Spring-cleaning is one of the most relaxing ways to blow off steam. This activity one way to purge your home of negative energies and to let in positive vibes… and it will be clean too, which is helpful for the neat freak in us. All the dirt, dust, specks and lint that may have gotten stuck in corners are just itching to be cleaned, and the windows are begging to be opened. Items lying around tend to make you feel clustered.

During the winter, even though the house may be cleaned on a daily basis, you can’t really open it up and go at it the way you want to. Letting the spring air in can actually be good for you. Fresh air from outside usually contains more negative ions than dry air circulated through your home in the winter. High amounts of negative ions have been associated with improved mood too [1]! Yay fresh air!

Personally, I love cleaning. It’s one of the enjoyable activities I could ever engage in, but I’m not a fan of cleaning in the winter. When I’m indoors, all I want to do is curl up with a good book and enjoy the warmth from the heater.

A lot of people don’t know this, but there are actually health benefits of spring cleaning. It’s a truly healthy activity. Sometimes, I spring clean twice during this season, even though there’s nothing to clean the second time. Just a head up… it’s not OCD, but I guess I’m one of those people that relax while cleaning.

Here are three amazing health benefits of spring cleaning:

1.   It freshens the air and helps you breathe better

After an entire winter in your stuffy home indoor allergens such as dust, dander, mold, and mites can accumulate [2]. Sometimes, if you don’t declutter your space and wipe it clean of unwanted dirtiness, you’ll have a hard time living in it.

A muggy home could cause allergies and respiratory difficulty. It’s important to open up your home after a long time, move some appliances around and clean out every space, edge, and corner. If you have pollen allergies or other outdoor allergies it’s important to not open up your windows for too long or to keep track of the pollen count. Here are some tips on how to clean with allergies!

2. It reduces stress

Speaking to Elite Daily, a psychologist at the Ambrosia Treatment Center, Dr. Sal Raibach says spring-cleaning is a form of therapy [3]. “Where you live is an extension of yourself, and it feels good to come home to a place that is tidy and organized,” he said. “Even people who don’t enjoy cleaning find that if they approach it as a form of self-care instead of a chore, it can be very therapeutic.”

There you have it cleaning the home can help ‘clean your mind.’ When you purge your home of unwanted dirtiness and put things back in their places, you’re decluttering your mind and putting your goals in perspective. It’s a natural (and free) way to reduce stress and anxiety.

3. You get to work out and loosen those knotted muscles

A lot of people don’t have the time to hit the gym or at the very least, follow a simple workout routine in their living room. Staying fit is necessary for the wellbeing of the mind, body, and soul. Spring cleaning is one way to loosen your tight muscles, flex your joints, and get your heart beating faster again.  Sometimes, after a good exercise during your spring cleaning, you’ll start to want those endorphins (happy hormones) coursing through you more often. Your work out journey might just begin from here.

Spring cleaning guide:

Asides from laziness, another reason why most people don’t like to spring-clean is that they can’t keep track what they’ve done, what they need to do, and what desperately needs to be done. Trying to make a list won’t really do them any good.

Worry no more. Taste of Home came up with this cool printable checklist to help you keep track of everything you need to do in every room [4]. You don’t have to write anything down. Just check it off the list and move on. It isn’t just meant for use during the spring. You can use it whenever you want to give your home a thorough cleaning.

For example, this is what the dining room section looks like:

Dining Room

• Dust china in china cabinet
• Launder and press table linens.
• Polish silver
• Dust and polish furniture
• Vacuum or spot clean chair cushions
• Wipe walls
• Wipe baseboards
• Clean light fixture
• Dust blinds
• Dust curtain rods
• Clean window sills
• Wash windows
• Clean or vacuum curtains
• Mop or vacuum floor
• Shampoo rugs or carpet

You can download the checklist here and have an easy time decluttering your space [5].

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