A brief history of spring cleaning

Spring cleaning refers to the annual act of cleaning a house in the first warm days of the year typically in spring or in certain regions during December in preparation for the festive season like the Scottish “New Year’s Cleaning” on Hogmanay (31 December).
The origins of spring cleaning could date back to the Iranian Norouz, the Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring. Iranians continue the practice of “khooneh tekouni” meaning “shaking the house” just before the new year.
Spring cleaning could possibly be traced to the ancient Jewish practice of cleaning the home in anticipation of the memorial feast of Passover. During this period Jews are only supposed to refrain from leavened foodstuffs but are commanded to rid their homes of small remnants of chametz for the length of the holiday. Observant Jews would therefore conduct a thorough “spring cleaning” of the house, followed by a traditional hunt for chametz by candlelight.
During the 19th century in America March was often the best time for dusting as it was getting warm enough to open windows and doors and the high winds could carry the dust out of the house. Modern rural households in North America continue to use the month of March for cleaning projects involving chemical products generating fumes.