What to Spring Clean This Year, Based On Your Zodiac Sign

Each year, after a seemingly never-ending winter, spring comes along as a sort of saving grace, a season of positives, boasting much-needed warmer weather, beautiful flower blooms, vacation days, and — if you have the right attitude — spring cleaning. Spring cleaning might seem like simply vacuuming dust bunnies, braving cobwebs and tirelessly scrubbing mildewy tile, but if you focus on decluttering the correct aspects of your life, it can actually lead to some serious self-improvement. Paula Pavlova, co-founder of Moonbox, a company that builds beauty and wellness kits based on the lunar cycle, gave us her thoughts on what each zodiac sign should spring clean this year. So, before you take to creating a miles-long checklist, here’s what to prioritize.

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19)

Your Relationship Baggage: Arians like to hold onto things, and that includes the not-so-healthy stuff (e.g., grudges). But Pavlova reminds us all those negative emotions become burdensome after a while: “Burn your ex’s notes, pictures, mementos, whatever,” she says. “When we burn away what we no longer need, we make room for something brand new, like maybe a new boo!”

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)

Your Basement: Taurus, you’re always on top of trends, whether they be interior design fads, makeup crazes, or clothing styles. But this lifestyle results in a lot of excess — excess that is then shoved into areas of our home we don’t often occupy. “When’s the last time you took a deep dive in your basement or garage?” Pavlova asks. “Those are the spaces we tend to put things we don’t want to deal with. Now is the time to clean up those spaces and establish a new foundation for yourself.” This de-clutter will allow you to find a deeper appreciation for the practical, rather than the frivolous, items in your life.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)

Your Closet: Gemini, you shine — that’s why everyone loves you, and this can translate into your wardrobe, according to Pavlova. “We know how much you love to collect things that sparkle, but let’s pare it down to only the items that actually spark a sense of joy — as Mari Kondo would say,” she jokes. “Geminis have the tendency to get easily distracted by or attracted to fun, flirtatious people and places, and the same is true for things.” Saving only items with which you have a meaningful connection will allow you to gratefully move forward.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)

Your Home: The term homebody was practically coined for Cancers, but Pavlova warns that it’s easy to become a “hoarder-body” if you’re not careful. She suggests doing a haul of all belongings that don’t serve a distinct purpose. “Just like this is your home, everything within your home should have a home, too,” she explains. “When you think of it this way, it’s much easier to let go of the items that don’t serve you the way that they should — to keep you happy and stress-free.

LEO (JULY 23-AUGUST 22)

Your Single-Use Items: Plastic bottles, paper bags—they’re things of the past. This year, Leos, exert your leadership skills and influence others to live sustainably. “Think about the outward facing possessions in your life and consider choosing to rid yourself of anything that might be unsustainable in some way,” Pavlova instructs. “After all, if you’re a constant example to others, you have a huge role in shifting society towards more sustainable ways of living and therefore what you own should reflect that.” If you’re already on the reusable-bottle train, try planting flowers and trees or, perhaps, trading in your car for an electric or hybrid variety.

VIRGO (AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22)

Your Drawers: Virgo, pull out your meticulously kept planner (we know you have one) and pick a day to empty your closets and drawers. Then, rearrange them in a way that makes them the most functional for you. “We know you like life to be organized all the time,” Pavlova states, “but once in a while, you gotta get messy first in order to get really clean.” At the end of this stress-inducing activity, you’ll probably feel a lot more on top of it. And, you might even find some useful stuff you forgot about.

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22)

Your Closet: It’s quality over quantity when it comes to Libras. The number of possessions you own and their perceived monetary value means little to you because, instead, you cherish experiences, feelings, and overall contributions to lives. This year, make sure your closet reflects this mentality. “You might love paring down your closet to a set of colors that are interchangeable and completely harmonious with each other,” Pavlova remarks. “This way, your everyday life is that much more fluid and balanced, giving you time and space to enjoy the quality of everything around you.”

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21)

Your Constraints: At first, this might seem abstract, but those things that are “drying [Scorpios] up, wearing [them] out or making [them] feel anything other than completely aligned and alive” are likely material items, at least in part, Pavlova explains. Scorpios desire passion, meaning, and purpose, so be sure to keep things that evoke these sentiments. “Do things that make you feel sexy, empowered, and fully embodied within your self-expression — that is the key to a fully vibrant Scorpio life,” Pavlova states.

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21)

Your Carry-Ons: Sag, you might be thinking, I know I love to travel, but I don’t have that much luggage. Pavlova isn’t recommending you get rid of any of your bags but instead create what she calls expertly curated “grab and go packs.” Fill them in anticipation for different occasions, such as music festivals, beach days, camping trips, etc. “This will keep you focused on experiencing all that you do rather than getting distracted or anxiety ridden with the small stuff,” she remarks. “Good organization on an adventure or journey — a Sag’s favorite activity — can be the key to fully enjoying it.”

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19)

Your Home Essentials: Capricorns are go-getters, and if you’re going to meet (and exceed!) your goals then you don’t have the time and space for anything overly clunky, needlessly complicated or straight-up useless. “You are reliable, steadfast, and focused when your lifestyle is reflective of those traits,” Pavlova says. “With this in mind, it is to your extreme benefit that you only maintain ownership over the things that support your goals.” The main question you should ask yourself when purging the place: Is it essential?

AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18)

Your Potential Hand-Me-Downs: Humanitarians at heart, Aquarians aim to help people, and luckily, a natural next step in the decluttering process is repurposing, recycling, or donating. After gathering up your own unneeded belongings, Pavlova suggests organizing a spring cleaning event during which friends and family can drop off their donations and then taking all the potential treasures to different nonprofits around town. Or consider hosting a yard sale or clothing swap for some face time with community members, both old and new.

PISCES (FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20)

Your Living Space: When you spend so much time up in the clouds, you sometimes fail to notice what’s happening on the ground, like a pileup of unused belongings in your living room. “These dreamy signs aren’t known for being the most organized, and sometimes doing a complete overhaul can feel a little bit overwhelming,” Pavlova comments. “You don’t have to do everything at once. As long as you do a little bit each day, you’ll find that spring cleaning is much less daunting than it actually seems.” Simply turn on some relaxing music, light a favorite candle, and begin.

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(Photo via Getty)