Originating in Europe centuries ago, the idea of spring cleaning used to be cause for celebration. After dreary months of closed-in living, windows and doors were thrown open and the residue of months spent indoors in stale, cramped and smokey hovels was washed and swept away.

For three weeks in February, a nasty bug forced me to sit and survey my living spaces from the recliner or bed as I read books on downsizing, decluttering and reassessing what I truly want to be in my space. This year, as I approach spring cleaning, my focus is not only to freshen my living space but to honestly assess whether I find items useful, needed or in fact, loved.

Did you know that the average Canadian home holds 300,000 items? That’s a lot of stuff. Clutter is defined as too much stuff scattered in the wrong place. Decluttering programs on TV ask participants to arrange everything in their home onto three tarps: keep, donate, trash. I used to think I’d just pile everything onto the keep tarp! Surprisingly, that is no longer the case.

Did you know clutter affects your health? Apparently, it can cause stress and that increases our cortisol levels. Cortisol taxes the body and can lead to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, weight gain, loss of mental focus and fatigue. There are studies that correlate high cortisol levels in women with high-density households. It contributes to our mental load and women especially struggle to carry the emotional weight of family belongings.

With that in mind my first focus was my clothes closet. Everything in it is my size, color preference and style. However, it also contained items I used to wear for board meetings and office wear, clothes that no longer fit my lifestyle. I’m advised to only make two decisions: let go or keep and to put fewer items back into the closet with an inch between hangers and only five spare hangers. I fudged a bit on this one.

Following more tips, one at a time, I emptied my dresser drawers onto my bed where I discovered nine black turtlenecks, six black T’s and five black sweaters. Another tip: the discard pile needs to go out of my house right away lest I be tempted to rethink, resort and rehang. Only the clean and gently used items will go to the thrift shop in Daajing Giids.

One book suggests I not buy more bins to store items unless they are seasonal clothing, decorations or sporting gear. The author asks: why is it in a bin anyway? With this one question, a lot of items exited my life.

Most of us are excellent consumers and consumerism accounts for 70% of our nation’s overall economic activity. Buying gives us a hit of dopamine. For a short time, we have bought happiness. But consider this: each item will end up somewhere and in our disposable society more and more will go to a landfill. I’m asked to consider this, to pause before buying. Maybe edible gifts are the answer!

My aim is to end up with a space that makes me happy, contributes to my good health and is a warm and welcoming home.

Useful Downsizing and Spring Cleaning Tips

• Moving? Take measurements, sell, donate or trash anything that won’t fit. Pack only what you truly want. Unpack beds and bedding first.
• Retired? Someone will eventually have to deal with all your stuff. Consider gifting special items now. Consider sorting, donating or tossing items no longer needed.
• Toss all fridge items beyond their best-by dates. An opened box of bicarbonate of soda keeps the fridge fresh.
• Break something whilst moving or cleaning? Use bread to pick up any tiny broken shards of glass.
• Use half a lemon and sprinkle with salt to clean chopping boards. Rinse with hot, soapy water.
• Clean the toilet with a can of cola. Let it sit overnight.• Store glasses upright. This discourages bacterial growth.
• Wash windows on a cloudy day. Sunshine dries the cleaner too quickly and that means streaks. Coffee filters are great wipes for streak-free windows.
• Layer coffee filters between cast iron pans. Prevents rust.
• Cover food in microwave with a coffee filter.
• White wine vinegar used in a water solution kills germs (but don’t use on marble, waxed furniture, hardwood floors, kitchen knives or device screens).
• Half a lemon cleans shower glass.
• Hairspray cleans dry-erase boards.
• Mayonnaise removes rust stains on porcelain tubs and sinks.

Photos by Lin Armstrong