As the snow defrosts and the first signs of spring start to bud, it’s time to bring that new season energy into the home. Spring cleaning is beyond a chore for Black women, it’s a ritual. Our houses are gathering grounds not only for our immediate family, but also for visiting family and friends. There is no greater feeling for a hostess than welcoming loved ones into a fresh, clean space to make sure a visitor’s stay is cozy. There are many aspects of cleaning the home that are passed down from woman to woman through our family matriarchs to ensure our homesteads are environments that are healthy, comfortable and filled with happy memories. Some of those memories include the sound of gospel music or oldies filling our homes as our moms, aunts, or grandmas diligently cleaned the house and cooked Sunday dinner. The nostalgia around these moments helps establish cleaning as a family tradition to be shared between generations. It’s important to create an ambiance of fun around cleaning activities so kids grow up understanding that it’s about more than busy work, it’s an act of love and care for self and the family.
Beyond the sentimental aspects of cleanliness, preventing the spread of illness causing germs can also be crucial to this whole process. After a tough flu season, cleaning and disinfecting all of the home’s surfaces is easy with Pine-Sol® Multi Purpose Cleaners. Pine-Sol® Cleaner is a versatile cleaning tool because you can use it on hard, non-porous surfaces like your floors, kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, and even on tough jobs like garbage cans or pet areas. Original scent Pine-Sol® Multi Purpose Cleaner disinfects to kill 99.9% of germs on hard, nonporous surfaces and leaves behind that instantly recognizable and long-lasting scent that will put any guest at ease. Compliment the fresh, clean scent with the sight of beautiful flowers or succulents on your counter tops.
Once the house is clean and smelling great, it’s time to tackle the closets. It’s important to set aside your winter clothes and boots to make room for tank tops, maxi dresses, short-shorts and sandals. Vacuum storage bags help to shrink down the size of your bulky winter clothes so they can be stored without taking up a lot of room. Winter shoes can be stored under the bed and open-toed shoes, wedges and sneakers can occupy their space in your visible shoe racks.
Last but not least, it’s important to go through all the old paper lying around in your drawers, cabinets and desk space and throw out or shred whatever you don’t need. Old mail (ahem, bills), newspapers and magazines take up a lot of space and collect a lot of dust. There is a way to make use of old paper or magazines without throwing them out—vision boarding. There’s no greater time than springtime to set your intentions for the next season. Using cut outs, images and words from your old magazines you can repurpose them before throwing them in the recycling bin.
Happy Spring cleaning!
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