Have you ever wondered what Spring Cleaning was like for the Ingalls Family on the prairie?
After stocking up as much as possible before winter hit, running the ash-filled fireplace constantly through the cold months, and not having access to much fresh air . . .
I bet their “little house” was pretty disgusting by spring!
So, when the sun began shining, and gentler breezes grew warmer, everyone would have been so excited to finally open the doors, clean the soot off the windows, sweep away all the dirt, and clear out all the winter yuck.
In this day and age, although nothing prevents us from cleaning in the winter, I absolutely love that the spring-time tradition lives on.
If you have never embraced a serious Spring Cleaning, you are missing out!
That might be hard to believe, especially since cleaning isn’t usually one of our favorite activities, but stick with me as I share some of the best benefits . . .
The Family Bonding
Imagine a mom, a dad, and the kids all rolling up their sleeves, getting down and dirty, and working together toward a common goal. What a beautiful picture!
This kind of teamwork promotes such a healthy and positive attitude across the whole family.
We all live in this home, we are all responsible for this home, and so we will all join together to take care of it properly. Right down to the two year old whose only job is to bring Daddy a bottle of water.
In fact, even when our home doesn’t seem to need it, I will always draw the family together for a Spring Cleaning every year.
The Stress Relief
As I write this (Spring of 2021), it’s safe to assume you have been dealing with extra stress this past year. There have been so many areas of life that I’ve had no say over whatsoever, and that drives me crazy. But when I walk through my front door, I get to decide.
No matter what else is going on in the world, I can still dust my ceiling fan, vacuum the floors, ditch my children’s outgrown clothes, and organize my garage.
It is so therapeutic to say, “This is our home, and we have the power to make it beautiful!”
The Exercise
Have you ever heard a mom of little ones ask “How am I supposed to make time for exercise when I’m already so busy?” I like to point out how similar cleaning tasks are to the exercises you do at the gym! Instead of bending over to pick up the laundry basket, do a squat!
In fact, when I clean, I like to wear exercise clothes and sneakers to remind myself, “This counts!”
If we embrace the physical work of Spring Cleaning the way we embrace running on a treadmill or going for a hike, we can enjoy the same exercise which releases the same endorphins!
Have some fun with it!
Put on your favorite work-out tunes and let yourself get sweaty. The more you embrace the physical exercise of Spring Cleaning, the more family bonding and more stress relief you’ll enjoy.
Oh, and there’s one more benefit I should mention . . .
The Clean House!
No matter what kind of home you live in, I can promise you this: When the rooms are tidy, the stuff is in order, the junk is cleared away, and the spaces are clean, your home will become a more pleasant and peaceful place to be.
If you’ve never embraced a serious Spring Cleaning, I encourage you to dive in and start enjoying all of these wonderful benefits.
You won’t be sorry!