Whether you live in a single-family home or an apartment, spring cleaning is the perfect time to get things straightened up, cleaned out, and freshened up. And while cleaning may not rank at the top of your list of fun things to do, there are benefits of spring cleaning that you may not have thought of. Besides, your home…and your outlook…will thank you.

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A fresh “spring cleaned” home makes us happy
I’m going to be honest…I don’t live to clean. In fact, I could be called a bit lazy in that department because there are lots of other things I’d rather do instead (root canal, anyone?). But while I don’t love the process of cleaning, I do love the result.
Because a messy and dirty home takes its toll on us. It’s hard to feel good when you’re surrounded by clutter and chaos. It just feels better to look around and see space…clean space…and to come home to a house that’s neat, clean, and clutter free at the end of the day.
None of are really at our best when things at home are a total mess.
So getting things cleaned up is a definite mood booster and just one benefit of spring cleaning.
Related Post: The Negative Effects Of Clutter: It Makes You Sick, Sad, and Broke!
Spring cleaning benefits you by decreasing your stress levels
You know as well as I do that it’s just depressing and demoralizing to wake up every morning and be greeted with a major mess. It can make us feel defeated before we even start the day (which isn’t good for us!).
Starting the day surrounded by a mess is stressful…even if you think you’re used to it.
And here’s something else to consider…that stress is experienced by others who live in the home with you. So a good spring cleaning helps everyone’s state of mind.
It’s healthier for you, and everyone you love, to start each day feeling peaceful instead of stressed out.
Related Post: 40 Tips To Tidy The House In Under 10 Minutes
Spring cleaning saves us time
Yes, you read that right.
So if you’re wondering how exactly a clean home saves you time, ask yourself this…when was the last time you misplaced something and had to stop what you were doing to hunt for it?
When your home is clean and tidy it’s easier to get dressed in the morning. We don’t have to dig through piles to find the clothes we spent the weekend washing…but never hung up or folded and put away.
We don’t have to wash a few dishes before we can even start to cook breakfast (or any other meal).
We don’t have to start each day running late for work because we can’t find our purse…or the kid’s backpacks…or our car keys. You get the idea.
Knowing where everything is…and being able to find it easily…saves us the time we’d waste looking for things that have gone missing because our house is messy and cluttered. Spring cleaning gives us the chance to sort through everything in our homes while we’re doing the heavy cleaning.
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to get organized
It is wonderful to be organized!
It’s wonderful because life just runs more smoothly when you’re organized. You, and everyone in your home, knows where things “live”, they can find what they need when they need it, and they know where to put things when they’re finished with them.
Chores and regular tasks get done more quickly when things are organized because you can focus on the task at hand. You don’t waste time moving things around so that you can get regular chores done (and isn’t that half the battle a lot of the time?).
Being organized just makes your life easier.
Related Post: 7 Reasons You Absolutely, Positively Must Get Organized!
A clean home is a healthier home
I’m sure we’re all aware that it’s harder to stay healthy in a dirty home. Germs love messes and when things are cluttered and messy, it follows that there’s more grime and dirt underneath the surface mess.
So spring cleaning our homes gets the dirt, grime, and gunk out of those sneaky places where it accumulates.
But an often overlooked benefit of spring cleaning is that it’s the perfect workout. Who needs to go to the gym or crawl on the treadmill after a day of heavy duty cleaning?
Let’s face it…heavy housework can be a workout by itself. Moving furniture, lifting and bending to get into corners and spaces, hauling stuff to where it belongs (or to the trash) can really work up a sweat and get your heart pumping.
So think of your spring cleaning days as “two-fers”. You get two benefits: a cleaner house and a good workout.
Think of it this way…our great grandmothers who had no modern energy saving appliances didn’t need to set aside a time for exercise, did they? The tasks of daily living provided plenty of physical activity.
Working together gives the whole family a sense of accomplishment
I’ve always said that things done in the home aren’t just mom’s job and spring cleaning is no exception.
Having everyone in the family pitch in to get the spring cleaning done has several benefits:
- the work gets done faster
- mom doesn’t feel resentful because she’s the only one taking care of the home
- family members who help with spring cleaning have a vested interest in keeping things clean
Getting help from family members isn’t punishing them for making messes. It teaches children and teens practical skills they’ll need later in life while teaching them responsibility.
And as for hubby…the men who live in our homes with us need to know that they’re full partners and that their contributions are necessary.
The family who cleans together…KEEPS it cleaner together!
‘Nuff said.

Pride in our homes is a benefit of spring cleaning
I would never…ever…propose that a clean home should be our sole accomplishment or source of pride. Far from it. My identity came from other roles and jobs I held and I’ve never believed that women are identified by the state of their floors.
But be that as it may, it’s still nice to take pride in our homes. It feels good to know that we can answer the doorbell without fear that someone will see the mess behind us. It feels good to know that we’re not going to be embarrassed if a friend drops by unannounced. It feels good to walk into a home that’s clean and tidy at the end of the day.
A clean home looks and feels good to you, to your family, and to guests.
And who knows, when it’s clean you may be more inclined to ask folks for a visit. A clean home might actually improve your social life.

Spring cleaning gives us the chance to be generous to others
One benefit of spring cleaning is that we’re going to come across things we don’t need any longer. Clothes we’re not wearing, items we no longer need or use, and things that just don’t fit our lives any more.
This is the perfect time to give these items to someone who can use them.
While I believe that having a donation station set up all year long is a good thing, spring cleaning provides the perfect opportunity to really go through your house and weed out the things that can benefit someone else.
Books can be donated to libraries (or to Friends of the Library for their regular sales). Outgrown clothes can be given to friends or relatives who have children in similar sizes. Kitchen and other household items can be donated to charity.
There’s always someone who can use items that we no longer want and need. Someone else gets something they need, you get space back and a cleaner home, and items get a new life with someone who can use them. Sounds like a win-win to me!
There are many benefits of spring cleaning, and these are just a few. Consider all the bonuses that this yearly ritual will bring you. Keep yourself going through the hard work with the thoughts of everything you will gain.
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I help older women get past their fear and mindset issues so they can create a plan to pursue their goals and dreams.