Neat! Spring cleaning tips from around the world
During the first period of lockdown, many of us were energetically gung-ho our good intentions. We planned to learn various languages, write that novel and, perhaps most importantly, regularly scrub and sanitise the domiciles we were spending so much more time in.
But according to a report on Radio 4’s You and Yours, our lust for dusting during the current lockdown might be slightly on the wane. So, as Radio 4 Extra starts its own Spring is in the Air season, we encourage all of you to get those pelmets pristine, taking some inspiration from these global cleaning traditions and methods.
The devil’s in the details
In Guatemala, every December, the Quema del Diablo festival is designed to discourage the devil from running amok, which seems quite sensible to us. To accomplish this, effigies of Satan are burned alongside household waste.
Guatemalans will gather together any unwanted clutter from their homes to fuel the diabolic pyre.
While we don’t suggest you burn anything, anywhere, anytime, perhaps a hearty bout of decluttering (with all items properly recycled naturally) and ridding yourself of those items you no longer desire will make you feel a tad more virtuous?
Kicking the (mop and) bucket
Ok, so this one is not all that cheery, but stick with us. In Sweden there’s a tradition known as dostadning, which translates roughly as "death cleaning".
The idea is that before you die, you get rid of those unnecessary items that crowd your existence, so your unfortunate relatives won’t have to deal with them when you’re not around.
This may be a little morbid to contemplate, but, maybe, approaching a spring clean as if it’s your last day on Earth and just imagining the pointless stuff that friends and relatives will have to haul away should the worst happen will be the motivation you need to have a decent declutter.
New Year new you
We all feel as if we are due a bit of luck at the moment. Even if you’re not superstitious, you can at least skew the chances of a bit of good fortune heading your way by following the traditions of Chinese New Year.
Before New Year hits, your whole house needs to be scrubbed and shined thoroughly to remove any bad luck that’s lingering in your nooks and crannies. You should sweep towards you (to keep the bad luck contained) and remove any rubbish via the back door (so good luck can enter from the front).
But, and here’s the fun part, you must not do any sort of cleaning AT ALL on actual New Year’s Day, not even your clothes and hair, as you might be washing away your newly established good fortune.
Put the petal to the metal
In a tradition that originated in Holland, many Americans of Dutch descent engage in a Tulip Festival each year. And one important part of the festival is ensuring that the streets are scrubbed clean before the festivities begin.
Spring is in the Air
Find full details of Spring is in the Air – Radio 4 Extra's collection of programmes and features heralding the return of Spring.
The local populus all help out to rid the roads of any trash or detritus. And while we don’t expect you to launch your own full-scale flower show, perhaps one way to inspire some household maintenance is to get out there and pick up a bit of litter (in a Covid-safe way of course). If you’re lucky enough to live near a beach or by woodland, then a 30-minute litter pick might get your housework juices flowing as well as providing some outdoor exercise.
Book yourself a clean
If you’re anything like us, then you will have dangerously teetering piles of unread books covering every available surface and gathering dust at an alarming rate. One delightful tradition that could also help with some much needed space creation is the Icelandic notion of Jólabókaflóð or the Christmas Book Flood.
Every Christmas Eve Icelanders will give each other a book, which is meant to be read immediately, cosied up with cocoa and situated by a roaring fire if possible.
Obviously, there’s a bit of a wait until then, but as we are all struggling for distraction during quarantine, perhaps you could initiate a year-round Jólabókaflóð and gift those tomes you know you’ll never read (or have already read) to a needy friend or relative?
Scrub buddies
In Ras el Maa, Morocco, the residents spend sunny Sundays washing their clothes together at a local waterfall and turn it into a social event. Really, the laundry is just an excuse to meet up, chat and have a bit of a picnic. And we think that’s great! Who said cleaning had to be a thankless, solitary experience.
Although current lockdown rules mean restrictions around combining members of different households, once they ease, perhaps you could arrange a co-cleaning morning with a like-minded friend?.
They can pop round and help you with some housework (obviously following the latest health guidance), then you do the same for them, incorporating plenty of tea breaks, cakes and convivial chat. With Radio 4 Extra playing in the background, obviously.
