So. It’s almost summer — take note: the solstice is June 21, its official beginning — and you haven’t gotten around to your spring cleaning yet. You’re not alone. As many as 40 percent of us struggle to get even routine cleaning chores done, let alone the big annual dust-up that comes along with the changing of this particular season.
Why spring? It likely comes from an era when most homes were heated by fireplaces, which accumulated ash and dust over the long winter months, not to mention sealed-tight windows and doors meant to keep every iota of precious heat indoors. Springtime became a season to purge and renew, and we’re still doing it now — even if a little late.
Cindy Dayman, founder of Winnipeg’s largest full service house cleaning company, Take Time Home Cleaning & Lifestyle Services, knows all about those long winters — and how, once the snow melts, it’s hard to focus on house cleaning when blue skies and budding leaves beckon outdoors. Still, it can’t be taken too lightly.
“People sometimes put blinders on when it comes to their messy homes, given all the things they’d rather be doing than cleaning,” Take Time Home Cleaning’s Dayman says. “But it’s important to understand the benefits. For one thing, spring is allergy season, and for allergy sufferers, all the pollen outside combined with a winter’s worth of accumulated dust can make life miserable. Keep things clean, and you’re much further ahead.”
It bears repeating that a clean home is good for your health in more ways than one. Accumulating dust wreaks havoc on asthma, provides a breeding ground for mites and bacteria, but also messes with your mental state. “Your home is supposed to be your refuge,” Dayman says. “If it’s as messy and chaotic as the world outside, it’s not doing what it should.”
This is especially crucial for home-based business owners who are in this environment around the clock. A cluttered and dusty home office will impede productivity so take the time to clean the space. The mind will struggle to focus when distracted by a mess.
Finding the right motivation is a challenge for many of us in and of itself. The rewards aren’t necessarily obvious — unless you’re really that messy — and the time always feels like it could be better spent. But could it? Is there really anything more valuable than good health and an uncluttered mind?
“Give yourself a challenge,” Dayman says, by way of encouragement. “Tackle the critical areas of your home first, like the kitchen or maybe an entranceway. Purge, Organize, Clean. Think of it as a game where you’re going to try your hardest to win.” The prize? “A clean and organized home environment and freedom to enjoy that warm spring sunshine that much sooner, guilt-free,” she says.
What are you waiting for? No time? Call the professionals at Take Time Home Cleaning 204-7707103.
