As the weather gets warmer, many homeowners turn their attention to household chores and a yearly spring clean. However, many store-bought cleaning products are full of toxins and potentially damaging ingredients. If, like us at Modernize, you want to get your house in tip top shape for the season but hate the idea of filling your home with dangerous chemicals, there are plenty of ways to keep your home clean without harming the environment. Here are a few of our top tips for eco-friendly spring cleaning solutions. Top eco-friendly cleaning brands Traditional cleaning products are effective for even the toughest cleaning jobs, but they are also filled with chemicals and toxins. The worst chemical offenders in these kinds of products include but are not limited to the following: bleach, formaldehyde, benzene, methanol, and artificial fragrances. All these cleansers, while containing powerful cleaning ingredients, can cause allergic reactions, contaminate the air with noxious gases, and potentially harm our bodies in other ways. If you want to choose store-bought cleaning products for your various spring cleaning jobs, stay away from traditional brands if you can. Instead, opt for environmentally friendly and conscious products from brands such as Ecover, method, Dr. Bronner’s, Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and BabyGanics. All of these brands offer superior cleaning power with natural ingredients and environmentally sustainable practices. DIY natural cleaning products While natural cleaning brands are becoming more popular and accessible for most of us, some homeowners opt for homemade and other 100% natural products to complete daily cleaning jobs around the house. Finding the right combination of ingredients to properly clean your home is easier than you think, and you probably have most of these products in your pantry already. Many common household supplies and food items are perfect for cleaning (and are included in even traditional cleaning products). At the top of the list are staples such as baking soda and table salt, which act as abrasives and, with a bit of elbow grease, can remove even the toughest stains on a variety of surfaces. Paired with acids such as lemon, grapefruit, and vinegar, these ingredients create chemical reactions that clean better than irritating and potentially carcinogenic chemical-filled products. If you want to add additional fragrance to your natural cleaning products but don’t know where to begin, essential oils are the perfect solution. High quality, food grade essential oils from brands such as Young Living and DoTerra are sustainably sourced and full of pleasant scents. As an added bonus, many of these brands have specifically tailored essential oil blends that also have powerful cleaning capabilities. Other eco-friendly home cleaning tips In addition to keeping your home free from toxic chemicals and fumes during your spring clean, there are plenty of other ways to get your home looking its best without harming the environment. For example, opening the windows around the house and adding leafy green plants throughout will increase the air quality and make your home feel lighter and brighter. Perhaps one of the most important parts of Spring Cleaning is decluttering and organization. Taking the time to tidy and rearrange your home room by room, costs nothing, uses no chemicals at all, and completely transforms the look of your home. After all is said and done, we promise that your effort won’t go unnoticed. Author Bio: Kaitlin Krull is a writer and mom of two girls living the expat life in the UK. She enjoys writing for Modernize.com with the goal of empowering homeowners with the expert guidance and educational tools they need to take on eco-friendly home projects with confidence. |
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