We’re 15 days away from the official start of Spring but with some “blooming” already underway as it appears the season has arrived.  Prior to the vacuum cleaner and especially in the northern climates, March was the best time to place all the rugs in the house over the clothes line.  The carpets were beaten with a stick or other implement to knockout the winter dust.  Windows and doors were also opened to allow the springtime winds to force the dirt outside.  The origin of spring cleaning dates back 3,500 years to the Persian new year and the first day of spring. Iranians continue a practice of “khooneh tekouni” or “shaking the house.”  The ancient Jewish tradition of cleansing the home before Passover. Years ago, Benny Alford suggested that “rain mentions” on my weathercasts were deterring business at Benny’s Car Wash.  Occasionally, I would engage in a spirited debate concerning this issue, hoping Benny would extend a free wash. I believed that if the car is dirty it needed a wash – rain or shine.  Even into early March, a car wash in Pennsylvania is a necessity. De-icing salt, on roadways, corrodes the under-carriage of a vehicle, especially when temperatures rise.  Benny also insisted that a commercial car wash is better for the environment. Research indicates that much of the water at Benny’s and other commercial locations  are recycled, thus assisting the environment.