Spring Cleaning, Feng Shui, and the Art of Letting Go

Are you tired of seeing a massive pile of clutter in your home? Want to eliminate these piles of trash from your life and transform your space into one that invites prosperity and good fortune?

If so, you may consider undergoing a deep, thorough cleanse of your home—the Feng Shui way.

For the uninitiated, Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese art that entails the planned arrangement of furniture, buildings, and objects with the overarching purpose of achieving harmony.

While it may sound foreign to people not exposed to the tradition, Feng Shui is a widely believed tradition that’s said to help promote balance by utilising the power of a worldly energy force called chi.

When you harness Chi in your spring cleaning duties, your room won’t only be spotless, but it’ll also contain a positive, free-flowing energy that can impact the household positively.

Interested in incorporating Feng Shui principles in your cleaning routine? Here are ways you can harmonise your space and clean it up using Feng Shui.

The Basics of Chi

At the heart of Feng Shui is an invisible energy known as chi. Chi is an Eastern philosophical concept that pertains to the omniscient energy force that flows in us and around us.

In the context of Feng Shui, chi also plays a vital role in influencing the environment. When chi circulates freely, it can promote a sense of well-being, prosperity, and good health to all the people it comes into contact with.

On the contrary, a home with poor chi circulation can give rise to the opposite effects. It can cause misfortune to enter the home and can even lead to poor health among the members of the household.

Many variables affect the flow of Chi in the home, and one crucial one among them is clutter. Let’s look into how clutter brings about negative chi in the environment.

How Clutter Blocks Positive Energy Flow

Clutter, in essence, impedes the natural circulation of energy. It’s a chaotic pile of unnecessary filth that can obstruct chi from passing to and from, essentially blocking the passage of the positive effects associated with chi. This can cause people to feel stuck, confused, and exasperated.

There’s also the problem of clutter occupying the spaces of one’s mind, distracting them from things that they ought to concentrate on. This, in turn, can cause you to forget things frequently and become more clumsy.

Fortunately, being stuck in this situation is not something you’re stuck with forever. If you maintain cleanliness and order in your space, you can achieve a harmonious balance. 

This will entail effort on your part, but with just a little bit of time and thought, you can transform your space into something that lives and breathes good energy.

6 Ways to Spring Clean With Feng Shui

Here are some things to know when you’re undergoing a Feng Shui-inspired deep cleaning.

1. Make Your Space Walkable

The first thing you should do is to create a clear pathway for you to walk around the various parts of your house. If there are any loose articles of clothing, paper wrappers, and food containers sprawled on the floor, get rid of them. 

If the task is a tall order, you can enlist the help of companies like 1300 Rubbish to remove the rubbish for you. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that your stuff is properly disposed of as professionals are the ones handling the dirty work for you.

Once your house is deemed walkable, you can create a clearer game plan to get rid of other excess items in your household.

2. Clean Your Windows

Your windows, just like your door, play an important role in inviting energy to come and flow inside. 

If it’s dirty, smudged up, or otherwise unclean, it’s essentially similar to having a path that blocks energy from entering or exiting—in other words, a stagnant port. 

As such, be sure to make it a priority to clean your windows. Wipe them and properly disinfect them. Don’t forget to touch up the blinds and curtains too.

3. Enhance Your Entryway

The front door is the primary portal for Chi to make its way into your home. It, therefore, needs to be steady, positive, and conducive to positive energy flow.

One way to do this is to create a shield-like object (like a fountain) if your house is situated at the end of a T-shaped intersection. This can deflect the intense amount of energy coming into your home.

If any part of your door is cracked or broken, fix it. If it’s dirty, wipe it down to remove dust. Keeping the door and doorknob spotless is vital to the healthy flow of positive energy.

4. Choose Harmonic Colours

In Feng Shui, the colours you pick are essential. They are believed to reflect various energies and can either harmonise with the surroundings or disrupt the chi. 

For a serene and balanced environment, it’s important to be mindful of the colours you end up picking, as well as the way they flow together.

For instance, earthy tones like browns and greens are grounding, blues can bring a sense of calm, while vibrant hues like reds can invigorate a place.

If you decide to purchase new furniture and get rid of old and energy-draining ones, be sure to choose shades that align with your desired energy. And don’t worry, these things can be done on a budget.

5. Clean the Fridge

Did you know that a cluttered fridge can block positive energy? It’s true—it may even go so far as to indicate neglect of one's nourishment.

If you want to incorporate Feng Shui in your kitchen and dining area, undergo a deep cleanse of your refrigerator. 

Remove expired products or food products that have been sitting around for too long. Wipe down grease and fallen food particles at the bottom part of the shelves. 

By doing so, you can maintain positive energy and feel both physically and mentally healthy.

6. Introduce Natural Elements

Feng Shui has five divisions of elements: metal, water, fire, earth, and wood. Each element has a specific association with it, as follows:

• Metal: Organization, self-reflection
• Water: Flow, purity
• Fire: Passion, energy
• Earth: Stability, nourishment
• Wood: Growth, health

If you feel as if you’re lacking in one or two elements, it’s a good idea to make up for it by balancing the elements in your room or home.

This can be done by simply adding (or removing) types of furniture in the home that depict a certain element. For example, if you feel stagnant in your career, you may benefit from setting up wood and fire elements (like a fireplace) in your next renovation project. 

If you feel stuck and cramped in your home, you may benefit from putting water-based elements like a fountain in your home, garden, or living room. Balance is key when deciding how you want to distribute these elements.