Glorious spring - a time of new life and new beginnings. Each new dawn brings brighter sunshine, longer days and a little more of that wonderful, indescribable smell that whispers of warm earth and things growing.
Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition, symbolic of cleaning out the old to make room for the new. The custom began when heating the 
home required wood, oil and candles. After months of burning fuel for heat, light and cooking, the entire house was covered with grime, and smelled less than fresh. As soon as the weather became warm enough, everything was pulled out, washed, scoured, aired, shined and polished. Walls and ceilings were whitewashed and even the front step was scrubbed.
Today with career and family demanding so much of our time and energy, this monumental task can be quite daunting. But there is still a place for marking the start of the new season with the delightful feeling of renewal that comes from a deep cleansing. Spring cleaning our home need not be drudgery however, for with each task, we also have the opportunity to clear our minds. So much of our work demands mental energy and produces stress. The work of housekeeping uses our body and the repetitive, flowing motions we make bring a sense of peace and satisfaction with immediate results.
Using an efficient system makes the work of deep cleaning much easier, and will be discussed in detail in this column in the coming months. However, do not feel that you must follow anyone else's program in your spring cleaning ceremony. Make it yours. If polishing the silver brings you joy, make time
for that. If you loathe washing windows, hire someone else to do it. Create your own springtime rituals and traditions, ones that make sense for you and give you that feeling of being revitalized.
Spring is also the perfect time for eliminating cluttering. My dining room table is the place where I write, balance the checkbook, pay bills and generally organize my life, but it's also the center of the house where everything lands on its way to somewhere else. Mail, laundry, car keys, cell phones, book bags, all conspire to make my work station a confusing mess. I can't seem to work or even think until I've cleared the space and made it mine again. After a quick spurt of cleaning and organizing, I light a candle and settle into my work feeling centered and in control again.
The first step for most of us before we can even begin to think about deep cleaning is to move every item that is out of place back to its proper location and move out everything that doesn't belong. Go through each room, closet and cupboard collecting all the useless, forgotten items that have gathered there and separate them into boxes for trash, recycling, garage sale and charity. Keep anything that brings joy or beauty into your home, discard that which doesn't. Everything in your house should be useful or beautiful (at least to you). Clearing the house in this way allows the energy to flow freely and makes cleaning far less troublesome.
Your home is more than a place to fall into bed, throw together meals and stash belongings. It is your sanctuary, your nest - the place that nourishes you mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. Give yourself the opportunity to reap the benefits of a spring-cleaned home. Each task is a chance to center and reflect, to turn inward and prepare for the new life that comes with spring.
Lisa Martin is a master housekeeper with Housekeeping Specialist and can be reached MCDRMTTMCHL@ao1.com.
