The why behind spring cleaning....

It has been so nice to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Last night, we were able to enjoy our dinner on the patio. Unfortunately, here in Texas, there are not a lot of days that are blissfully nice to enjoy a night dinner in what I would call perfect weather. I had been waiting for great weather and even planned a get together for Joe T’s patio this weekend. I love to be outdoors. This week, I was looking up herbs to grow and put the word spring in and boom, there was an article that caught my attention. “Here Are Five Ways Spring-Cleaning Can Make You Healthier”. I thought, I do love a clean organized home but is it actually good for our health? I started reading the article and felt like it really is not spring clean if you do it every week. However, being able to discard things not needed is what I have typically called spring cleaning. With that being said, I spend some time investigating and here are a few interesting facts.

According to Healthline magazine, yes it is. Here is what the five things that can improve our health by what they call Spring Cleaning.

Strengthen our immune System: Dust, mold, mildew, pet dander, and other things like this can be immune system triggers for people prone to allergies. When your house isn’t clean, it can gather pollutants — especially during the winter months,” according to Dr. Adrian Cotton, chief of medical operations at Loma Linda, University Health in California. Okay, that makes sense. Open the windows and let some fresh air in! That is my take lol.

Decreases stress and depression: Studies have found that a relaxing and clutter-free home has a positive effect on people’s daily mood and ability to focus better. I have always thought this. I say a clutter house gives me a clutter mind. Now, I have someone that has my back LOL. The article explains how to declutter in order to help your mental health. Don’t just stack your magazines into piles or hide unworn clothes under your bed. Sort through clothing, toiletries, and paperwork. Get rid of things that no longer serve you to make room for things that bring pleasure and joy. You know we have heard that from Marie Kondo’s book I read. In order to promote good sleep and relaxation, it is recommended to keep only essentials on our nightstands. I do not believe Louis has a chance then at a good night sleep. His dresser on his side can get pretty rough. By embracing cleaning as a way to de-stress, can encourage us to do more of it! I am liking this.

Prevents illness. Yes, that is what is says. I am not making it up! We need to clean the items we use most, or items that could come in contact with our mouth, eyes, or nose. It points out our phones, keyboards, bath and kitchen towels. All these things attract a lot of germs. We should deep clean our sinks every day. I have never thought about the bathrooms sinks. I do deep clean the kitchen sink each night. I guess since covid, it does help to keep up with these high contact items.

Encourages healthy eating and physical activity. Hmm. I had to ponder this for a few seconds. Then, it made perfect sense. Our physical home can set us up for an active life and healthy food choices — or make movement and sticking to nutritious meals easier. There are studies show there is a correlation between keeping a clean home and being active and choosing healthier food options. By having an organized kitchen, makes cooking more appealing. Making sure that our knives our sharp, our spice rack is tidy, and our pots, pans, and utensils are organized will encourage us to cook more. Hmm, I can believe that. I have a pot rack. Even though that is not a trend right now, I do not care. I enjoy being able to look up and decide which pots are best while cooking dinner. I used to have to dig around and hated it. Some kitchens have pullouts and that is nice. I am going to stick with my pot rack (plus, my father made it, so it is very special to me). It is recommended that we store healthy foods at eye level in clear containers, and place unhealthy foods out of sight. That sounds reasonable. Although, Louis’ ice cream is out of sight, and he still remembers to eat it!

Reduces risk of injury. Oh my. I would have never thought. More than 1 in 4 adults over age 65 fall each year, leading to 3 million emergency room visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source. It makes perfect sense that a clean home would help in preventing injuries like slips, trips, bumps, and falls. Having a clear path and removing our stuff in the form of backpacks, purses, shoes, sports equipment, or shopping bags can help reduce the risk of accidents. Okay, I get it now. I am really bad about setting things on the stairs, until I need to go up there. Yep, this could be bad if I did not see and tripped.

So, that was the article in a nutshell. Just gives us a reason to want to clean up? Not sure about that but at least we know why we should do some spring cleaning. I did read up on what is considered spring cleaning. Home Made Simple magazine had another good article on why we should spring clean. They included a printout for a Five-Day Spring-Cleaning Checklist by Room!

Now, that spring is on the way, be sure to think about your flower and herb gardens! I have been doing a little weed pulling lately. Next week, we will talk about want herbs I want to add this year! I am doing well with thyme, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, and sage. Need to add more basil and looking for others!

Have a beautiful day!