With Chinese New Year just around the corner, many people are looking for ways to usher in their best year yet. You might have already started ticking things off your spring cleaning checklist over Christmas and New Year, but it’s been a couple of weeks since then. Plus, Chinese New Year cleaning is a tradition – one that symbolizes removing bad luck to bring good fortune into your life.

Instead of looking at it as a chore, embrace the opportunity to start fresh with these 8 spring cleaning tips to get your home ready for Chinese New Year 2022 from Pacific Prime Hong Kong.

CNY spring cleaning tips

Before we dive into our top spring cleaning tips for Chinese New Year (or CNY), we should touch on the meaning of spring cleaning. Essentially, spring cleaning is the act of thoroughly cleaning a place, including areas you don’t clean regularly. The process involves more than the act of cleaning itself, with tasks like decluttering and organizing. With that said, let’s get right into it.

1. Start with a positive mindset

Clearing off your spring cleaning list may seem like a daunting task, but going into it with a bad attitude can make it more exhausting than it needs to be. A positive approach towards the task at hand is key to making it more enjoyable and less overwhelming. Remember that a clean home benefits your mental and physical health. You’ll feel less stressed, there’ll be fewer distractions, and lower chances of getting sick.

Keep reminding yourself of the benefits of cleaning and your intent behind it (e.g. I’m making room for good energy) and you’ll have a clean space in no time.

2. Come up with a schedule

Breaking big tasks into manageable parts can make the seemingly unachievable suddenly seem plausible. You might have it in your head that you can spring clean your entire house in one day. And, while it might be possible, it’s a sure way to stress yourself out and make the task more tiring. By creating a cleaning schedule, you can keep the pace without exerting yourself.

Each area of the house can take you anywhere from one to three days, setting aside at least two to three hours of cleaning per day. Your best bet is to start with the most used spaces, such as the living room and bathrooms, and work your way from there.

3. Prepare your cleaning basket

Imagine being ready for your CNY cleaning session only to find out you don’t have the tools you need. Fortunately, you’ll never have to know what that’s like if you get your cleaning stuff ready beforehand. Gather your cleaning agents and equipment into a container (preferably with a handle for ease) so you can quickly grab what you need.

For a toxic-free home and overall healthier environment, consider making your own cleaning solutions. There are plenty of DIY recipes online, with a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and hot water being an all-around favorite. For grease, dirt, mold, and stubborn stains, combine one part baking soda, one part vinegar, and three parts salt. Allow the mixture to sit on the spot for at least an hour (or overnight) and remove it with a wooden spoon.

4. Dress for the occasion

Do you put on your most worn-out, spotted clothes to clean the house? You’re not alone if you do. But there’s a difference between wearing ragged clothes that you wouldn’t even greet the mailman in and wearing something comfortable. It’s no secret that the way we dress affects our mood. Since you want to be relaxed when cleaning, wear clothing that you can easily move and breathe in, but you won’t mind getting dirty.

Protect yourself from dust and grime too. If you’re tackling a cobwebbed corner of the house, wear a mask to avoid breathing in anything nasty. Also, wear latex gloves when you’re using harsh chemicals and a lot of elbow grease.

5. Fix anything that’s broken

Most of us are guilty of putting off some home repairs for a rainy day – or in this case, a spring cleaning day. You’re probably picturing that squeaky door hinge or annoying tap that keeps dripping. It’s a great feeling to fix something, so what better time to do it than before the new year?

Keep in mind that repairs can make your home messier, especially if drilling or taking things apart is involved. Consider doing your repairs before you start spring cleaning.

6. Declutter before you clean

Another thing to do before you actually start cleaning is to declutter. It only makes sense, as having less stuff means having less stuff to, well, clean. But decluttering can sound much easier than it is in reality, especially for those who tend to hoard stuff.

To start, get rid of the things that you cannot repair and donate things you no longer use. These items are just taking up space and are better off going to someone who can use them for parts, upcycle them, etc. Go through your kitchen cupboards and bathroom cabinets and discard any expired items like dry products and toiletries. For those who want to take decluttering to the next level, there are plenty of resources online, such as YouTube videos, that can help.

7. Adopt the top-to-bottom approach

Ask any professional cleaner and they will tell you that the easiest way to ensure you don’t have to clean something twice is to go from top to bottom. We tend to forget things that are above our head like lights, ceiling fans, and shelving. But these things get just as dusty as everything else and are less likely to be cleaned regularly.

Think of the top-to-bottom approach as working with gravity rather than against it. By cleaning a room in this way, you begin with the tallest surfaces so the dust and dirt collect below, which you’ll get to later. Dust first, then clean, and tackle the floors last.

8. Clean before (or after) the new year

According to tradition, you should not clean in any way on the first day of the Chinese New Year. That means you need to clean up and throw out your rubbish before the clock strikes twelve. If not, wait until the second day of the lunar new year to resume your cleaning duties.

The reason that people don’t clean on new years day (not even the dishes!) is that you might remove any of the good luck that arrived at midnight, taking away from all the hard work you put into ridding your home of bad luck in the first place.

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The new year is a great time to invest in your health and wellbeing. Whether you’re looking to secure international health insurance so you can travel with peace of mind or want to go over your existing health insurance plan to make sure it’s still working for you, Pacific Prime Hong Kong is here to help.

As a leading insurance broker with over two decades of experience, we have the knowledge and expertise to help you find the best plans for your requirements, and within your budget. Contact us for impartial insurance advice and a free quote today!

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Jantra Jacobs

Senior Copywriter at Pacific Prime Hong Kong

Jantra Jacobs is a Senior Copywriter at Pacific Prime with over 10 years of writing and editing experience. She writes and edits a diverse variety of online and offline copy, including sales and marketing materials ranging from articles and advertising copy to reports, guides, RFPs, and more.

Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime’s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime’s Deputy Global CEO’s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra’s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content - no matter how complex the subject is.

Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.

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