Diwali, the festival of lights, is around the corner and today, it has become a festival that is celebrated in literally every part of the world. With its large population of people of Indian origin and Hindus, it comes as no surprise that Singapore too is gearing up!
The festival is meant to mark the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance; however, there are several stories associated with the celebrations. And just as many stories there are, there are traditions; but some traditions are staple – from lighting diyas to decorating the home with rangolis and of course, delicious sweets!
But before all the festivities can begin, it’s essential to deep clean the house and prepare it for the celebrations.
House cleaning for Diwali is not just about the aesthetics; it’s a way to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, into a clean, clutter-free, and serene environment. A clean home symbolizes clarity, purity, and a fresh start and it is believed that wealth and prosperity exists only in such places.
Here is how to clean your house on Diwali with a little help from Waangoo
When you are looking to buy online grocery in Singapore, you know that the place to come to is Waangoo, but this is also where you can get some of the finest tips and tricks to keep your home looking top class at all times. So, when you are looking for tips for Diwali house cleaning, this is where you will get them all.
Declutter
Before you begin the actual cleaning process, it’s crucial to declutter and Diwali is the perfect time to part with things you no longer need. Old newspapers, magazines, broken glasses, clothes you haven’t worn in a year – no matter what it is, if you haven’t used something for a while, maybe it is time to bid farewell to them.
- It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the thought of cleaning an entire house, which is why you need to tackle one room at a time. Keep three boxes or bags ready – one for the items you intend to trash, one to donate and one that you want to store for later.
- You might need to spend a little extra time in all those storage spaces, such as cupboards, cabinets and pantry shelves, because these are where items tend to accumulate over time.
Deep cleaning
Now that you have taken out everything you don’t need, you can start with the Diwali cleaning! Once again, you need to tackle room by room, making the task easier and more organised.
- Start with the living room, which is where most Diwali guests will spend their time. You can ensure that you dust all the surfaces and take the time to clean the ceiling fans, AC vents and light fixtures. If you have a carpeted floor, then vacuum all of them and hard flooring can be swept and mopped using cleaning agents. You should pay attention to the upholstery as well, washing the cushions and curtains.
- Given that it is Diwali, you will want to spend some time cooking up sweets and savouries, but you need a clean kitchen for that. Make sure that you throw away all expired food items, wipe down shelves, and rearrange the items for easy access. Spend some time deep cleaning all your appliances, such as microwave, ovens and chimney.
- Move onto the bedrooms next – dust all the surfaces and clean under the beds too. Wash all your bed linen and leave fragrance sachets in your cleaned out cupboards.
- You should also spend some time cleaning out your bathrooms, because guests might need to use the same. Clean all the fixtures, tiles and mirrors and make sure that you replace the towels. Leave some scented sachets in the bathroom, to keep it smelling good and ensure that there is plenty of toilet paper and other essentials such as soap and handwash.
Doorways
According to tradition, the entrance to your home is where you welcome Goddess Lakshmi, which is why your Diwali house cleaning needs to focus on the entry way and the front door too. Remove cobwebs from the outside of your house and clean and polish your front door, doorbell, and any decorations that you have. You can hang torans or string lights at the entrance of your home and you can also make a rangoli with dry colours or flowers. At Waangoo, you can even get those stick on kolams, which are easy to use and look great!
Deck it up!
Now that your house cleaning for Diwali is done, you can get to actually decorating it and at Waangoo, you will be able to get almost everything that you need to get your home festival ready.
- Because it is Diwali, you will want plenty of lamps, diyas and lights all around the house – you can choose from clay diyas, brass ones that can be as elaborate as you want or string up lights. You can also get pooja or lamp oils at Waangoo, which are perfect for the diyas.
- Diwali is also a time for spiritual cleansing, which is why after you have finished off your deep cleaning, you can consider purifying your space to remove any negative energy. You can either burn incense or sage or you can use essential oils, because the idea is to give your home a calming and soothing fragrance.
- Make sure that you have plenty of fresh flowers all around the house to make it look festive – from hanging up floral strings (real or artificial) to floating fresh flowers in water, there are so many ways to get flowers around the house.
Come to Waangoo for your house cleaning and your Diwali shopping needs – all you need to do is add items to your cart and we will get it to your doorstep in no time!