Today is the first day of spring and it’s spring cleaning time! However, traditional cleaning supplies can be toxic and expensive. You don’t need to use harsh cleaners to get your place fresh and clean. You can clean nearly everything with a few common ingredients that are probably in your pantry.
Here are 5 tips to clean your home cheaply, and eco-friendly.
1. Let In The Fresh Air
Air inside the home can get dirty! House plants can help purify the air, but the fastest way to get that fresh air in, without using an expensive air purifier, is just opening the windows. Open all the windows in the house for a few moments to let in the fresh air. This is great to do on a windy day. You don’t have to do it for a long time, or open the windows all the way, just enough to get some fresh air inside.
2. Make Your Own All Purpose Cleaners
Heres what you’ll need:
- Vinegar (white is fine)
- Water
- Baking Soda
To make your own window cleaner/all purpose spray:
Combine 2 parts water to one part vinegar in a clean, preferably repurposed, spray bottle. Clean windows and any hard surface, including wood. Simply wipe with a towel (paper or otherwise). Newsprint can also be used to wipe on windows for a streak free shine.
To make an all purpose scrub:
Combine enough baking soda and water to make a thick paste. Scrub on area to be cleaned (great for bath tubs, grout, and stuck on stovetop junk). Use your water & vinegar spray for added cleaning power.
I clean nearly my entire house with this: counters, floors, windows, doors, tables, cabinets, stove top, fridge, bath tub, sink and more! The acidity of the vinegar kills off bacteria and cuts through the grime.
3. Clean Out Your Closets
PCS season is coming! Get a head start and get rid of the things you no longer need or have use for. If you haven’t used it in about a year, don’t know what it is, can’t fit in it you can probably toss it. Clothing and other household goods can be donated to many organizations or sold to second hand shops. If items can’t be reused, they can probably be recycled!
Find a recycling center near you.
4. Green It Up
In my native state, Vermont, we have a special holiday called Green Up Day. It’s a day when everyone gets out and about, or even just in their yard and picks up all the stuff that the departing snow reveals; from trash and misplaced recycling to those keys you lost in November. So get out in your yard, or community and pick up some litter! It’s not hard, just grab some gloves, a few trash bags and do your part to make your community or your yard a little cleaner.
5. Clean the Carpet
Don’t spend money on expensive and overly perfumy carpet sprinkle products! Just sprinkle some baking soda on your carpet. Sprinkle it on, let it sit for a little while, then vacuum up. It deodorizes and makes your carpet smell fresh & clean.
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be expensive, or full of harsh chemicals. You can make the world, or at least your home a cleaner, greener place with these 5 tips.
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About the Author: Kara Rajchel is a military spouse, web designer & blogger. Her web design site is Parity Designs and she blogs at GreenMtnGirl about life as a Marine wife, eco-friendly living, and her home state of Vermont. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
