Why Spring Cleaning Should Totally Happen In Winter

Written by

Alison Gerber
Alison Gerber
From Sydney, Australia, now freezing to death in New England, Alison Gerber is a writer, Mom and master's student. When she's not blogging, she's usually found eating popcorn in bed, watching a BBC mystery series.
updated May 4, 2019
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(Image credit: Bridget Pizzo)

I get it—it’s cold out and all you want to do after work is get under a blanket with a hot cocoa and a good book. Why on earth would anyone want to spring clean in winter? Well, here are five very good reasons why…

1. You just got a whole bunch of stuff over the holidays. Moms and dads of the world, you probably know what I’m talking about: your lucky kids might have recently acquired a mountain of new toys. Where are you going to put all of them without cleaning, sorting, organizing, and finding new homes for some of the old stuff?

2. This is the time of year when everyone gets sick. Deep cleaning disinfects your home; it raises the quality of the air in your home. After everyone is sick, don’t you wish your home could be really clean again? And before everyone gets sick, don’t you want to preemptively strike that weird mold in the bathroom? Yes, you do.

3. What else are you doing right now anyway? Okay, there’s the cocoa and good book thing. I get it. But besides that? I never quite understand why we spend so much time cleaning inside in spring when it is so wonderful to be outside in spring. If we’re stuck inside, let’s make the most of it and cross some jobs off the list now to free up valuable out-and-about time later in the year.

4. In the winter, more than any season, your home is where you are. During the winter, you’re not out as late, you’re not hiking or running or biking as much, and you’re not seeing friends as often as you otherwise would. You’re at home, and life will be so much better if you put in a little work to make that home a good place, a clean place, an orderly place to give you peace.

5. And last of all, if you lack motivation: thousands of others are doing it right now, too. The January Cure is on! I know of no better reason to spring clean than that. Thousands of people are working through daily tasks together and sharing their experiences on Apartment Therapy. It’s not too late to join in; you’ll just be a little behind on the schedule—no biggie. If you’re interested, head here to find out more. We’d love to have you join us!