Cleaning With Sun

We already have what we need. yogic saying.

Cleaning the cleaners. Today is a bright, semi-dry, very warm, sparkling clear day, perfect for any activity, including cleaning. Not only do we benefit from being in the sun, but we can utilize it to bleach and disinfect as our ancestors once did.

1st, I put all the scatter rugs and the 'under the table' natural fiber rug, outside. I surface cleaned them using a flat mop, scrubbing them with a mild cleaner, then baked them in the sun. Not only will sun help bleach and fade stains, it will kill undesirable microorganisms that thrive in moisture and shade. When I take them back inside later, they will be ultra-dry and smell wonderful, thanks to their stint in the fresh air and sun.

Then I did the same with the brooms, the whisk boom and dustpan. I spray cleaned them with a mild spray, then left them in the sun to sanitize. When you think of all the nasty things we sweep up, it helps to clean the brooms regularly. Even just exposing them to sun regularly will benefit them.

On the clothesline I hung out a load of newly washed cleaning cloths. This will further sanitize and air dry them. Nice.

I also hung out our pillows, which can always benefit from a sun-bake/ wind blown treatment.

If there are two or more of you willing to do the following, you will be incredibly rewarded the next time you sleep. Place an old sheet on a dry place outdoors. We have a cement pad in the yard where a one-car garage once stood. It works perfect for this. Then bring your mattress outside, placing it on the sheet. Beat it with a heavy stick, or pool stick, or any instrument that can knock the surface debris off it (like you would a hanging rug). The sun will sanitize and help kill dust mites or other microorganisms that routinely collect on upholstered surfaces.

In some cultures that use futons for bedding, this is regularly done. Years ago when I lived in South Korea, we rented an apartment and slept on futons like the locals did. We copied their routine of hanging the futons on the iron rails outside the apartment in the mornings, to get sun and air. Row after row of them on the half-walls facing the street. Looking back, it seems a healthy practice we should adopt here.

Of course we are limited by the size, shape and location of our beds and this is impractical for many people. But if you can at least strip your bed, vacuum it regularly and air dry it with the aid of open windows, it can only help. It is a healthy preventative practice, especially in light of all the drool, perspiration, dust, dead skin cells and other 'human debris' that can otherwise proliferate on never cleaned surfaces. Finally, clean bedding regularly with mild cleanser.

Even if blankets don't need to be washed, they too will benefit from sun-baking and air drying periodically. Spring is a good time to do this, before folding them away for the summer.
Also, I try to do this on a clear, dry, cold mid-winter day, when blankets are in heavy use. They smell great when brought back in.

If you can stand one more practice, I also bring several pairs of footwear outside, to air in the sun. If we all did this more often, the sun could help sanitize our footwear. It can help kill the fungus that exacerbates conditions like Athlete's Feet. Fungus's thrive in warm, moist places. Days like today can kill a fungus among us. Sorry. Couldn't resist.
The sun is an amazing 'solar cleanser.' And it's free.