Give Your Home a Multidimensional Cleanse

The typical time for Spring cleaning is upon us, but instead of just swapping out your wardrobe and giving your living quarters a functional cleanse, we are rē-inventing the annual ritual with a multidimensional twist. From tending to your home’s energy to organizing clutter, and even the cleaning products you use in your space, wellness enthusiasts will have plenty of opportunities that go beyond the physical dimension to make their homes sparkling clean for Spring.

First things first, consider giving your home a vibe-check. Popular ways of raising the vibe of your space, or clearing out the bad energy, might involve bringing in crystals — like this handmade crystal nazar door amulet to protect your home from the evil eye — by playing sound bowls or burning incense or herbs like sage.

Modern mystic Neelou Malekpour, author of The Art of Sacred Smoke, grew up with her mother and grandmother conducting smoke cleansings. When she was bullied as a child, she distinctly remembers the easing of psychosomatic anxiety that her grandmother’s smoke ritual helped to clear. Years later, she had stopped taking part in smoke cleansings but was experiencing clinical anxiety. “One night my grandmother came to me in a dream and reminded me of the magic of the rituals she had taught me… I started smoke cleansing regularly, and my spiritual journey began to unfold.”

The Art of Sacred Smoke by Neelou Malekpour, $21.22

Smudged Cleanse + Protect Spray, $9

She goes on to explain that smoke cleansing is an integral part of her culture, and this ritual has since become a fixture in her self-care. “When we cleanse our physical space, we are bringing our intention and focus to uplifting the energy in our space,” she tells re•spin. “It can bring a sense of order to chaos, peace of heart, and peace of mind, [replacing] anxious or nervous energy.” Helping her to overcome clinical anxiety, her practice has become one way that she embodies a healthier state of being.

“Always, it is the simple act of intentional ritual that transforms our experience in life,” says Malekpour. The rituals that she teaches to her clients bring a shift in mood, which they keep track of before and after a ritual in order to note changes. “If you’re sensitive to energy, you can use a clearing any time you feel off,” she says. “In general, cleanse your space in the cadence you would clean your home. Dense energy builds up in the same way that dust gathers.”

Of course, the physical dimension of Spring cleaning matters, too — particularly when it comes to organizing your home into a space that feels like what our CCO calls a “zen-tuary.” Tracy McCubbin, CEO of dClutterfly and author, has made an entire career out of creating order out of people’s clutter. She explains that part of her role is helping to turn your home into a tool for wellness. “Start thinking about your home as a tool; a tool to help you rest, replenish and refill,” she says. “It’s the safe space that we launch into the day from, and come back to at the end of the day… Your space needs to support you.”

But this is easier said than done, especially considering the way that mess and clutter can make a person feel — overwhelmed, frazzled, and as internally disorganized as the exterior reflects. “If your home is filled with clutter and disorganization, it is sapping your energy,” she validates. With clients noting that their newly organized homes have helped them think more clearly, fall asleep more quickly, and even reporting fewer fights with their partners, the impact of a decluttered space goes deeper than we ever realized. “Less clutter is an immediate de-stresser,” McCubbin continues. “In studies with women who live with clutter, once their clutter is removed, they have an immediate drop in [the stress hormone] cortisol.”

Making Space, Clutter-Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need  by Tracy McCubbin, $14.60

The beauty of calling in an expert like dClutterfly is that instead of feeling overwhelmed, you have an expert on-hand that actually enjoys the process. “I may have a few planets in Virgo,” McCubbin shares jokingly. But she goes on to explain that growing up with a hoarder taught her early on how stuff can literally take over a person’s life. “Growing up this way gave me deep compassion and empathy for our complicated relationship with our stuff, and no matter how much of it we have, that it is not the root of happiness. In fact, quite the opposite.”

It then became a part of her healing process to take her early wounds and to help liberate others from the psychic trauma it can create. Her team begins by navigating your space, identifying the major blocks to the flow. Then they begin sorting — a process in which she encourages you to begin looking at every piece of clutter as a decision (i.e., whether it stays or goes). Then they suggest bins, containers, boxes, and drawer organizers to keep your space flowing functionally. Once the process is over, they even take your desired donations to the appropriate drop-offs; it’s truly full service.

Yet another element of Spring Cleaning comes down to the actual scrubbing, wiping, vacuuming, et cetera. Jessica Bragdon is the co-founder of Koala Eco, a line of cleaning products that takes the environment and personal health into consideration with their non-toxic formulas for home cleaning products. Already nature-lovers, a health scare with their young son required that they become aware of hidden toxins in their lifestyles — including in their cleaning products.

Koala Eco Natural Dish Soap, $18.90

Koala Eco Natural Multipurpose Kitchen Cleaner, $13.90

“It’s really straightforward for us: Koala Eco products do not contain any nasties including dyes, masking agents, synthetic perfumes, chlorine, bleach, sodium laurel sulfates, or phosphates,” Bragdon says. “All of our products are biodegradable, non-toxic, vegan, grey-water safe, and plant-based. Nothing we make is, or ever will be, tested on animals.” She points to published research showing how many ingredients found in common household cleaners have been linked to concerning outcomes for the body and the planet. “Research has also indicated that long after household exposure to these toxins has happened, people have experienced health issues like hormone disruption, allergies, asthma, and more,” she says. “That’s why we don’t want them in our products!”

Keeping these three dimensions of Spring Cleaning in mind, perhaps you will take on the seasonal task a little more mindfully this year. Plus, with the products to shop below, you can herald in a fresh start with new swag in tow.

House of Roxy Cleanse & Protect Incense, $10

Sage & Salt The Door Amulet, $350

20 Mule Team Borax, $8.70

Dreo Macro Pro True HEPA Air Purifier, $149.99

Molly’s Suds Super Powder Laundry Detergent, $21.99