May 2018 
The concept of ‘Spring cleaning’ goes back many years and can be found in several different cultures. In fact, some believe it could even be embedded in our biology.
It makes perfect sense to wait until the weather starts to warm up before you begin your thorough clean. You can fling the windows open and air out any items to deodorise them, you can also begin to circulate the air by opening the doors to let the breeze in. By all accounts, Spring is a logical time to deep clean your home.
In the past, when fireplaces were our only source of heat, people would frequently welcome in the spring by cleaning soot and grime build up from their homes. With rooms now exposed to bright, natural light for even longer each day dirt becomes a lot of apparent to the occupants.
Some believe it’s our biology that springs us into spring cleaning action. The change of season activates something encoded in our genes to spruce up the place for hygiene reasons as well as aesthetics.
There’s a very interesting explanation for this;
During the winter months, when light exposure is low, your pineal glad produces more melatonin (the sleep inducing hormone). In a way, our bodies go into a mini hibernation. We’re less alert while this is happening, which means we aren’t as in tune to the little things going on around us and dusty windowsills and cobwebs go unnoticed
As spring approaches, melatonin production slows and, in our more awake state, we begin to see how desperately in need of a good clean the house really is. Plus, the sun has started to give you the energy to actually perform these cleaning tasks.
It’s not only humans who perform a ‘spring clean’. Some animal species do one of their own, cleaning out their nests and dens after hibernation and as they prepare to add new life to their homes.