“I have sporadic OCD cleaning moments around the house. But then I get lazy and I’m cured. It’s a very inconsistent personality trait.” ~ Chris Hemsworth
Ahh, it’s finally March! Spring is around the corner. Time to purge all the clutter, toxins, burdens, excesses and negativity from your life!
When I used to think of the phrase “Spring Cleaning,” I considered it to mean cleaning my home…only. You know, moving and vacuuming under heavy furniture, cleaning the ceiling fans, heat and air conditioner vents, wiping out the inside of the refrigerator, freezer and oven, washing windows, etc. I missed A LOT back then.
Spring cleaning is not only about the items in your home that you don’t either need to or want to clean daily or weekly. It’s a perfect time to clean out all the things in your LIFE that seem to be “unclean” (for lack of a more appropriate word). I’ll be going into greater detail with additional blog posts as we get closer to March 20th – the First Day of Spring (in the USA).
I began thinking of several areas in my life that I’d like to begin with, the most obvious being my home. Take the bathroom for example. Having a touch of OCD, I tend to keep the bathroom organized without too much on the vanity with the exception of a box of tissues, soap, toothbrush & cup holder and a small decorative basket with daily used items (hairbrush, hand cream, nail file, lip balm, etc.) 
I like to keep my make-up, toiletry, hair product drawers and under the sink fairly organized but it’s definitely time to check for expiration dates or unused products here.
Products such as suntan lotions, OTC medications and first aid supplies should be checked for expiry dates and condition. This is also a great time to clean/soak/sanitize your hair and makeup brushes and get a new toothbrush. The same tip applies to cosmetics.
Discard worn brushes or sponges, clumpy mascara, old lotions, creams, gels and lipsticks. Replace as and if necessary.
Next area is my bedroom. 
While my clothes drawers and closets are fairly neat and tidy (thanks to sock, lingerie and jewelry organizers), the 3 drawers on each side of my bed contain items I either rarely use or don’t even know they’re there. Now is the perfect time to sift through and purge these drawers. Many of the items are nomads – migrating into the drawers from their original location.
It was in these drawers some time ago I came across my childhood diary! Wonder what other goodies lurk inside…
Ooh, I see an old Pacman TV game controller, a halloween wig, manilla envelope with Christmas receipts from 2010…
Onto the kitchen. I’ll only begin with the pantry that houses my cooking and baking supplies. Yikes – I’m sure some of these boxes, jars, cans and bottles were purchased way back when for some reason! Maybe I was in the mood to bake something using Marzipan? I know it wasn’t this past holiday season…hmmmm…
Well, at least my spices are pretty fresh and neatly stacked, most in alphabetical order (for convenience). I’m sure there’s other products lurking in this closet and in the adjoining one (with regular food items) that need to be checked for expiration dates.
I remember finding some canned goods a couple of months ago that were bursting at the seams. Not a good sign!
Some flour or grain products are stored in the refrigerator for freshness but I’ve seen (on rare occasions) little black “things” in and around an old box of pancake mix or flour. Time to take everything off the shelves, toss old, expired or otherwise spoiled food items and give the pantry a good scrubbing. Bet my food will look and taste better afterward!
Over the next few days and weeks, I’ll be tackling other “Spring Cleaning” aspects, not only within my home but concerning LIFE in general. Purging clutter is good for the mind, body and spirit and is extremely liberating. Here I go kids … ’till next time…
“When you have cleared all of your clutter, you can be of greater service to those around you.” ~ Michael B. Kitson
Fun and Fitness at Fifty 