Keeping a clean living space is an important element of taking care of our homes to ensure they are well-maintained and hold their value, but cleaning doesn’t have to mean harsh chemicals. You can remain eco-friendly and chemical-free while you clean, and you don’t have to spend a small fortune to do it.
Household Cleaning Recipes
Before you get started, consider going the extra mile and tossing all of the chemical-laden cleaners living underneath your sink, opting instead for the homemade variety of cleaners. Having more control over what you use to clean your house gives you a better idea of what you are exposing yourself and your family to — plus, it’s cheaper to make your own! There are a myriad of recipes that you can use for everything from stainless steel to tile to wood floors, and the ingredients are typically super inexpensive.
The Small Stuff
To clean more effectively and efficiently, the best plan is to clean one room completely before moving on to the next, and do it in order of most to least difficult. If you want to take it up a notch, think about all the items in your home that are hardly ever cleaned but are probably harboring germs and/or dust — items like your toothbrush holder, globe light fixtures, plastic toys, and more. These items can be placed on the gentle cycle of your dishwasher and cleaned with just hot water — no extra expense necessary.
Wash your windows on the inside and outside of your home by using a simple combination of mild soap, vinegar and water. To avoid streaks, clean windows on cloudy days; the sun can dry the soap before you clean it off. Dusting, on the other hand, should be completed on sunny days, because you can spot dust particles more easily. When you’re dusting, don’t forget often-missed places, such as lampshades, ceiling fan blades, and drapes. Use a lint roller on lampshades, and toss the curtains into the dryer with a damp cloth, running them on the gentle cycle.
Furniture and Appliances
Although you may not be able to see it, your mattresses and couches are dirty. Remove your sheets and vacuum your mattress using the upholstery attachment. Spritz it with a homemade disinfectant spray before putting the sheets back on the bed. Follow the same steps for cleaning your couch. Furniture covers are a surprisingly green (and inexpensive) way to keep things clean. Rather than using electrical energy and cleaning spray every few days to keep mattresses and couches clean, simply throw the protective covers in the laundry with your weekly load.
If you have stainless steel appliances, spruce them up and say goodbye to fingerprints using a microfiber cloth dipped in vinegar; once the smudges are gone, go back over the surfaces with a warm water-soaked paper towel. Perhaps you’ve wiped out your fridge and emptied the crumbs from your toaster, but have you ever taken care of your dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, or vacuum cleaner? They often need tune-ups too. For example, the filter in your dishwasher collects food and needs to be cleaned. The dishwasher also needs to run periodically without dishes using a special dishwasher cleaner. Disinfect your washing machine with distilled white vinegar and baking soda, or grab an eco-friendly cleaning solution and run it without laundry for one cycle.
Closets
Go through your drawers and closets to get rid of unnecessary or no-longer-used items. To begin, completely empty them. When you’re going through your clothes, set aside items with stains, damage, or noticeable wear. If something doesn’t fit, get rid of it. If you haven’t worn the item in the last 12 months or if you wouldn’t buy it again right now, then say goodbye. Either sell or donate the clothes you’re not keeping when you’re finished, as both options have benefits for the environment (not to mention the potential for a small profit if you sell your clothes online or in a yard sale!).
You complete home maintenance tasks all the time, but are you doing them as efficiently and as environmentally-friendly as possible? By following the guidelines above, you can make the most of your cleaning efforts while keeping your house eco-friendly chemical-free.