For most people, spring cleaning marks the start of annual cleaning overhauls in our homes. This is the perfect time to clean, declutter, organize, and rearrange your home. While living in a clean house has apparent benefits, like having an organized house free of bacteria, we cannot ignore the mental health side of it. So, in this article, we want to explore spring cleaning mental health and how to be more effective in this annual cleaning exercise.
Part 1. Reasons Spring Cleaning Is Good for Mental Health
Tidying up your home can obviously make you feel better. But is there any science-backed evidence that spring cleaning works wonders on your mental health? Below is what research says about living in a clean home:
1. Feeling more organized
According to recent research by scholars, there is a link between living in a cluttered environment and procrastination. For those who don’t know, procrastination is the “voluntary” act of delaying essential duties despite being aware of negative consequences. Researchers say living in a well-arranged and structured environment will make you feel more organized and in control.
2. Tonic for seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is mood changes that could happen in shorter days of winter and fall. Although this condition is temporary, it can affect how you feel and react to your surroundings. It’s estimated that 5% of Americans suffer from this condition, which causes increased sadness and loss of energy. But don’t worry because spring cleaning can give you a sense of relief and assurance that the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer.
3. Having a fresh start
We often make the mistake of undervaluing the effects of a fresh start. However, resetting your mental health can revitalize you and minimize the impact of stress and anxiety. Spring cleaning is an example of “temporal mental landmarks” where you are transitioning to something new. You can change your curtains, reorganize your bathroom, wash your carpet, and more. It’s more like moving to a new home without changing houses.
4. Sense of accomplishment
Studies reveal that having a sense of accomplishment is vital to students who want to develop positive well-being over time. In addition, those with a strong sense of purpose and achievement are the best performers at work. These findings have a direct link to spring cleaning. How would you feel after ticking everything on your spring cleaning checklist? Accomplishing your cleaning tasks can also make you feel like you can plan and achieve another goal.
5. Physical activity and endorphin hormones
Spring cleaning was never going to be an easy task. From mopping the house to rearranging your living room, you may need a helping hand. Research shows that physical activities increase the production of endorphin hormones. This hormone can help you relieve stress and respond better to stressful experiences. Some doctors say this hormone is an excellent pain reliever.
Part 2. How to Be More Effective with Spring Cleaning
You now know the connection between spring cleaning and mental health. Next, let’s share some tips on being more effective in this annual exercise.
1. Develop a spring cleaning checklist
Having a plan is vital if you’re to succeed in your spring cleaning exercise. With a working spring cleaning checklist, you’ll know what needs to be done and when it needs to be cleaned. Divide the checklist into several portions, starting with the living room and proceeding to the bedrooms and kitchen. Without a proper plan, you may feel like you need to do everything at once. This will ultimately affect you psychologically and physically. So, have a room-by-room checklist.
Ready for some cleaning? Here's a spring cleaning checklist for you!
2. Get the right cleaning tools
This is the first thing you should do before creating a cleaning checklist. You can start by shopping for the best vacuum because you’ll definitely need it. For example, a robot vacuum cleaner like the eufy X10 Pro Omini delivers powerful remote cleaning capabilities backed by 8,000 pa of suction power. The AI.See Smart cleaning technology will give you peace of mind as the robovac does its business without bumping into obstacles.
Other things you’ll need for the spring cleaning exercise include:
- An all-purpose, eco-friendly cleaning detergent
- Clorox-free cleaning wipes
- Adhesive remover
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Feather duster
- Household cleaning gloves
- Masks
- First aid kit
3. Use the top-to-bottom strategy
It’s important to start cleaning the house from top to bottom. Begin by dusting and cleaning your ceilings, light holders, fans, curtain poles, and more. Use a vacuum with a hose extension to clean dust and cobwebs from fans and ceilings. This strategy will prevent re-dusting or re-cleaning your furniture and floors after forcing the debris downwards. Remove your furniture and other items from the room before cleaning, if possible.
4. Safety first!
Your mental and physical health is more important than any task you want to achieve during spring cleaning. As you clean the house, ensure the room is well-ventilated to avoid inhaling dust particles. Open the windows because this is an inexpensive way to breathe clean air. Another safety tip is removing objects from the stairs and avoiding walking on wet/slippery floors without an anti-slip shoe. But most importantly, only clean when healthy and in the right mood. Remember, you don’t have to prove a point to anyone.
Take this spring cleaning safety tips to cover everything you need to know.
5. Call the cleaning experts
Sometimes, you might have a busy schedule that prevents you from participating in spring cleaning. Or, you may fall ill just when you’re getting things together to start cleaning. The good news is that neither of these scenarios should prevent you from spring cleaning. There’s always a professional looking to clean and rearrange your house, although at a small fee. They’ll probably do it a lot faster than you!
FAQs About Mental Health and Spring Cleaning
Q1: What is the best time for spring cleaning?
Some people suggest that the best time for spring cleaning is mid-March when spring is starting. But if you are reading this guide after March, don’t fret because April and May are still perfect for cleaning. In fact, deep cleaning your home should be a regular exercise.
Q2: How can I clean more in less time?
Spring cleaning should be about cleaning intelligently without putting too much effect. An excellent way to achieve that is using a robot vacuum, which handles all the dirty work as you attend to other duties. You can also make cleaning more fun and effortless with your partner’s help or hire a professional cleaning service.
Q3: Which vacuum is best for spring cleaning?
Choosing an effective vacuum for spring cleaning can be surprisingly challenging. You must consider the build quality, suction power, noise level, capacity, technology, etc. The good news is that you can find a vacuum for any use these days. It’s all about your preference and budget.
The Sum Up
See, there are solid pieces of evidence linking your mental health and spring cleaning. Although tiring, you will feel accomplished and happier living in a clean, well-organized space. Remember, you don’t need to finish everything in a single day or weekend. Just draw up a plan and break it down into more manageable tasks. You’ll feel good when you’re done cleaning!