6 Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning and Organizing Tips For Your Home

15.03.2018 GREEN LIVING 0.0 0

Aggressive chemical cleaning products have many drawbacks – the quality ones are pricey, they might cause allergic reactions or other health issues, and most importantly, their manufacture and disposal have a great impact on the environment.

As the spring cleaning approaches, you may want to look into some green cleaning solutions. Also, you can reduce the amount of stuff you throw away every spring by trying some of the ingenious organizing tips listed below.

Try white vinegar

As a weak acetic acid, white vinegar is a general purpose natural cleaner with strong antibacterial properties. It can be used in almost every aspect of home cleaning. Dilute it with water and use it as an effective stain remover for clothes and other textiles. Many homeowners use it as a natural deodorizer, where it can be combined with other natural products such as lemon juice for better odour absorption. While cooking, boil vinegar with water on the extra ring to prevent cooking odours from becoming too intensive. It is also excellent for removing strong odours left by onions, garlic and fish. Finally, there’s hardly any better limescale remover than hot vinegar.

Mix some baking soda

Like vinegar, baking soda is another effective natural cleaner. Technically known as sodium bicarbonate, this moderately alkaline, white powder is best used as a gentle abrasive and a deodorizer, but also for many other purposes. Add a little water and mix a thick paste for removing surface rust. Give it some more water and there you have a universal light cleaner that is especially effective on grease. Apply a thick paste of baking soda and water on the bottom of the oven and let it sit for a couple of hours, or even best overnight. Scrape it off in the morning, removing both the greasy stains and lingering odours.

Ask for eco-friendly products

Some companies are dedicated to creating environmentally-friendly cleaning and protective products that allow for easy and time-effective care for your surfaces. Other companies specialize in using those products to help you with cleaning. Using a wide range of natural stone and glass cleaners and sealants, the Shellkote product line is among the most advanced on the market. Natural stone used in home decoration such as marble, travertine, sandstone, limestone, granite, terracotta, slate, bluestone/basalt, as well as concrete, pavers and masonry surfaces are prone to moisture damage and staining. As a premium service for cleaning and sealing your stone and paver surfaces, Shellkote is licensed to extend the manufacturer’s warranty of the products they use to you.

Use power of citrus

There’s hardly more natural and more versatile cleaning product than lemons. Their high acidic content gives them powerful antibacterial and antiseptic properties, while still acting as a fine natural deodorizer. If your pans have lost their shine, dip a wedge of a lemon in salt or baking powder and scour them to their original lustre. A mixture of lemon juice and baking soda is great for removing stains from plastic containers. Lemon peel, on the other hand, can be marinated in white vinegar for a couple of days, resulting in a powerful cleaner. Place a dish of vinegar and lemon juice in the wardrobe to absorb odours. You can even disinfect the surface of your chopping board by rubbing a slice of lemon over it.

Repurpose shoe boxes

Those shoe boxes seem to double their numbers with the passing of seasons. Instead of buying more storage bins, make use of these empty cardboard containers which come with convenient lids. Just as Stanley Kubrick used rows of custom-made cardboard boxes for hoarding his movie props, you can use your shoe boxes for craft supplies, tools, cleaning kits, beach products or winter accessories, like hats, scarves and gloves. Or maybe even shoes.

Set up mini recycling stations

While you may already have a recycling bin in your kitchen, what about the other rooms? Instead of having small garbage bins across your house for both recyclable and non-recyclable materials, make a purposeful recycling station in each room. You can simply add another bin for plastic, paper and glass or purchase a dual recycling and waste bin with separate compartments.

More and more homeowners are turning to natural products in their everyday cleaning chores. Apart from being less invasive on the environment, they carry virtually no health hazards, and are much lighter on the budget. Even more savings and less waste can be made by repurposing empty containers or making recycling a practice throughout the home.

Guest post by Carolin Petterson

About the Author

Carolin Petterson is a Business Lady and contributor for number of high-class websites. She loves to share her experiences and talk about practical solutions, but her specialties are sustainability, sustainable business and green living.

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