Feng shui is the way of creating a good and healthy environment in our homes. It originates from Chinese “feng” which means wind and “shui” which means water, so it can be interpreted as “the way of wind and water”. Feng shui is the way of arranging our homes to let the good energy have a free passage throughout and bring good vibes, health, happiness, harmony and prosperity.
Having a good energy flow in all parts of the home and achieving a good balance that will never block the flow of the energy is the main goal of arranging homes according to feng shui. That’s why learning how to clean your home according to feng shui is also very important.
Adopt feng shui cleaning practices
The first and most important step is to properly clean your home, because any obstacle could block the flow of the energy. To make it easy for you to discover the methods of harmonizing the energy within your dwelling, the perfect fusion of science and art is employed in the feng shui method of cleaning. It is firmly believed that you have to adopt the principles of feng shui when cleaning your space from all kinds of impurities, because dust, pollen and clutter can all block the energy flow.
Everything has to be clean, from your sparkling laminate floor, over your clear and clean windows all the way to your ceiling. Implementing feng shui principles into your cleaning rituals in order to maintain positive energy flow within your home is of great importance.
Once you adopt habits that are in perfect harmony with seasonal changes, you will be able to create an environment that will consistently nurture you and your family.
Feng shui way of decluttering
The easiest way to encourage a flow of positive energy throughout your home is to declutter it. So, clear up the mess that attracts negative energy, roll up your sleeves, and get rid of everything that no longer serves a purpose. According to feng shui, to make your home more organized, you should:
- Get rid of anything that’s broken, including tableware, glasses, cups or decorations
- Clear out your wardrobe of any pieces that outdated, worn out or ill-fitting – you’ll most likely never wear them again anyway
- Wash all of the remaining clothing pieces thoroughly
- Go through all of your paperwork and reorganize it
- Go through your shelves and drawers and get rid of everything that hasn’t been used recently
- Clear up the space around all of your doors and get rid of any obstacles
After you’re done, you can choose to recycle or donate all of the things you’ve discarded, to keep the energy going.
Deep clean your living room
It is very important to deep clean your living room from time to time, because this is the area where the family spends most of their time. Wash the throws, deep clean your sofa, armchairs and ottomans, clean your rug and wash your curtains. Make your windows squeaky clean and let the sunshine in.
Clean and reorganize the kitchen
Since the kitchen is the heart of any home, you should aim at bringing prosperity and good health into this space by:
- Getting rid of all the containers you do not actually use
- Checking your dried food stash and getting rid of any expired foods, empty bags or containers
- Giving your countertops and cabinet doors a good scrub, although you already do it regularly
- Wiping and organizing your kitchen island
- Rearranging your cupboards and getting rid of anything that is broken, damaged or unusable
- Scrubbing your sink and stove thoroughly
- Reorganize your pantry, by putting the foods and drinks with the closest expiration dates closer to the front
Harmonizing elements and energy cleansing
The philosophy of feng shui is balancing the five elements: fire, wood, metal, earth and water. It is very important to incorporate these elements in a manner that creates an environment full of harmony. Colors also play a crucial role in representing the elements.
- To represent fire, incorporate candles and lamps in your design, and choose orange and red hues to emphasize passion and warmth.
- To represent wood, include wooden furniture and rich plants, and add some green-colored details to encourage growth, harmony and vitality.
- To represent earth, use natural materials such as clay or stone, and add earthly colors for stability and soothing.
- To represent metal, use metallic accents and décor to encourage clearness, exactness and efficiency.
- To represent water, add a fish tank, a fountain or plenty of blue accents to foster calmness, opulence and extensibility.
Energy cleansing and breaking up stagnant energy can be achieved by burning aromatic sticks or candles, wiping down the surfaces with saltwater, and using sound therapy with chimes or bells, or simply clapping your hands.