If the new year has just started, you may be surprised to feel like Singapore is still buzzing with the energy of a nation eagerly awaiting the start of the new year.
That’s because Chinese New Year (CNY), the largest celebration for Chinese in Singapore, is happening in February this year. The date for the festival varies each year, depending on the lunar calendar.
You may have heard some of your Chinese colleagues talking about spring cleaning before Chinese New Year. This is a popular and deeply rooted tradition to remove “bad luck” and bring good fortune.
And as an expat, this is a wonderful chance to reset your life for your new home in multicultural Singapore and begin on a fresh, clean slate.
Here’s your guide on how to spring clean your home for Chinese New Year without the stress of “doing it right” – and maybe it’s a habit to take with you wherever you go!
In 2026, the first two days of Chinese New Year are on 17 and 18 February 2026.
These two days are always gazetted public holidays. This gives everyone ample time to visit their family, relatives, and loved ones over the two days!
For many Chinese Singaporeans, Chinese New Year celebrations are a huge deal. The streets, malls, stores, and community spaces in Singapore are often decorated with red, gold, and orange decorations for good luck as early as early January.
To learn more about how Chinese New Year is celebrated in Singapore, read our full guide.
Many households in Singapore start the festival weeks before by spring cleaning their homes, to symbolise fresh beginnings and to “clean” away all the bad luck from the previous year.
Want to do this too in your home? Let’s get started.
One of the most long-standing traditions that the younger generation of Chinese in Singapore still uphold is the belief that the new year must be welcomed with a clean home, for the best luck and blessings the new year can bring.
This practice originated more than 2000 years ago, with homeowners sweeping away the dust from their homes before the new year as a symbolic sweeping away of all the ill fortune, stagnant energy and unresolved matters from the previous year to make room for good things to fill the home in the new year.
In this spirit, many families take the chance to clear out unwanted clutter and do a thorough deep-cleaning of their homes at this time.
Here are some timing considerations when planning your Chinese New Year spring clean:
Most households in Singapore begin spring cleaning for Chinese New Year a few weeks before Chinese New Year actually begins.
Spring cleaning in Singapore is rarely a one-day affair. It’s usually done over a week or two, where homes are cleaned in sections, sometimes even at night after work.
If you’d like to engage professional services to clean your home for you for Chinese New Year, bear in mind that such services are usually in high demand during this period, so you should make reservations as soon as possible.
Many service providers impose an additional fee during this period, as a “Chinese New Year surcharge”. This is common practice in Singapore for most goods and services.
If you’re new to spring cleaning and feel overwhelmed at the thought of the prospect of cleaning out your entire home, take a deep breath.
You don’t have to do this perfectly – just get started.
Our tip? Go with high-traffic, high-touch point places in your home for a start, for example:
Declutter a common area like the living room or dining area, where guests may gather
Clear out your entryway, which you go through every day.
Sort out your shoe cabinet – whatever hasn’t been worn in three months can go.
Get started with this simple Chinese New Year spring cleaning checklist:
Start with visible clutter before tackling items in storage.
Sort everything into Keep, Donate, Recycle, and Discard.
If you have children, involve them in sorting their belongings in the same way.
Clean all surfaces thoroughly when you’ve removed everything for sorting, so you can keep your items back into a freshly cleaned shelf or cupboard.
Book disposal or cleaning services early if required.
Sweep all floors before the first day of Chinese New Year.
Emptied your cupboards and now staring at the pile of items you’ve decided you won’t keep?
For everything in your Donate box, you can try the following:
Drop them off at Donation boxes at the Salvation Army or other targeted collection drives run by churches or charities.
Take photos of them and offer them on donation or “blessing” groups on Facebook, or on your condo groups.
Find out more about where to donate furniture in Singapore here.
Bulky items you no longer want can be disposed of in bulky item containers in your condo, by arranging for the town council in your government HDB estate to pick them up for a fee, or by private licensed disposal services.
You can use Wise Move to book a nearby disposal service.
Recyclable items must be clean and free of food particles. They can be dropped off at recycle bins in your condo, in your HDB estate, or at private recycling companies if you live in a landed home.
As for all those no-nos that your well-intentioned Singaporean colleagues may share with you, like not cleaning on the first day of the Chinese New Year to avoid sweeping away any good luck that’s arrived in your home, or taking care not to break any items while spring cleaning in the weeks before?
Just do your best to follow them as best as you can and respect the traditions, but don’t sweat it if you inadvertently forget or find it difficult to do anything in particular.
It’s really okay – you won’t be plagued with a whole year of bad luck or ill fortune! Just remember that the main idea behind the whole practice of Chinese New Year spring cleaning is to preserve harmony and to start the new year on a clean slate.
Have you finished the cleaning and are left with a few bulky items you’re not sure what to do with? That’s where Wise Move comes in.
With Wise Move, you can book a trusted and affordable disposal service and have your space all cleared just in time to usher in the Chinese New Year on a clean slate.
Wise Move is Singapore’s leading choice for movers and packers, helping thousands of customers with home moves, furniture deliveries, piano transport, and more. Since 2017, we’ve delivered reliable, affordable, and professional moving services across Singapore. With Wise Move, you get expert service, fixed prices, and peace of mind every step of the way.
