The Importance of Spring Cleaning

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Spring is here (hopefully), and it's time to get that spring cleaning underway. Here are some tips and reasons why spring cleaning is so important:

Brightening Things Up Inside

For centuries, spring has been the season for cleaning. In Chinese culture, they have traditionally swept their floors and cleaned out their houses to purge any bad luck and prepare for the coming of a new year. According to Jewish lore, Passover is a time to clear out the home of all leavened products. This led to a full spring cleaning of the home.

Meanwhile, in America, the idea of spring cleaning has become a tradition for very practical reasons. The cold and darkness that trapped you in your house all winter fade away and are replaced by longer days and warmer weather.

“Spring cleaning is psychologically important,” said Danny Lipford, a veteran remodeling contractor and frequent contributor to CBS’ "The Early Show." “We’re ingrained with the idea of cleaning up once we’re unleashed from the house in the spring.”

For Peggy Johnson, a North Carolina-based specialist in budget-friendly redesign, spring cleaning is more than just tidying things up. It’s about change and shaking things up for a whole new look around the house that suits the spirit of the season. For instance, she suggests using bright baskets rather than plastic containers to organize items like newspapers and keepsakes. It’s a way to clean up and “create texture, as well as adding another element to the room, something fun.”

If your cleaning is mostly about changing the look of your place, it does not have to be expensive. Something as simple as moving artwork to different walls can give your home a different look.