CARA VANMETER
Living Editor
Since Monday was the vernal equinox and thus officially the first day of spring, it’s time to start thinking about that important milestone just around the corner. No, I’m not talking about graduation; something even bigger than that. You got it — spring cleaning. Now, I can imagine the masses’ moans of dread drowning out the few neat freaks in the back who are cheering with joy. Stop and think for a moment. Yes, the word “cleaning” strikes fear in the hearts of many, but spring cleaning, if it’s done well, can be truly cathartic for your soul, (not to mention extremely beneficial for your roommate relationship). Follow a few simple steps and you, too, can join the neat freaks in their ecstatic celebration of spring cleaning.
The first step in any sticky situation is to identify the stickiness so you don’t keep stepping in it. In this case, you need to really take a good hard look at the mess around you. It might be obvious for some of you — the dirty clothes piled on your bed and chair, the untidy stacks of books and papers covering your desk, the dirty, crusty dishes waiting by the sink. Others might be thinking, “Oh, my room is clean already. I don’t have to worry about spring cleaning at all.” But look again. Consider not only the organization that needs to take place in your room or apartment, but what can be done to clean up your life as well. Are you struggling to function every day around the psychological clutter? Have you begun to wonder what it must be like to have a moment’s peace? Identify the sources of stress in your life and determine which ones are necessary and positive. The rest of the stress — all those things that frustrate and exhaust you with no justifiable reward — is just mess. It can and should be cleaned up and swept out of your life.
Unfortunately and in spite of all its redeeming value, spring cleaning is not an easy task. Whether physical or metaphysical, this process of deep cleaning requires a lot of thought and often a little help from others. If you’re looking to tackle the apartment first, look to Mr. Clean for some assistance. Arm yourself with all the Comet, 409, and Pine-Sol you can get your hands on, and don’t skimp on the sponges and paper towels either. Make a strategy as well. Note which areas need to be cleaned and which tasks will require the most time and effort. Consult your feng shui guides and set aside a solid amount of time without interruptions to combat the dirt, grime and chaos before you.
If you plan to attack a more intangible mess in your life, prepare for battle by steeling yourself against potential protests and making a careful list of your priorities. Write these down somewhere conspicuous so that you will be sure to notice them when you are feeling doubtful.
Don’t put off your spring cleaning. Once you have identified the mess and prepared yourself to get rid of it, don’t hesitate. Plunge right in and tackle the chaos before it has a chance to overwhelm you. The longer you wait, the bigger the mess will grow until it eventually takes over your entire room and begins to spill over into the rest of the apartment, office or even your car. Turn off the phone and turn up the music. Find a rhythm you can work with and stick with it.
The same is true for the clutter in the rest of your life as well. It may be tempting to put your spring cleaning off until you finish up just this one big project, but there will always be another project coming up right behind it. More importantly, the catharsis of spring cleaning will practically guarantee that the projects you designate as priorities will go a lot more smoothly.
Once you’ve begun, don’t stop. The worst possible move you can make is to drag everything out so you can clean and reorganize it, but never get further than the dragging out stage. Since you realized in Step One that spring — cleaning will be a long and tiring process and in Step Two that you have to plan ahead before rushing into battle, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you find yourself in need of a break, take one, but don’t go far. Survey what you have accomplished so far, and review your strategy for the rest of the job. Don’t turn back for any reason. When you feel discouraged, remind yourself that the catharsis of your soul has already begun and that there’s a party of neat freaks around the corner just waiting to welcome you into their midst and celebrate your spring cleaning accomplishments.
03-23-2006
