Green spring cleaning tips for a fresher home: It’s that time of year that some people love and others may dread: spring cleaning.. You might already feel your spring allergies creeping up on you, so the sooner you get around to deep cleaning your house, the better. But maybe the harsh chemicals found in regular cleaners irritate your lungs. Or perhaps you just want to do your part in looking after the planet. Climate change is a very real issue, after all.
To help you out, here are green spring cleaning tips for a fresher home.
You might think that for spring cleaning you need harsh chemicals like bleach to properly clean and disinfect the surfaces in your house. But the fact is, some natural substances work just as well. This spring season, swap out those bottles of cleaner for distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and hot water. When you mix all 3 together, you can create a solution that’s not only powerful but greener for spring cleaning as well. Here’s a tip: to make things smell nicer, you can always add a few drops of essential oils into the bottle. This can certainly make cleaning more pleasant.
The weather will most likely be nicer in the spring season, so why not hang up your laundry to dry instead of operating the dryer? Not only will you get a fresh, crisp spring smell on your clothes and sheets, but you’ll also conserve energy. This can also lower your utility bills a little. This also goes for if you’re laundering things like sofa covers, towels from cleaning, bath mats, and anything else that you’re throwing into your laundry machine. It may take a little longer to get dry, but you’ll definitely be doing something eco-friendly for your spring cleaning.
It may be easier to grab a roll of paper towels and clean up everything with it as you go while spring cleaning. But with each sheet, you’re only using it once, and then into the trash, it goes. If you use reusable wipes and cleaning rags, you can use them multiple times before you need to wash them. And after washing, you can use them multiple times before they’re too used up for more usage. Just make sure you thoroughly clean these things by using vinegar and water.
Spring cleaning gives you the perfect reason to go through all your drawers and reassess whether or not you need to keep every single garment. For instance, do you really need to keep that old and faded shirt from 20 years ago? Probably not. Even if you have some clothes that are just a few years old, maybe you don’t wear them much, or you just don’t wear them at all. By donating them, not only are you helping someone in need, but you’re also clearing out some space in your house so it’s not as filled up and cluttered.
If your wood furniture is looking a little dull, the first thing you might reach for is some Pledge spray. It may revitalize your wood pieces and leave the air smelly lemony fresh, but the truth is, it’s filled with tons of nasty chemicals. This spring cleaning season, put down the Pledge and pick up some lemon juice and olive oil instead. Combine the two and use a wool dusting cloth to polish your wood furniture with the mixture. If you don’t have a wool dusting cloth, you can use an old t-shirt instead. This means you can repurpose those raggedy shirts you’ve been meaning to throw out for spring cleaning.
If you’re trying your best to be green but have to still buy cleaning products from the store, not all hope is lost. Nowadays, brands are catering more and more to consumers who wish to be eco-conscious in their everyday decisions. Because of this, you’ll be able to find many products that are considered “earth-friendly.” These are usually plant-based and biodegradable cleaning products that can ease your guilt a little while you’re sprucing up your home in an all-out spring cleaning session. But always remember that the best thing you can do is rely on those natural cleaning ingredients, as those will be the most non-toxic of them all.
Wiping down all the surfaces in your house with vinegar can leave you with a pretty pungent odor afterward. You can always shake up a bottle of water with a few drops of essential oils in it, then spritz it in each room to have it smelling fresh after cleaning. You can also buy yourself some plants that are excellent at removing toxins from your home’s air. For example, there are the spider plant, bamboo palm, pot mum, peace lily, and gerbera daisy. These all can remove things like formaldehyde, benzene, ad trichloroethylene from the air, leaving it much fresher and healthier to inhale. Plus, having a small spring garden inside your home can perk things up and make your rooms seem more lively.
With these spring cleaning tips and tricks, you’ll be able to keep your home nice and clean without using harmful chemicals. Considering these hurt not just your family, but the environment as well, it’s in your best interest to go green! You’ll be able to do your part in looking after the planet. If you suffer from allergies in spring weather, then you’ll want to read this article on how an air purifier helps with your spring allergies.