Spring Cleaning – That Cleansing Ritual
I used to love spring cleaning—when I was four or five, this is. Every spring my mother, a cleaning lady/friend (who did this for a living) and I would undertake our mission of making everything “spick and span” (look that phrase up if you want an education in the development of a phrase.) At any rate, my mother was the “Patton” of cleaning. We started in the early morning, took a lunch break and did not quit until every last mote of dust was vanquished and every grimy fingerprint dispatched.
So, every year as an homage to my mother, and so I will not lose my standing in the “Fastidious Women of the South” club, I undertake this now dreaded ritual. In a large house, and being a party of one, the task is mentally demoralizing. How can one do all this cleaning alone? Well, truthfully, I don’t – I call in my daughter and son-in-law (my “go to” guy) and they help with much of the lifting and moving, and repairs.
However, a good deal will fall to me, for who knows except me where I want things to be placed, what will go to recycling, what will go to local charities? The mind spins at the very thought of such overwhelming decisions to a clutter bug like me.
But, there are ways to survive the process, so let me give you a few useful hints to make spring cleaning more palatable. There will be times that you will be tired and need to sit for a while, or actually take a break, or get distracted with a particularly great item that must be examined, so go with it. Here are a few of my faves:
· Start with the closets, they are inevitably the most jumbled at my house, and my big closet contains the picture boxes. Those are good for an hour or two of good dawdling.
· Stop to rest and call a good friend. I mean it is your duty to check on your friends. If she is there and needing a similar break, a good friend can help you pass at least thirty minutes in leisure, maybe an hour.
· Of course you need your strength, so you must eat your three squares. But don’t overlook the occasional break for chocolate, a cup of coffee to perk you up, or some fruit or veggies or crackers, oh, my.
· Go and check the mailbox—surely that was the postman you heard earlier, right?
· Go through all the true Tupperware you have along with all the plastic containers that you have pressed into action when there was nothing to hold a last leftover. This can take as much as forty-five minutes and allows you to sit while you sort.
· Stop to check your e-mail, or text or tweet or whatever—after all, these things are vital.
· Play with the cat (in my case) or take the dog for a walk. Fluffy and Fido can’t be neglected simply because you have an odious task to perform.
· Often you are lucky and run out of cleaning supplies. This warrants a visit to the grocery store, or a local dollar store, or some such haven that lets you wander and look for a while.
· And, as a last resort, take a nap – I don’t do this often as I wake up cranky from most naps. However, if I am alone who cares if I’m cranky?, and I have saved myself thirty minutes or so from the actual cleaning process.
So, you get the picture. Yes, I do spring clean but it usually takes me a couple of weeks or more. And I inevitably end up like a squirrel, trying to get all the corners cleaned before I begin to think fall may be coming, along with the ritual of “fall cleaning.” You know you are coming to the end when you have reached your desk and are cleaning out the lint and bent, useless paper clips in the corners of the drawer organizer. BUT your house will be clean, and you can feel sanctimonious about the whole thing. You worked like a trooper, so now you can take a break!