Cleaning Week in the home.

Hey friends it's the last week in March and we are right in the middle of National Cleaning Week. Now as we all know the first day of spring was just a few days ago on March 20th. So I started wondering..... do we have a national spring cleaning day in our calendar? We have every other type of holiday. The answer I found was no -I don't think so- which is shocking since "spring cleaning" is such a big deal to most of us and has been for many many years. I was shocked that this activity that is so widely done all over the world is not a national holiday. What I did find out- is we do have a "National Cleaning Week" which is held the 4th week of March, which is the first days spring.

National Cleaning Week - 4th week in March

National Spring Fever Week - 4th week in March

National Clutter Awareness Week - 4th week in March

Check out this definition of Cleanliness
Cleanliness is the absence of dirt, including dust, stains, bad smells and garbage. Purposes of cleanliness include health, beauty, absence of offensive odor, avoidance of shame, and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others.

I had the last 3 days off from work and I spent the time doing some really good cleaning here at home. I drug stuff out of the closets that I haven't looked at in yearsssssss! To my surprise, much of what I looked at was rusted, broken, holey or molded. hahaha! It didn't take very long to make a lot more room in my closet.

Since I was so busy dragging out junk and going through winter clothes and such, I realized that I had very little 409 & grease lightning left in the bottle. (which by the way I love) I was filthy and didn't want to bother with getting dressed and going to the store so I pulled out the lap top and looked up homemade cleaner substitutions on the Internet and heres what I found at eartheasy.com.

• Baking Soda - cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
• Soap - unscented soap in liquid form, flakes, powders or bars is biodegradable and will clean just about anything. Avoid using soaps which contain petroleum distillates.
• Lemon - one of the strongest food-acids, effective against most household bacteria.
  
• Borax - (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, cleans wallpaper, painted walls and floors.
• White Vinegar - cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
• Washing Soda - or SAL Soda is sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. Washing soda cuts grease, removes stains, softens water, cleans wall, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use care, as washing soda can irritate mucous membranes. Do not use on aluminum.
• Isopropyl Alcohol - is an excellent disinfectant. (It has been suggested to replace this with ethanol or 100 proof alcohol in solution with water. There is some indication that isopropyl alcohol buildup contributes to illness in the body. See http://drclark.ch/g)
• Cornstarch - can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs.

I tried this one and it worked great..
Bathroom mold: Mold in bathroom tile grout is a common problem and can be a health concern. Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (3%) with two parts water in a spray bottle and spray on areas with mold. Wait at least one hour before rinsing or using shower.

I tried this one and it worked great..
Chopping block cleaner: Rub a slice of lemon across a chopping block to disinfect the surface. For tougher stains, squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe.

Cleaning is usually associated with spring cleaning.
Spring Cleaning is the period in spring time set aside for cleaning a house, normally applied in colder climates, where the house is difficult to clean during winter.

The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning. spring cleaning at wikipedia

National Cleaning Week is also associated with the cleaning of our cars and trucks. The cleaning of our yard tools and yard plants, and we can't leave out the cleansing of our soul.

Soul Cleansing
Theres just something about having our house clean and organized that makes us feel in line with life. When we come home to a clean house we relax more, we settle in better after a hard stressful day at work. We feel less up-tight. Is it time for a general soul cleansing at your house? Shaking off the dust of everyday life and taking a clear look at what it is that you are doing here and what you want to be doing. When our environment is clean around us, we have a fresh new outlook on life. Here's some ideas that will help.

1. Be truly grateful each day for all the things you have in your life. Even if you fell like you have very little. Be truly thankful for what you do have.
   
2. Bring some fresh flowers in the house. "smell the roses" as the saying goes. Learn to see the beauty in delicate things again.
3. Keep the trash out of the house - it has been proven that looking at garbage and smelling garbage day after day causes depression. GET IT OUT OF THE HOUSE - Don't let it sit there all week.
4. Air out the house on a beautiful day. Even if you don't feel like it, open those curtains and blinds! Open those windows! Let the refreshing breeze blow through and notice just how good it makes you feel. It really does.
   

Well that's all I have to say about National Cleaning Week. Come on you guys, you are welcome to tell us what you think about cleaning. Just click the comment button below and type away. Remember- Make everyday a Holiday! Pam~