Caring for your home is caring for yourself and your family.

Cleaning as Self Care

I imagine a few of you are looking at the title of this and are confused and thinking one of a few things. How can cleaning be magickal? Ugh CLEANING, pass! Or maybe you are on the opposite side and are thinking I already know how to clean magick. Wherever you land on this line I encourage you to keep reading and with an open mind.

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth, a time for a new beginning or a fresh start. Animals tend to give birth more in the spring, plants start to emerge from the ground and there is a freshness to the air that brightens most people’s spirits.

Spring cleaning is a culturally ingrained part of our society, you see all kinds of messages about clearing out the old to bring in the new. We spend hours and sometimes an entire weekend in spring cleaning mode where we haul things out of our homes and vacuum and wash without any clear intentions other than to get it done. 

Mindfully cleaning with a magickal intention can change the way you look at cleaning and the way you clean. I have a few tips to share with you to help make cleaning a spiritual practice.

Choosing your cleaning products.

Start with products that are safe yet effective. Making your own is a great alternative to many store bought items. My go to’s for cleaning are vinegar, baking soda, hot water, lemons, basic soap, and essential oils. This will help make your cleaning more magickal!

Make sure before you make any of your own cleaners you research safe items to mix. You do not want to create a harmful mixture that could harm you or your family. Before making a big batch do a small test to ensure it is safe on the items you are using it to clean on.

There are many websites that will help you find the best store available products that are natural and safe so I will not be going into that.

The best part about making your own is you can add items to create an intention. Adding essential oils is an easy way to add protection to your cleaner for your doors and windows. Tossing some salt into your water can add some scrubbing abilities as well as protection. Toss some rose water into a room freshener to bring love and romance.

Create a cleaning ritual.

Coming at cleaning from a positive rather than a negative. Cleaning and a clean home is an act of self care, one that is more important than many others you read about.

• Starting with a mind switch. Switch the narrative from “UGH I have to clean” to “I am taking care of myself and my family by cleaning”. This switch is easier said than done and it will take practice to incorporate it fully. Fake it until you make it.
• Make cleaning as fun as possible. Put on your favourite music, podcast, or audiobook.
• Set the mood. Make it as bright as you need so you can see the space you are working on. I prefer cleaning during the day and having the sun shine in. Open the windows if the weather will allow to get fresh air in and the chemicals out. If you can’t open your window add some essential oils to your diffuser to freshen the air.
• Centre yourself before you start. Take some deep breaths and imagine how your home will feel once you are done, allow that feeling to carry you through. Take some more breaths and set the intention for your clean. It could be removing old energy while dusting and vacuuming, or it could be a more loving environment as you clean your bedroom.
• Calling in a deity or a specific energy can amplify your intention and make cleaning more of a spiritual practice. Earth is a very home energy. Air can help sweep old energy. Water washes away. Fire creates energy and transmutes energy.
• Hold your cleaning tools and charge them with your intentions. Add in any SAFE additives you want (salt, essential oils…)
• Set a timer if you are doing a quick tidy between tasks or as a refresher.
• GO CLEAN!
• When finished thank any deity or energy you called in. Thank your tools and put them away respectfully don’t just toss them into a cupboard.
• It is a nice touch to burn some incense, diffuse oils, or do a cleansing of your home after.

Adding magick to your cleaning tools

Just like any tool you use in your magick practice you can empower your cleaning tools too. You can empower them by anointing them with your favourite oils, by holding them and infusing your energy and intention into them, or inscribing them with sacred symbols. As with all things magick you can make this process as simple or as complicated as you want.

Cleansing your items before or after you start cleaning with the use of smoke (burning), salt, or even a specially made spray would be a nice touch. If you need any help with the how to of cleansing items check out my course.

Magickal cleaning IS self care

Above are some simple and easy way to incorporate your magickal practice into your cleaning routine and as an act of self care. If you are still unsure how cleaning is self care think of it as your current self is taking care of future you and doing the chore now so you can relax later with a good book or another relaxing activity.

Take the time each day to tackle one area of your home and clean it with your magickal intention. Just spending 15 minutes a day improving your space will have a drastic impact on your home, mental health, and your magickal practice as a whole.

I hope you have found these tips to be helpful and that you will incorporate some of them into your daily cleaning and magickal practice. Let me know what you plan to incorporate into your daily life.

I am off to take my own advise and restart a daily cleaning practice and adding my own magick to it.