Let’s just get inspired by the Chinese Lunar New Year that is starting now on January 25th! Yes, tomorrow is officially The Year of The Rat in China.
But before starting a new year with the right foot, Chinese people usually take part of a traditional and special cleaning ritual also known as “Spring Cleaning”.
The main purpose of the Spring Cleaning is to clean your home of “bad luck” and it’s taking seriously that traditionally it should be done on the 28th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar. Meaning, before the new year starts!
After having your house looking spotless, it’s also highly recommended to not use your cleaning materials such as brooms or vacuum cleaners within 15 days during the festival season to avoid your “good fortune” being mopped away. Blimey!
It’s a lot of details to be followed here. There are plenty of other tips on how to keep a home sparkling.
But I’ve decided to make mine a more adaptable and Eco-friendly approach to have a spotless clean house. Here’s a guide to My Lunar New Year Eco-Friendly Spring-Cleaning tips:
It’s time to declutter!
The Spring Cleaning can be the perfect excuse to start a proper decluttering challenge. So why not going throw all those old clothes that should be donated last year, but you never had time to sort it out.
It can be also the right time to check for old toys, books, kitchen appliances, or anything else that you don’t need anymore.
That’s a great way of keeping your recycling updating and a crucial period to evaluate what you really need and maybe re-think your unnecessary purchases. After all, we certainly don’t need so much stuff.
Use Natural Products
Is it possible to make a cleaning routine more sustainable? Yes, it’s perfect possible to switch your usual cleaning products for more natural solutions. As we know it’s better for our budget and health!
Olive oil, vinegar, baking soda, essential oils. These are essential ingredients that can be a life and a pocket saver. After all, we don’t need a bunch of different products for every surface of our house. Natural and Eco air fresheners are always welcome!
Keep Your Shoes Out
I’m all with Japanese people and their habit of keeping shoes off the house. I even treat myself with a new pair of Uwabaki by Muji before the year starts.
This is my usual Christmas treat and I probably will have more pair of Japanese sleepers to “offer” to people visiting my new home when we move out.
Plus, shoes out mean house cleaner for a longer period. Have you already stopped to think how dirty is outside? So, no I am not keen on people wearing shoes indoor. You be shouldn’t either!
Sweep! Don’t vacuum!
It’s pretty clear that we need to sweep bad luck away before the spring starts, but instead of using the hoover or robot vacuum to escalate your next electricity bill ( that is not usually cheap in the winter), it’s always better to use a mop and a broom to sweep floors. It can save money and it’s environmentally correct.
But wait a minute, how can I sweep rugs and carpets?
It’s going to be difficult to use the same approach if you have carpet at most of the rooms, but you can always adapt the whole process with the help of a dustpan and a broom. All you need to do is picking up the large garbage of the floor first such as papers and pet’s hair.
If you can`t escape of a vacuuming process, a Steam carpet cleaning and natural solutions made with bicarbonate of soda can also be useful options in this case. It will certainly help to keep your carpet cleaner for a longer period.
Washing Up-athon
If we’re saying goodbye to winter soon, it’s better to start thinking about the new bed linen for the new season. So why not washing up everything all together to save water and electricity? Yes, washing up towels, clothes and bed linen in one goal if it’s possible. here are some more Eco-friendly laundry tips to follow from now to go.
Consider using Eco-friendly laundry capsules such as smol as well. I have subscribed to those beauties for quite a while now and I couldn’t ask for a better sustainable pod.
Conclusion:
Spring Cleaning is an easier task when you have an Eco-friendlier cleaning approach. And the Lunar New year is here to give us the boost we need to change things this year!
Featured Image | Dru Kelly on Unsplash
