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28 April 2018 - Spring Clean isn't a Thing

Spring Cleaning? It's "For the Birds"

"If you shudder to think of spring and fall because they are housecleaning seasons, relax. It isn't necessary today to go through the trauma of tearing the house apart twice a year, or even once."


Trauma.

This is the perfect word for housecleaning.

Our Almanac suggests that Spring Cleaning just ain't what it used to be.

Let's take a look at history to find out what started our fixation on the ritualistic cleaning of spring.

Nowruz

Nowruz is the the Iranian New Year. Also known as the Persian New Year which falls on the first day of Spring.
The practice of "khooneh tekouni" which translates to "shaking of the house" is practiced just before the New Year celebrations. Everything is the house is cleaned!

Passover

Before the celebration of Passover, Jewish people would rid their homes of every remnant of "chametz". Chametz is any food that was leavened or fermented with yeast. Observant Jews would clean their homes throughly to ensure every crumb of leavened bread was out of the home prepare for Holy Week.

Clean Monday

This is a Catholic tradition of preparing for the season of lent. During Lent there is a period of fasting. Certain foods are not allowed so this is time of "cleaning out" your home of non-fasting foods. We briefly talked about the Lent season in these posts!

17 February 2018

18 February 2018

19th Century Cleaning

The more practical reason for Spring Cleaning was because of the winter. Before vacuum cleaners and central heat and air units, winter would be a time that dust, soot, and bugs would just accumulate in the home. It was cold! So naturally doors and windows were sealed to keep heat inside the home.

As March comes along and warmer air begins to blow, many took advantage of this time to open windows and doors to sweep and dust. They would even take out furniture, drapes, and rugs to clean out dust and soot.

They even cleaned their walls because of the soot from a fire going all winter!

2018

Today we don't have to worry about beating rugs outside or washing our walls. We have modern air flow and cleaning tools that help us to keep our homes in shape during any time of year. We mostly now think of "Spring Cleaning" as getting rid of items we might not need. Like clothes your kids don't fit into any more. Maybe it is doing some Home Improvements around the house.

So don't worry too much that you have to jump up and go on a cleaning frenzy!

It's just Spring so enjoy the modern conveniences of this century.





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