the center of the bottom rack and run your dishwasher on a normal cycle without detergent. The vinegar will sanitize and deodorize your dishwasher.
• The baseboards: Mancillas said the biggest things most people miss when they clean are the baseboards “just because it sucks. There’s no easy way to do it. You’ve got to get on your hands and knees and wipe them.”
Process tips: Make a schedule and divide the cleaning
• By room: “Break it down into bits and pieces,” Mancillas says. “On an average-sized house, if we’re doing a deep clean with the depth and quality of the work we do, it would be close to 9-10 work hours. We send three people out for three hours. So if you’re doing it by yourself, it would take you all day. That’s a great way to lose interest and lose the spirit of it.”
He suggests scheduling the deep cleaning by room for no more than an hour or two, but to remember that bathrooms and kitchens take longer.
• Make a playlist: Create a playlist of your favorite upbeat tunes to help motivate you and your family to power through the cleaning.
• Create donate, keep and toss piles for each room: As you go through each room, decide what you need to keep, what can donated and what needs to be tossed. Create a list of things that need to be replaced or fixed in each room as well.
• Top to bottom, left to right: “One of the tricks we use is top-to-bottom, left-to-right,” Mancillas says. “It’s the Golden Rule when you talk about cleaning, and it really ensures you don’t miss anything.” Look at the ceiling and start there, whether that’s cleaning the vents or the cobwebs in the corners. People often forgot to clean their fan before they make their bed and vacuum and end up cleaning those areas twice.
• Provide rewards for the cleaners: Mancillas said the best way to avoid conflict for cleaners, whether it’s a significant other, roommates or children, is to “provide them carrots,” such as offering to take them to the movies, or ordering pizza.
Last Words
“If you’re not willing to run through your house once a month and touch about 90 percent of the surfaces, you’re going to pay for it later, because eventually there’s going to be buildup that won’t come off. There’s going to be stuff that can get damaged from the buildup or soap scum or grease, and it can attract cockroaches,” Mancillas says. “I recommend having people look into having a service run through if they’re not going to do it themselves.”