Spring Cleaning

History of Spring Cleaning

No one knows for sure where spring cleaning originated, but it's clear that from the very early days of civilization, several ethnic groups and faith traditions adopted springtime rituals that may have spread and evolved over time into what we consider spring cleaning today.

Some suggest that spring cleaning dates to the Persian New Year which happens before the first day of spring. Today, Iranians continue the practice of "khooneh tekouni" or "shaking the house" just before they celebrate the New Year.  Others suggest that spring cleaning dates to the ancient Jewish practice of spring cleaning in advance of Passover, ridding the house of all the “chumetz”.   In Orthodox cultures, it's customary to clean the whole house in advance of the Great Lent. 


In Ireland of times past, when people kept their houses shut tight against the cold of winter heated them with coal and oil and wood, and lighted them with candles, the coming of spring signalled a welcome opportunity to make a dingy habitation fresh again. On the first warm, dry day of the season, everybody in the family would pitch in to pull every stick of furniture and scrap of cloth outside. Then, armed with brooms and washrags, one squad of housecleaners would return to the house, sweeping and scrubbing every corner and washing down the walls, while another would air out linens, remove soot and ash from couches and chairs, dust books and paintings, and mend a few items on the run.

Today, the thought of taking a day or weekend to turn our houses upside down seems a near impossibility. Who has the time? Besides, our modern climate-controlled homes don’t get oily, sooty, or smoky, and our washing machines and vacuum cleaners help keep the dirt from sneaking in. However there are trade-offs: our houses are airtight, comparatively speaking, but they also can’t breathe. They’re full of chemicals and gasses from the components of floor wax to the microfibers of carpets which our ancestors never knew.

Like secrets, homes benefit from sunlight and fresh air. So, in that spirit, let me propose the month of April as a holiday devoted to making sick homes a little less noxious. In normal weathers, a spring clean day is warm and dry across much of the country, so it seems a good time for such a task. However beware of April showers.

I suggest that you talk to our nearest office and ask Pristine.ie to take care of that Spring Clean. Using the experts will ensure that your home is filled with fresh spring smells to help you enjoy the longer days of summer.
Please see our website www.pristine.ie and contact Diana at Pristine.ie on 1890 929 988 or info@pristine.ie