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class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Other seasonal cleaning</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Other_seasonal_cleaning-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" 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class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring cleaning</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. 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class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9nage_de_printemps" title="Ménage de printemps – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Ménage de printemps" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voorjaarsschoonmaak" title="Voorjaarsschoonmaak – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Voorjaarsschoonmaak" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%97%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8B%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0" title="スプリング・クリーニング – Japanese" 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data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">For other uses, see <a href="/wiki/Spring_cleaning_(disambiguation)" class="mw-disambig" title="Spring cleaning (disambiguation)">Spring cleaning (disambiguation)</a>.</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output 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.mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Spring_cleaning" title="Special:EditPage/Spring cleaning">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Spring+cleaning%22">"Spring cleaning"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Spring+cleaning%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Spring+cleaning%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Spring+cleaning%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Spring+cleaning%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Spring+cleaning%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">March 2016</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Spring cleaning</b> is the practice of thoroughly <a href="/wiki/Housekeeping" title="Housekeeping">cleaning</a> a <a href="/wiki/House" title="House">house</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Spring_(season)" title="Spring (season)">springtime</a>. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold <a href="/wiki/Winter" title="Winter">winter</a>. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which may be in spring or winter, depending on the calendar. </p><p>The term is also used metaphorically for any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an <a href="/wiki/Audit" title="Audit">audit</a> or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Some researchers trace the origin of spring cleaning to the <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iranian</a> <a href="/wiki/Nowruz" title="Nowruz">Nowruz</a>, the Persian new year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of <i>khaneh tekani</i> (<a href="/wiki/Persian_language" title="Persian language">Persian</a>: خانه‌تکانی; literally "shaking the house") just before the <a href="/wiki/Persian_new_year" class="mw-redirect" title="Persian new year">Persian new year</a>. Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the <a href="/wiki/Drapes" class="mw-redirect" title="Drapes">drapes</a> to the <a href="/wiki/Furniture" title="Furniture">furniture</a>. </p><p>Another possibility has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the springtime festival of <a href="/wiki/Passover" title="Passover">Passover</a> (Pesach). In remembrance of the Israelites' hasty <a href="/wiki/Exodus_from_Egypt" class="mw-redirect" title="Exodus from Egypt">flight from Egypt</a> following their captivity there, during the week-long observance of the Passover holiday, there are strict prohibitions against eating or drinking anything which may have been <a href="/wiki/Leavening_agent" title="Leavening agent">leavened or fermented</a> (Exodus 12:15, 19). Jews are not only supposed to refrain from <a href="/wiki/Leavened" class="mw-redirect" title="Leavened">leavened</a> foodstuffs (<i><a href="/wiki/Chametz" title="Chametz">chametz</a></i>), they are expressly commanded to rid their homes of even small remnants of <i>chametz</i> for the length of the holiday (<a href="/wiki/Book_of_Exodus" title="Book of Exodus">Exodus</a> 12:15). Therefore, observant Jews conduct a thorough "spring cleaning" of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for <i>chametz</i> crumbs (<i><a href="/wiki/Bedikat_chametz" class="mw-redirect" title="Bedikat chametz">bedikat chametz</a></i>) by candlelight on the evening before the holiday begins. </p><p>Traditionally, the Catholic church thoroughly cleans the church altar and everything associated with it on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, in the Spring. Spring cleaning persists today in <a href="/wiki/Greece" title="Greece">Greece</a>, and other <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church">Orthodox</a> nations. It is traditional to clean the house thoroughly either right before or during the first week of <a href="/wiki/Great_Lent" title="Great Lent">Great Lent</a>, which is referred to as <a href="/wiki/Clean_Monday" title="Clean Monday">Clean Week</a>. This also often corresponds with the Julian New Year, or <a href="/wiki/April" title="April">April</a> 1. </p><p>In North America and northern Europe, the custom found an especially practical value due to those regions' continental and wet climates. During the 19th century in America, prior to the advent of the <a href="/wiki/Vacuum_cleaner" title="Vacuum cleaner">vacuum cleaner</a>, March was often the best time for <a href="/wiki/Dust" title="Dust">dusting</a> because it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors (but not warm enough for <a href="/wiki/Insect" title="Insect">insects</a> to be a problem), and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. This time of year is also when coal furnaces would not run and one could wash the soot from the walls and furniture left by the furnace. For the same reason, modern rural households often use the month of March for cleaning projects involving the use of chemical products which generate fumes.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Other_seasonal_cleaning">Other seasonal cleaning</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Other seasonal cleaning"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Similar traditions have annual cleaning in winter. </p><p>In Scotland, "New Year's cleaning" is traditionally done on <a href="/wiki/Hogmanay" title="Hogmanay">Hogmanay</a> (December 31), a practice now also widespread in Ireland and North America.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (April 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>In Japan, <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">ōsōji</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">大掃除</span></span>, "big cleaning")</span> is done in late December, before the new year on January 1. This was predated by the tradition of <span title="Hepburn transliteration"><i lang="ja-Latn">susu-harai</i></span><span style="font-weight: normal"> (<span title="Japanese-language text"><span lang="ja">煤払い</span></span>, "soot cleaning")</span> during the <a href="/wiki/Edo_period" title="Edo period">Edo period</a> (1603–1868), which was observed on December 13 and cleaned homes in order to welcome <a href="/wiki/Toshigami" title="Toshigami">toshigami</a> (gods of the year).<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In southern China regions including Canton and Hong Kong, traditional customs of lunar new year include cleaning on the 28th day of the 12th month of the year. Deep cleaning also symbolizes warding off bad luck from the previous year and reserving space for "prosperity" that will come along with the new year. </p><p>Among <a href="/wiki/Neo-Pagan" class="mw-redirect" title="Neo-Pagan">Neo-Pagans</a>, biannual <a href="/wiki/Equinox" title="Equinox">equinox</a> cleanings are sometimes performed at the onset of spring and autumn, to symbolize beginning a new cycle with a clean spiritual slate. </p><p>"Diwali ki safai" or Diwali-cleaning in most parts of <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> is traditionally done a couple of days (or weeks) before the festival of <a href="/wiki/Diwali" title="Diwali">Diwali</a>. It is a tradition that involves cleaning and organizing one's home before the festival to remove negativity and welcome positivity. It's also believed that a clean home will be blessed by <a href="/wiki/Goddess_Lakshmi" class="mw-redirect" title="Goddess Lakshmi">Goddess Lakshmi</a>. In the lead-up to <a href="/wiki/Diwali" title="Diwali">Diwali</a>, celebrants will prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with <a href="/wiki/Diya_(lamp)" title="Diya (lamp)"> Diyas</a> (oil lamps) and <a href="/wiki/Rangolis" class="mw-redirect" title="Rangolis">rangolis</a> (colorful art circle patterns). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kh%C4%81ne-tak%C4%81n%C4%AB" title="Khāne-takānī">Khāne-takānī</a>, an Iranian tradition of spring cleaning</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://19thcentury.us/19th-century-cleaning-products/">"19th Century Cleaning Products"</a>. <i>19th Century Historical Insights</i>. 2023.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=19th+Century+Historical+Insights&rft.atitle=19th+Century+Cleaning+Products&rft.date=2023&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2F19thcentury.us%2F19th-century-cleaning-products%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpring+cleaning" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFIto2015" class="citation web cs1">Ito, Masami (26 December 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2015/12/26/lifestyle/osoji-ways-keep-home-spick-span/">"<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>'Ōsōji': ways to keep your home spick and span"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Japan_Times" title="The Japan Times">The Japan Times</a></i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Japan+Times&rft.atitle=%27%C5%8Cs%C5%8Dji%27%3A+ways+to+keep+your+home+spick+and+span&rft.date=2015-12-26&rft.aulast=Ito&rft.aufirst=Masami&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.japantimes.co.jp%2Flife%2F2015%2F12%2F26%2Flifestyle%2Fosoji-ways-keep-home-spick-span%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASpring+cleaning" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&oldid=1274185595">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_cleaning&oldid=1274185595</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div 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