In Japanese tradition, it is customary to spring clean your home before ringing in the New Year. They like to start the year fresh and new, removing all old energy. I guess us Japanese should call it “New Years” cleaning instead of spring cleaning.
In the old days, the traditional way of cleaning was to use a wet cloth, with just plain water and wipe everything down, from walls to floors and even light bulbs! Homes were small and they didn’t have much furniture so it wasn’t a major ordeal. But, today with our bigger homes and accumulated stuff, wiping down everything isn’t so easy, so we just have to do the best we can.
Although there are only a few days left to 2010, there is still time to get your house ready to bring in the New Year with new energy. I have to find a way to convince the family that they need to help me! The plan is to designate a day to make it a family event and give everyone a bucket of water and a clean cloth, then we can wipe the place down all together! To help get everyone motivated and moving, it’s good to have upbeat music to get into a cheerful rhythm. I know, I know, it’s hard to get the kids involved because to them “cleaning” is considered “work”. Maybe by promising them a good meal or dessert for all their effort will be a good enough incentive!
This is also a good time to move some of the big furniture such as the sofa to get under those places you don’t normally have time for. Vacuuming is a great way to get the bits under the sofa cushions and use your extension to catch all those stubborn cobwebs on high ceilings. Wipe down windows, blinds and don’t forget shelves because we forget how much dust our books collect! And remember wiping bulbs will help brighten the space too.
But most of all, reminding the family that getting rid of dust bunnies and cob webs will clean the air as well as refresh the space, making them feel wonderful by giving them new energy for the New Year! What a wonderful way to bring in the New Year!
Cover image: Pixabay
