8 Ways to Spring Clean the Feng Shui Way

1. Get rid of clutter

Clutter is one of the easiest things to tackle in spring. I’m not suggesting you de-clutter every room and every closet (although, that is a really powerful thing to do). I AM suggesting you walk through your home from the front door to the back, and through every room and make sure that you have clear paths and living spaces. Nothing upsets the feng shui of a home like clutter. Get rid of things you don’t need or use. Put things away in their proper places. Look around and consider if you can find what you need when you need it, can you easily and comfortably walk through all the rooms in your house?

According to the Mayo Clinic, decreasing clutter will improve your mental health (which of course, improves your whole life!) Here’s a great “Mayo Clinic Minute” video on the benefits of decluttering:

2. Clean your windows until they sparkle.

Your windows are the eyes of your home. Everything about them should be clean and bright. Windows are an important part of feng shui. Dirty windows lead to blurry perceptions of the world. Windows are also a way of letting out bad energy and letting in good energy. Everything about your windows should be bright and sparkly. Clean your shades and curtains.

3. Open your windows and let in fresh air.

Fresh air does wonders to your senses. It awakens your body, mind and spirit.

There is nothing like the smell of fresh air, especially after a long winter. If you have allergies, take your allergy medicine and allow yourself to breath in the fresh air. Don’t let it stop you from the powerful experience of permeating your space and your body with the fresh air of spring. Having fresh air flowing through the house removes stagnant energy, as well as (literally) blowing out the cobwebs. Do this for as little as 10 minutes each day and you’ll feel a noticeable shift in the energy of your home. Enjoy!

4. Scrub your home from top to bottom.

Cleaning your entire home is a tall order, yes, but the benefits are enormous. Make it a family affair. Have everyone chip in and make it fun with fun rewards. Wash your walls, wash the floors. Vacuum, dust, shake out rugs. Do this AFTER you declutter, of course. Now, if this is too big of a task in your mind, break it up into chunks. Give yourself a few days over the course of a couple of weeks, doing a room at a time. Use natural spring air freshener and natural cleaning products if possible. You’ll be cleaning out old energy to make room for the new! Imagine how good it will feel to have your home clean and fresh. It’s such a great feeling!

5. Clear your front entrance.

In feng shui, the entrance of the home is known as the mouth of chi. It is where your home receives its nourishment of energy. Keep the entrance clean and clutter-free. If there is a wall directly opposite the door, it should not be kept blank as this signifies a blank future. Make the wall inviting by hanging up a nourishing and welcoming painting or wall hanging.

6. Clean the refrigerator.

The refrigerator is an important appliance in your home, it represents how you nourish yourself. It’s a good idea to have a well-stocked refrigerator, but not too full and not too empty. Empty the refrigerator and remove anything expired, old and/or spoiled. Spoiled and expired food symbolizes neglect of one’s overall health. Compost the organic material if you can. Recycle or reuse the glass and plastic containers. Use natural non-toxic cleaners such as baking soda to scrub and a mixture of vinegar, water and eucalyptus essential oil to wipe down and disinfect. Put an opened, new container of baking soda to absorb any odors in your clean refrigerator.

7. Fluff things up.

Bring freshness back into your home with a little bit of effort. Fluff up your pillows and comforters. You can even take most of the fluffy things in your home, cushions, pillows, even pets beds  outside for a real shake & fluff-up. Clean your upholstery. Wash and/or dry clean your comforters. Give these items that we often overlook, a freshening up.

8. Bring in and/or tend to fresh plants.

Fresh plants help purify your home. Plants are essential to human life, so it’s only natural that having them in your home helps boost positive feng shui. “Through photosynthesis, they convert the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen, and they can also remove toxins from the air we breathe.” Source: Time Magazine

Based on research, some scientists say house plants are effective natural air purifiers. And the bigger and leafier the plant, the better. “The amount of leaf surface area influences the rate of air purification,” says Bill Wolverton, a former NASA research scientist who conducted that 1989 plant study. Source: Time Magazine

Some wonderful plants to have in your home (and are considered “good” feng shui), are The Chinese Money Tree, Snake Plant, Hedgehog Aloe, Philodendron, Rubber Plant, Ficus, Pothos,  and Calathea. You need to take good care of them, of course, to experience the benefits of their air purifying effects.

In conclusion, your home is your sanctuary.

The more effort you put into keeping your home clean and fresh, the better you and your family will feel and thrive. If you’re interested in a Residential Feng Shui consult, contact me.

May you be exceedingly, generously, and joyfully blessed,©

~Diana Garber, Feng Shui Master