Spring cleaning: It's not what it used to be, but it's still a good idea

Spring cleaning has roots in ancient cultural and religious practices.

In Jewish tradition, it is linked to the Passover, commemorating the Jews fleeing in such haste from slavery in Egypt that they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. Celebrated in early spring, Passover is ushered in by cleaning the home to remove any trace of yeast or yeast bread.

In Christian custom, Catholics clean the church altar the day before Good Friday, which normally falls in March or April. Members of the Greek Orthodox church clean house for a week leading up to Lent.

In Iranian culture, Nowruz, or Persian new year, falls on the first day of spring and also includes a thorough house cleaning.

And the Chinese clean their houses the day before their new year, also called spring festival, to get rid of bad luck and make more space for good fortune.

Today, it’s still a good idea to deep-clean the house when the days get warmer and longer.

“In winter, we’re all cooped up. People get sick; they get the flu. We can’t wait until spring to open our windows and get the fresh air,” said Raina Richardson, owner of Clean-N-Shine, a cleaning and home care business in Hempfield. “It’s a good tradition to do a deep cleaning, too.”

For Terri Lemmon of Ligonier, who cleans private homes around that area, it’s the windows, carpets, curtains and bedding that need the most attention when warmer weather arrives — along with often-neglected items like lampshades, light bulbs and ceiling fans.

“Those little things are easy to forget,” she said.

Spring also is a good time to reorganize storage spaces such as pantries, cupboards, kitchen drawers and linen closets.

“Getting rid of outdated things in the refrigerator is a good idea,” Lemmon said. “I spend a lot of time in people’s homes going through pantries and refrigerators, and I say, ‘Do you realize this is from 2016? It might still be good, but do you really want to keep it?’ ”

Plan ahead

“The first thing to do is make a plan and get organized,” said Mike Cavallaro, owner of The Cleaning Authority in Allison Park. “If you don’t have a good plan, you’ll make it a lot harder lugging everything back and forth.

“Get the kids involved, too. Teach them to do a job.”

Cavallaro, who has been in the cleaning business for 20 years, suggests a two-day plan of attack: declutter the first day and clean on the second day.

“Pick up everything on the floor, the toys or whatever, and then clean up the bills and everything else that is stacked up,” he said. “It all needs to go.”

The next step is to organize your cleaning supplies. Have one tote for your brushes, sponges and cleaning products, which he suggests putting into spray bottles. A second tote should hold dusting supplies.

Leave the paper towels behind.

“Get yourself about two dozen good cotton cloth towels,” Cavallaro said. “They make a huge difference. They work well with just about every cleaning product, and they can be reused.”

He recommends cleaning the basement first, if you have one, and then working top to bottom in a multistory house, or back to front for a single story.

In each room, “work in a circle and clean your way out,” he said.

In addition to a full-sized vacuum cleaner, Cavallaro suggests using a mini-vac for spaces that an upright sweeper can’t reach, such as stairs and under furniture.

Barring interruptions, Cavallaro said, “The average person should be able to clean a 2,500-square-foot house in about three or four hours, top to bottom.”

Vinegar and ‘green’ cleaners

Some people are leery of harsh chemical cleaners and prefer eco-friendly “green” products, such as those containing vinegar. Those cleaners have their merits, Cavallaro said, but have some limitations.

Those chemical components are what cut through tough dirt and stains, he said, so using gentler cleaners might involve some extra “elbow grease.” Green cleaners generally aren’t antibacterial or antimicrobial, either.

“You can only be so green when it comes to sanitizing and disinfecting,” he said. “You have to decide what’s important — being green or sanitizing.”

A vinegar solution is great for cleaning windows and other glass surfaces, he noted. Combine it with baking soda, and there’s a chemical reaction that can cut tough, baked-on grease. If the smell of vinegar is unpleasant or overpowering, Richardson suggests adding a few drops of peppermint oil, lemon or orange to your solution for a clean, fresh scent.

Recycle and reuse

If your spring cleaning involves getting rid of unwanted or unneeded items, there are options besides the landfill.

“The easy way is to leave them curbside for the trash, but there are so many opportunities for reuse in our area,” said Sarah Alessio Shea, deputy director of Pittsburgh-based Pennsylvania Resources Council. “Why not let someone else use it?”

For clothing or a household item, a good way to gauge if it’s reusable is to decide if it’s something you would be comfortable giving to a relative or friend, she said. Thrift and consignment stores are good landing spots for those items.

Another option is a buy-nothing exchange group, many of which can be found on social media platforms such as Facebook. Simply post photos of the items for group members to claim.

“No money is exchanged,” Alessio Shea said.

Organizations such as Construction Junction in Pittsburgh and Habitat for Humanity ReStore, with locations in Swissvale and Hempfield, will accept leftover home construction and renovation materials.

Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse in Point Breeze North accepts a wide variety of art-making and related supplies, as needed.

Many thrift stores will take furniture, as will Off the Floor Pittsburgh, a volunteer ministry in Pittsburgh’s North Side that distributes used furniture such as beds, dressers, tables and chairs to disadvantaged families.

Pennsylvania Resource Council has a series of upcoming collection events for household chemicals and hard-to-recycle items. The first one will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16 in the parking lot of PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Information on other events, acceptable items and fees is available at prc.org. Participants must register in advance for the April 16 collection at 412-488-7490, ext. 1.

Westmoreland Cleanways and Recycling in Unity also accepts items, including household hazardous waste, electronics, tires, glass, paper, used motor oil and more. For information on hours, acceptable items and fees, call 724-879-4020, email info@westmorelandcleanways.org or visit westmorelandcleanways.org.

Alessio Shea said there is one important question to ask if you decide to employ a commercial junk-hauling service.

“Ask where the stuff is going,” she said. “You want to make sure it’s not getting dumped over a hillside.”