Lugs Springs

Spring Cleaning in South Wales

The Urge to spring clean is upon me

A few days ago, I was content to settle in by the fire at night and not give my surroundings more than a passing glance. Not so anymore. The scales have fallen from my eyes, and it's not a pretty sight. What I see is a whole mass of junk. An embarrassing orgy of waste and clutter. I want to back a truck to the front door of our house and start shovelling.

Where did those stacks of unread newspapers and magazines come from? What about the piles of papers that I guess I should keep but I have no place to put? How long has the dining room table been buried and off limits? This place, sweet as it is, seems dingy.

This morning, instead of heading to the gym to train with SOS ExecutiveTraining, I found myself madly throwing things away. With the vacuum in one hand and paper towels in the other, I cleaned with a vengeance. Has it really been long enough for this much crud to accumulate on the window sills? It has. Have the Christmas ornaments not made it to the attic yet? They haven't., Scarily everywhere I look there is something to be dealt with, put away, cleaned, thought about. It is overwhelming.

After a morning's work, the upstairs hall is now cluttered with bags of books for the library, bags of stuff for a possible car boot sale, and there are at least 50 pounds of who knows what outside in a big wheelie bin. It's satisfying, but the problem is, this is just one room's worth.

The call to spring cleaning is strong, but the true challenge is persistence. There's so much to do. I worry I'll get used to walking around these piles the same way I stopped noticing the box of Christmas ornaments. I hope I can keep shedding, keep whittling away at the burden of stuff.

What I really want is to have less and accumulate less. I remake this commitment to less every year, and I hope I'm improving. Still a visit to the bathroom shows me not one but several deodorants, not one but three tubes of toothpaste, even three hair brushes. I know which room I'll tackle tomorrow.

Already it's easier to write about it than to lug the bags to the car and drive them over to the Charity Shop, or put them into the garage, another horror spot. The pull of the outside is strong. I'm about to dig out the push bike and go for a fresh ride. I'll try to limit my accumulations to some mud, a few bruises, or perhaps a painful posterior. As there are only so many things you can walk round in your own home.

About the Author

Sam O'Sullivan is the owner of a Cardiff Physiotherapy studio. His knowledge and experience has changed many clients lives. He uses his diploma in sports therapy to great effect at Cardiff Fitness First.

He alson runs successful Cardiff Exercise, getting the residents of South Wales in tip top shape.

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