Doug Frederick '22, Contributing Intro to Journalism Writer
Spring is just around the corner, and everyone knows what that means: spring cleaning. Whether it is just a simple dusting and vacuuming job, or a whole turnover of the house, spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition.
In states with cold, nasty winters, like Michigan, it is not an uncommon occurrence to see a bunch of dirty rugs from several slush covered shoes trampling over them day after day. The sight makes many people want to start cleaning, and that is why the deep clean so often happens during the springtime.
However, the feeling does not always affect the youth the same way as the adults. Sophomore Frances Frederick said that when she was younger, "My mom made me." And she is not the only one who was forced to participate. Senior Mikey Robinson also said that his parents made him do it. He said, "My mom worked in cleaning so she just kind of passed that down to me."
Still, when asked if they would force their respective children to help in cleaning, they unanimously agreed that they would. Frederick said that she would because, "It's just something you do." And Robinson said the reason he will make his kids help is because, "That's the way my mom raised me."
So although cleaning is not exactly a popular pastime among kids, as people get older, the urge to clean grows into an inclination. For Robinson, he said that he cleans for the "satisfaction" he gets when he is finished. He added, "Cleaning now makes me feel like I'll be more organized later in life."
When it comes to Frederick, she said that she actually enjoys spring cleaning now because, "It smells nice, I listen to music, and it means it's getting warm." She also commented on how it is annoying when the slush and mud gets brought in during the spring, after just cleaning, sounding a tad like a mom complaining when her kids come in from jumping in mud puddles.
In fact, some people actually get anxious and excited to start cleaning. Ceramics teacher, Mrs. Nikki Keena said that she has been getting antsy lately to go through her closets and throw out old clothes, even saying that she wants to rent a dumpster. Keena said, "Taking care of what's yours feels good."
One of the other benefits of cleaning, other than just making things look neat, is the health benefits. After everything is cooped up during the winter months, it can start to feel kind of musty and dirty inside the house. Keena said that trying to stay healthy is one of the big reasons she cleans. Having little kids at home, she wants to make sure everything stays disinfected so that she can reduce the risk of someone getting sick.
Sometimes the smallest things can be influential for how people do things, and when it comes to cleaning, what music is playing seems to be a common necessity people think about. For Robsinon, he likes to listen to WRLD because of the "chill beats" in his music. For Frederick, she said, "My brother always had on The Beatles, and so now that's just what I put on during spring cleaning, and I probably always will." Keena said that she listens to upbeat alternative music because it's "good cleaning music."
Even though cleaning is generally looked upon as a chore, there can be upsides. Cleaning helps to air out the house, make things look neat, reduce risks to health, and also gives you an excuse to listen to your favorite music really loud. So if you find yourself looking around your house with an uneasy feeling, try doing some spring cleaning to ease your mind. It is that time of the year, and things can never be too clean.
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