The concept of ‘Spring Cleaning’ is quite a common concept abroad. And we must say Indians don’t believe in this concept at all. So, what is Spring Cleaning? By dictionary definition, the term means ‘cleaning a home/ house thoroughly after winter’. But if we go by urban usage, it might as well mean – cleaning up thoroughly so we get rid of unwanted stuff! Yes, we all have a lot of junk at home that we’ve accumulated over the years. It’s not easy to get these items out of our homes or lives – be it for their sentimental value or for their usage value or just because they have been there forever! But Feng Shui experts believe that creating space by throwing away unwanted stuff will create positive vibes at home. So why delay, let’s get rid of things thus:

~ You’re finding it difficult to accommodate all your kitchen items in those shelves? Think again and see if you are filling them with junk - say, plastic containers and boxes which your neighbourhood restaurant guys have been sending across each time you order a take-away/ parcel! These are one of the first things that get accumulated at home without our knowledge. Learn to throw away the plastic boxes the moment you’re done with your dinner/ lunch.

~ You are out shopping and you’ve set your eyes upon that lovely tea set… well, while there’s nothing wrong with wanting to buy new crockery, just close your eyes for a moment and think if you have space to store the new set, or if there’s an old set that you’ve not been using for over two years now! Are you sure you don’t want to start using your not-much-used crockery or at least donate it to your maid or cook? Take a wise decision before you make an impulsive purchase again!

~ We would say please follow the same advice when you want to buy more utensils or stainless steel containers. With the increasing number of nuclear families, we really do not require those huge vessels in which you can cook rice for 15-20 people. Unless you’re the kind who hosts parties at home regularly, we would suggest that you pack those things away and donate them to an orphanage or old-age home. They’ll be more useful there than at your home!

~ The next biggest issue at hand is organizing your clothes’ shelf. You really have too many clothes and finding the right ones to wear to work every morning is a pain. This weekend, make sure you spend a couple of hours to sort through the piles of clothes stocked away in those three almirahs and see which are the ones you have stopped using because of size issues, which are the ones whose existence you almost forgot, which are the ones you bought but didn’t wear even once. Sort them out in your own order of preference – saris (daily wear/ work wear/ function wear/ party wear), salwars (designer wear with heavy work/ regular wear), and Western wear (jeans-tops for outings/ formal trousers shirts for client meetings). Besides these you’ve undergarments. Pile them up taking into consideration the usage factor and see if there are things you’ve not worn in the past 6-8 months (especially among your regular wear) and understand that those are precisely the ones you’re not going to wear in the next few months either. Harden your heart and discard them or donate them.

~ Repeat the exercise with your spouse’s and kids’ clothes as well. Remember the rule of the thumb: what you don’t wish to wear immediately, you won’t wear it later either.

~ Also, apply this rule to your kids’ toys – there are two cartons filled with toys lying under your child’s bed which s/he isn’t playing with anymore. They might have outgrown some of the toys while they don’t have enough interest or time for the others. Sort them out and convince your child to donate them to those less fortunate kids at an orphanage, and explain how the toys that they’ve outgrown might be useful and valuable for other children.

~ Now think about all the electronic gadgets or accessories that are lying in one of the shelves at home – unused. Be it your old camera (because you got a new DSLR), camcorder, DVD player, television, mobile phone, radio, music system, cassettes/ CDs, desktop, walkman, laptop, tablet, flower vase, table lamp, wall clocks – whatever it is, if you’ve not been using it for a while, chances are you won’t be using it ever in the future. Just sell them for whatever price is okay with you or just give them away to your household help.

See, it’s so easy to breathe easy! Once you decide what to discard, life becomes easy. Don’t hesitate to get rid of junk and make your life simpler and happier! Get, set, go…