You've probably noticed, we enjoy keeping our homes clean and organized as much as possible, especially when we have more time on our hands over the weekends. And it just so happens that today is a 'big' cleaning day for many Asian ethnicities. Why? It's Lunar New Year's eve and on this day tradition, or rather ritual (and perhaps superstition), dictates that households should thoroughly clean their homes to expel any negative energy or bad luck and to make way for good fortune to come in the new year.
We're not the superstitious type but if a deep cleaning of our homes will somehow bring good fortune into our lives, we say why not? So we did some digging and we've gathered a list of lunar new year cleaning traditions, including to-dos and tips, that supposedly should welcome prosperity into your home. Or keep these pointers in mind for the next time you go on a major cleaning spree.
Start from top to bottom. Sounds like a no-brainer, but dust and particles fall with gravity, so make sure you dust the blinds before you mop the floor -- lest you want to mop twice. And clean from room to room, vacuuming or mopping up each room directly after cleaning that specific area. You should allocate separate cleaning cloths for each room, as to minimize cross-contamination.
Trash old and unused items. This means especially magazines, calendars and dated material. This is not only a good de-cluttering rule to live by, but many Asian ethnicities believe that bad luck can live in your old belongings. And along the same line, it's believed that you should get new pajamas and slippers at this time. After all, it's a celebration about starting anew.
Have clean linens and towels. This is as good a time as any to change your bedding to make sure you have clean sheets and a fresh new towel.
Repair or replace anything that's broken. Everything from a squeaky door to burnt lightbulbs should be fixed or replaced. You don't want anything weighing down any positive energy.
Consider front and back door uses. Sweep from the entrance in toward the center of the room, and make sure to take out the trash using a back door if you have one; it's believed that good luck enters through the front entrance while bad energy should be ushered out back. Thus, keep the front door area neat and tidy. But remember, it is considered bad luck to sweep on or a few days after the New Year because it's a belief that you'll be sweeping away any newly received luck, so do it right before on new year's eve.
For more cleaning and organizing tips, check out these stories:
7 Steps To Dealing With Sentimental Clutter
What Not To Put In The Dishwasher
The Best Way To Store Towels