I look forward to spring-cleaning and putting things in their place. It’s therapeutic for me.
Kimora Lee Simmons, leading venture investor, entrepreneur, fashion designer and TV personality
Now is a good time to do your spring-cleaning whether you are preparing for Christmas, the brand new year of 2020 or the 2020 Chinese New Year.
If you are a Christian and a Chinese, then you will spring-clean for all the three occasions.
If you have been keeping your home spick and span the entire year, there is not much cleaning for you to do. But if you only spring-clean your home once a year, then there is a lot for you to do and it is a job that can take up to Christmas to complete.
Modern housewives living in a city like Kuching are fortunate — they can make use of the professional cleaners to spring-clean their homes for a sum of money. The charges are not cheap but if you have money, you should spread it around and distribute to others and leave the job to professionals.
I am one hopeless person when it comes to spring-cleaning. I just do not know where to begin.
But thank God, I have a sister-in-law who is good in helping me keep my house spick and span.
Everyone notices the difference in my house after a visit by my sister-in-law. “Wah, your floor is so clean? Did someone mop it?”
Always one to give credit where it is due, of course, I do not hesitate to sing praises of my hardworking sister-in-law. I am always happy to welcome her to my home.
Do you believe in the Specialisation Theory, better known as Division of Labour, first recognised in Adam Smith’s book ‘Wealth of Nations’ published in 1776?
The Specialisation Theory breaks down large jobs into smaller jobs which are assigned to workers. The division of labour enables certain workers to specialise in certain tasks, saves labour time and increases productivity.
When it comes to household chores, I thoroughly believe in the Specialisation Theory. I hate spring-cleaning and because I am sentimental about many old things, I often waste a lot of time deciding what to keep and what to discard or give away.
So when it comes to spring-cleaning, I happily assign the job to my sister-in-law.
She began spring cleaning my house three days ago. “You go and do whatever other jobs you have to do. Don’t look at me. Otherwise, you will end up saving everything,” my sister-in-law told me.
Since I wanted a really clean house for 2020, I had no choice but to listen to her.
While she was busy cleaning, I concentrated on preparing dinner for the family in the kitchen. Cooking is my forte, not spring-cleaning.
In the course of a year, do you know how much unnecessary things we can collect at home? Easily a lorryful of things like empty biscuit tins, plastic food containers, worn-out shoes and slippers and dented pots and pans! This I found out at the end of day one.
There were also lots of school notes and knick-knacks which belonged to my younger niece. When she left for Bintulu, her home, after completing her secondary education here, she did not throw away the things she no longer needed. Instead, we had to do it for her.
Of course, my sister-in-law complained when she had to dispose of my niece’s notes and knick-knacks. Because my niece was a hoarder, she left behind bags and bags of rubbish!
When I shared pictures of my house with my family members in other parts of Malaysia after two days of spring-cleaning, they all commented on how clean and tidy it looked.
The spring-cleaning is ongoing … we have just started with the kitchen. There are two more rooms to clear before I can really say that my house is clean for 2020 and the Chinese New Year.
But anyway, it is a good early start. My sister-in-law will come only on the days I am off from work. Like everyone else, I am looking forward to 2020 and the surprises and fortune it will bring.
This year has been a good one for me and my family. We have enjoyed good health and good times together. I am grateful for God’s blessings in my life and look forward to another blessed year!
