A big, thorough clean of a whole house — not the usual wiping and sweeping, but the once-a-year kind where you move the furniture, wash the curtains, empty the cupboards and throw things away. The name comes from a real old habit in cold countries: through the winter the house was shut up with coal or wood fires burning inside, so everything got sooty, and when spring finally came people threw open the windows and cleaned the whole place.

of a whole house對整間房子 A big, thorough clean一次大而徹底的打掃——not the usual wiping and sweeping不是平常的擦擦掃掃，but而是 the once-a-year kind一年一次的那種：where you你會 move the furniture搬開家具、wash the curtains洗窗簾、empty the cupboards清空櫃子 and throw things away把東西丟掉。 The name這名字 comes from來自 in cold countries寒冷國家 a real old habit一個真實的老習慣：through the winter整個冬天 the house房子 was shut up關得緊緊的，with coal or wood fires burning inside裡面燒著煤或柴火，so所以 everything got sooty什麼都染上了煤灰，and when spring finally came等春天終於來了，people人們 threw open the windows把窗戶大大打開 and cleaned the whole place把整個地方掃過一遍。

Taiwan has almost exactly the same custom at a different time — 大掃除 before Lunar New Year — so the meaning will feel familiar even though the season does not match. That difference matters when you translate: an English spring-clean happens in spring, and if you mean the New Year one you may need to say so.

Taiwan台灣 at a different time在不同的時間 has almost exactly the same custom有幾乎一模一樣的習俗——before Lunar New Year農曆年前的 大掃除——so所以 the meaning這個意思 will feel familiar會覺得熟悉，even though即使 the season does not match季節對不上。 when you translate當你翻譯的時候 That difference那個差別 matters就重要了：an English spring-clean英語的 spring-clean happens in spring發生在春天，and if you mean而如果你指的是 the New Year one過年那一次，you你 may need to say so可能得說清楚。

The word is also used for things that are not houses. A company can have a spring-clean of its files; you can spring-clean your phone, your email, your bookshelf. In those uses the idea kept is "go through everything properly and get rid of what you do not need".

The word這個字 is also used for也用在 things that are not houses不是房子的東西上。 A company一家公司 of its files對它的檔案 can have a spring-clean可以來一次大掃除；you你 can spring-clean可以大掃除 your phone你的手機、your email你的信箱、your bookshelf你的書架。 In those uses在那些用法裡 the idea kept留下來的想法 is是 "go through everything properly and get rid of what you do not need"「把每樣東西好好過一遍，把不需要的清掉」。

You can write it spring-cleaning or spring cleaning, and there is a verb too: to spring-clean, spring-cleaned.

You你 can write it可以把它寫成 spring-cleaning or spring cleaning，and there is a verb too也有動詞：to spring-clean, spring-cleaned。