Spring cleaning is an annual ritual that some partake in to declutter and deep clean their house or room. This tradition symbolizes a fresh start and represents the transition from a dull winter to a lively spring. Surprisingly, the origin of this practice can be traced back to ancient times, with the earliest allusion to spring cleaning in the Jewish tradition called Passover.Persian and Chinese cultures contain deep-rooted New Year customs akin to spring cleaning. Respectively, “shaking the house” and “sweeping the dust” are similar figures of speech that indicate making way for new beginnings. Spring cleaning is a modern-day amalgamation of these cultural customs to form a tradition we can appreciate today.
Senior Sarah Ye indulges in decluttering during Spring Break every year, especially when having strict parents makes keeping tidy and organized a top priority. “We typically clean every two weeks, but a deep clean happens during spring,” Ye said. For her, deep cleans have become a way of life and a means to destress. She believes cleaning is meditative and a good habit to build for the future when she has to take self-accountability.“The prospect of [cleaning] stresses me out,” Ye said. “Once I get into it and finish, it’s satisfying — I feel a lot better.”Even though she reaps satisfaction from her room being spick and span, Ye is rather particular about how she cleans. “I’m very picky about how I clean my stuff,” she said. “I don’t even let my parents do my laundry or fold my clothes because I have a specific way I fold them.”
Ye shares a couple of tips on how to minimize the burden of cleaning and make good habits out of it. She thinks gamifying chores and rewards are most effective at being disciplined when it comes to tidying up. “I try to maintain a habit of cleaning,” Ye said. “As soon as I finish doing something, I clean it so it doesn’t pile up.” Ye recommends cleaning as you go because attacking a task bit by bit is significantly better than dealing with a huge mess at the end. This tip is super important to her because if she doesn’t follow it, piles of dishes and laundry start to stack up. She also implores others to clean their room every week because it improves their mental health. “If I’m crashing out, you can tell [by] my room,” Ye said. “Clothes [are strewn] across the floor.” She ultimately believes her room is a reflection of her state of mind.
“Clean room, clean spirit, clean soul,” she said.
