Spring Cleaning the Green Way
The great thing about spring cleaning your house is that it can be like a breath of fresh air. But how fresh is that air if you are cleaning with harsh chemicals? The green tips will not only make your house look cleaner but also make it cleaner in terms of the number of toxic chemicals in your home. If you try these ideas, you may find that you or your family members get fewer headaches or other health problems related to harsh cleaners.
Donate Old Clothes
A great place to start with a green spring clean is to get two bags. One is for clothing that is in good enough condition to give to friends or relatives as hand-me-downs or to your local second-hand charity store. The other is for clothing that is no longer in great condition. This will be your ‘rag-bag’. Both sets of clothing will be used a second time, even though you no longer need to wear them yourselves. If you can get rid of excess sheets and blankets, that will free up a lot of space, too.
Wooden Furniture Polish
There’s nothing like freshly polished wood for a thorough, beautiful spring clean. You can use an earth-friendly furniture polish like, ECOS.
MAKE YOUR OWN – Mix together equal parts vegetable oil and white vinegar in a small container. And rub the mixture into the table. Use a dry, clean cloth to buff the excess oil away. If you are polishing chairs, make sure you buff the seat part very thoroughly, or your children might slide off!
Laundry Detergent
Make the switch to plant-powered laundry detergent.
Choose an Eco-friendly Dishwasher Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent
Multi-purpose Cleaner
MAKE YOUR OWN – Mix white vinegar and a few drops of eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle.
Oven Cleaner
Clean your oven and microwave with a non-toxic oven cleaner that easily cleans grease and stuck-on food.
MAKE YOUR OWN – Mix together white vinegar and baking soda into a paste.
Floor Cleaner
MAKE YOUR OWN – Mix the white vinegar and a few drops of eucalyptus oil into a bucket of hot water to mop the floors.
Clean the Pantry
When you spring clean, it’s a great time to go through your pantry and get rid of foods that are too old to eat anymore. Throw them out, and make space for more food. If you have any food you know you or your family won’t eat but is still edible, find a charity to pass it onto, or ask any friends or family if they’d like any of it.
It’s also good to ‘pest-proof’ your food. Use BPA-free containers to store pantry goods that usually are packaged in plastic bags. This will help prevent pests from invading your pantry. You will also have more space in your pantry.
Clean the Windows
Get your windows crystal clear so you can enjoy the beautiful spring days with a natural glass cleaner.
MAKE YOUR OWN – Wet a rag with water, and add some white vinegar if you have filthy windows. Now, just use some good old-fashioned elbow grease and scrub that window with your wet cloth. You will see that it gets quite dirty very quickly.
