Clean and Green: Environmentally-Friendly Spring Cleaning Ideas

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

During this past winter, you may have become comfortable with an indoor routine focused on warm meals and cuddling up under cozy blankets. Except for the occasional household chores, you might be one of the many people who let their cleaning routines lag behind other responsibilities.

Now that the majority of us are actively practicing social distancing and staying at home to keep ourselves and others safe, it’s the perfect time to do a little spring cleaning. This way you can cleanse your home, rid it of harmful germs and indoor air pollution, tidy the yard and more, all before summer arrives. The trick is to do so without using any chemical products that could harm you, your family or the environment. Once you have the right tips in mind, it’s easier to do than you think.

Check out these environmentally-friendly spring cleaning ideas you can start using today. Best of all, you won’t have to rely on chemical-based solutions to get your home clean and make it shine.

1. Make Your Own Household Cleaners

One of the most popular household cleaning items is probably a spray bottle of cleaning solution you might keep under your kitchen sink. You use it for everything from wiping down counters to polishing your windows, but not all of these are safe for the environment.

You don’t need to sacrifice your sustainable lifestyle to thoroughly spring clean your home this year. Instead, make the cleaner on your own and keep it in a spray bottle you can buy at the store. When you mix water with vinegar, rubbing alcohol and your favorite scented essential oil, it’ll clean counters and windows without leaving streaks behind.

2. Create a Hand Sanitizer

After you finally clean your home, you’ll want it to stay free of bacteria and germs. Make sure every member of your family helps out when you create a hand sanitizer solution with ingredients you approve of. Rubbing alcohol, aloe vera and essential oils will last a long time in squirt bottles that you can carry around in your purses or pockets. NOTE: According to the CDC, hand sanitizers won’t eliminate all germs and should only be used in extreme circumstances when soap and water are not available, but they can be helpful.

3. Mix Homemade Deodorizers

It’s tempting to grab a bottle of deodorizing spray that’s on sale at the store, but most aren’t environmentally-friendly. You can save yourself money and some peace of mind when you learn how to make some make homemade deodorizers with ingredients you might already have in the house. Use a few orange peels to remove the funky smell in your kitchen sink or baking soda to get rid of musty odors from leftover food containers. There’s always an all-natural way to remove odors, especially if you’re willing to try something new.

4. Replace Dead Plants

Plants in your yard and garden or on your porch may not have lasted through the winter, so you’ll want to replace them with something that helps the environment. If you’re going to start your outdoor spring cleaning, remember to start with an easy tip like replacing your dead plants with local species. 

Native plants take advantage of your typical weather and sun availability, so you won’t have to overwater them or shower them in chemical fertilizers to help them grow. They’ll also help nearby bees and wildlife thrive by adding to the ecosystem without disrupting it.

5.  Discover Homemade Laundry Detergent

It’s hard not to find advertising for laundry detergent because everyone relies on it every day. You may like the smell or softening effects of the detergent from the store, but not the chemicals it uses to get the job done.

You can always discover homemade laundry detergent and make some in your free time. All you need is vinegar and baking soda, plus your favorite sustainable soap for a pleasant scent. 

6. Wash With Eco-Friendly Soap

Hand soap is another spring cleaning product you’ll need after you finish dusting your ceiling fans and emptying your vacuum. Anyone can wash with eco-friendly soap if they make it at home with a sustainable soap base, water and essential oil. Pick ingredients helpful for sensitive skin if you find traditional store-bought soap leaves your hands dry and itchy.

Make a Game Plan

Before you jump into tidying up your home, make a game plan with these environmentally-friendly spring cleaning ideas. These cleaning solution instructions are easy for anyone to follow and you might already have everything you need at home. Once you know what kind of cleaning you want to do, find the solution that’s best for what you need to accomplish.

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