Green Your Spring Cleaning Routine

By TreeLiving Opening the glass windows of your home on a slightly warm day after a long, dark winter can be a very pleasant experience. But if you really want to welcome spring well and prepare for the summer season ahead, it is also important to clean up the house thoroughly. You may want to make the floor sparkling clean, polish the windows, re arrange stuff lying in the cellar or basement and do all the c leaning that you could not do during cold, dreary winters. Your spring cleaning routine can be green and eco friendly, when you know the right ways to clean, reuse and recycle different products and dispose waste appropriately. Green spring cleaning can be started by first getting rid of the extra stuff that you never use. It may be broken or redundant electronic goods, old magazines and newspapers, discarded clothes, toys thrown away by your kids – just collect these in separate boxes and donate items that can be used in charity organizations. The products that are beyond use can be given to recycling companies. Magazines, newspapers and plastic items can and must be recycled. This will help in saving the environment by reducing the waste in landfills. When it is time to clean the windows, doors, floors, furniture, kitchen equipment and cabinets, you can go green by choosing eco friendly cleaning products instead of opting for the expensive, toxic ones available in the market. Natural cleaners and green cleaning products are indeed the smart way to clean your house in a safe, non-toxic way. An effective natural cleaning kit that you can safely use includes: • Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) – a gritty scrubber that removes tough stains from floors, slabs and window edges. • Borax – when mixed with water it disinfects, whitens and deodorizes the stuff being cleaned • White Vinegar – loosens dirt and disinfects items being cleaned • Olive Oil – picks up dirt and polishes wood furniture • Castile Soap – an all-purpose framing cleaner • Washing Soda – a caustic cleaner that removes tough stains and can be used as laundry supplement Eco friendly cleansing agents like white vinegar can be used to clean kitchen gadgets like the oven, dishwasher, cooking range and toaster. To clean stubborn stains from kitchen and bathroom floors, go for baking soda or washing soda. Here are a few things not to forget while doing your spring cleaning: • Clean walls and vacuum corners. • Dust books and shelves • Clean curtains • Vacuum and shampoo rugs/carpet • Clean upholstered furniture • Wash windows and screens • Empty and clean the refrigerator (check expiration dates) • Empty and clean pantry (check expiration dates) • Switch clothes in closet and drawers to warm weather items • Prepare your outdoors by cleaning porches, patios and outdoor furniture Preparing a checklist and schedule will also help you make sure you make the most out of your time…enlisting some help wouldn’t hurt either! Green spring cleaning does not only help in saving the environment but is also more effective in making your home spic and span and getting you ready for the warm months ahead!