Open up your kitchen cabinet. How many bottles of kitchen spray, bleach, carpet cleaner, laundry detergent, wood polish, and goodness know what else do you own?
And do you know what chemicals are in them?
Whatever is in those bottles is likely overkill for the everyday dirt you have in your home. Adopting a green cleaning ethos will help you save money, save the planet, and save your family from inhaling harsh chemicals.
This guide will help you start your green spring cleaning journey!
Invest in the Basic Green Cleaning Tools
Many people expect green cleaning to involve expensive, hard-to-find plants. But you do not need to source something obscure like the bark of a Nepalese cherry tree to clean your home.
Everything you need is in your local grocery store or already in your cupboards. This is a basic list of the ingredients in almost every single natural cleaning mixture:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Essential oils (lemon, tea tree, and white musk are great)
You can even choose organic lemon juice if you want to be super green.
Here are some green cleaning tools for you to use when spring cleaning your home:
- 15-20 squares of cloth (old t-shirts, etc.) in a basket
- Bamboo scrub brush
- Wool dryer balls
- Wooden dustpan set
You will also need reusable spray bottles to store your new DIY green cleaning products and some labels, too.
Create Your Own Green Cleaning Products
Now you have the ingredients and tools, it is time to make your products! There is a recipe for all the green cleaning products you might ever need, but here are some basics to get you started.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and white vinegar. Add some lemon essential oil until you cannot smell the vinegar. Leave it to infuse for 2-4 weeks and use it to clean your everyday kitchen and bathroom mess.
Air Freshener
Fill a spray bottle with water and add a couple of drops of essential oil. Lavender, lemon, or white musk work great. Keep adding a little and spraying until you achieve the air freshener scent you want.
Mould Cleaner
Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and add a couple of drops of tea tree essential oil. Spray the mold and leave it to work its magic for 30+ minutes. Wipe away with a cloth.
Hire Someone Who Knows What They Are Doing
If all this sounds a little much for you, it might be a good idea to use a cleaning service.
A maid service will be able to take care of all your cleaning needs. If green cleaning is still an important consideration, you can ask them what products they use when cleaning homes.
Embrace Green Cleaning This Spring
Green cleaning takes a little extra effort than buying ready-made products at the store, but the benefits speak for themselves. Get prepared with the essentials and your home will be clean and smelling lemony fresh in no time.
Check out our other articles for more home advice and tips!
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