Spring Cleaning Madness

We should live more according to the seasons. We are part of the planet and we will be healthier if we eat local, avoid both pollution and polluting and schedule our life according to the seasons. But, even if you stay out late in Winter and stay home the all weekend in the Summer, everyone has one activity in accordance with the natural cycles: the spring cleaning.

Spring time cleanings are mandatory because, even if you don’t think about it, everyone around you will and you will end up following the happy crowd. If you aren’t careful enough, you’ll end up doing more harm to you and the planet than good, as most cleaning products are full of nasty chemicals that harm the planet and yourself for inhaling them while cleaning – and please take care also of your cleaning professional, if it he or she is the one dealing with this spring-cleaning madness.

Try using non-toxic cleaning products from brands like Ecover or Organiko. These still use a lot of packaging, but it’s now easier than ever to find stores that sell bulk cleaning products - you just need to take a reused bottle with you.

There are also a few natural products that you can use:

• White vinegar for window cleaning;
• Lemon juice with water will take all the grease and if you leave it in white vinegar for some weeks you will have a powerful cleaning product with a wonderful scent;
• Baking soda also cleans everything and even removes bad odors from the fridge and it can clear clogged drains when mixed with vinegar (it is also very good as part of toothpaste, but let’s leave for a next post).

These products aren’t as exciting as new and wonderful scented bottles of cleaning products to welcome Spring, but they are as effective and much healthier for you and the environment and come out as a much cheaper solution.

We advise you to avoid using paper towels and wet wipes or at least use the reusable ones. Don’t waste water. You don’t need to soak your tiles or oven. Don’t make a tsunami in your house! Use rags instead of cleaning tissues – you can even cut an old t-shirt into several pieces. As for windows, use newspapers, they are the best.

You can add to your homemade products a drop or two of essential oils
to give it a nice scent as bleach is not the healthiest one. Be creative using the base ingredients and don’t be afraid let your imagination run wild during spring cleaning and have a nice clean season!