Spring is in the air! Can you feel it? What’s not to love about waking up to the sound of birds chirping, enjoying extra hours of sunlight, and fewer socks to pair in the laundry!
After months of being cooped up inside a stuffy home, it’s finally time to open up those windows and let some fresh air inside! I don’t know about you, but I am SO ready for some spring freshness in the air.
Truth be told, we’ve been lucky this winter. After suffering through -40 degrees Celcius winters for years, our family said see-ya-later and headed south. Our first southern winter has been more like the spring temperatures we were used to in Canada, but we still had to turn the heat on for a couple of months at night.
How about you? Did you spend most of your winter months sitting by a roaring fire or snuggled up under a blanket on the couch? Or did you embrace winter and spend time making snowmen with your kids? No judgment if you didn’t — I’m not much of a winter gal myself.
If you spent your winter months curled up inside your home, you’re not alone…
Did you know that the average American spends over 90% of their time indoors? And contrary to what most people think, pollution is up to 5x higher inside than it is outside, which is especially dangerous for babies and children (1). There are countless sources of pollution and toxins in our homes, but one major source is chemical-based cleaning products.
Keep reading for the full scoop on how to clean your home from top to bottom — naturally!
The Dangers of Chemical Cleaning Products
Not only do harsh cleaning products contribute to environmental pollution, but they’re also dangerous for pregnant women, babies and children, pets, and the microbiome of your home.
Yes, your home has a microbiome, just like your gut, your skin, and your entire human body. Just like scientists finally caught on to the fact that the overuse of antibiotics was destroying the beneficial bacteria in the gut, we now know that cleaners that sterilize the home wipe out all of the good germs too!
Hold up — aren’t germs a bad thing? Don’t we want to clean and sanitize our homes after months of passing colds and flus back and forth? The answer is yes, and no!
Cleaning your home is important to prevent the overgrowth of harmful microorganisms like bacteria, mold, mildew, and dust mites. But sterilizing your home with harsh chemicals is unnecessary and could actually be harmful to your health.
Sources of Pollution Inside Your Home
The concentration of pollutants inside homes has increased exponentially over the last several decades as homes are being constructed using synthetic materials, more companies are manufacturing synthetic furnishings, and people are using increased amounts of chemicals, pesticides, and toxic products inside their homes.
Track-in exposure is another big one. Did you know that 98% of the lead dust that exists inside your home comes from the bottom of your shoes? Gross! Think of all the places you go in a day…then you walk around inside and track all those chemicals indoors too.
This is an easy one to fix and will actually help to keep your home cleaner — take off your shoes before you come into the house and ask everyone else to do the same.
Other sources of household toxins are found in our cookware, the toys our children are playing with, the mattresses we are sleeping on, the products we are cleaning with, and even in the dust we find covering our furniture.
Research is also beginning to uncover what most have us have suspected for years…exposure to toxins and chemicals in our environment are being linked to a whole host of health problems including chronic fatigue, allergies and sensitivities, hormonal imbalance, behavioral issues, neurological problems, and cancer.
The Difference Between Clean and Sterile
Sterile means wiping out every microorganism in your home — the bad along with the good. Sterilizing uses bleach, ammonia, and other chemical-laden products to completely eradicate any germs.
Unfortunately, sterilizing with chemicals may make your home look cleaner but it’s actually adding invisible toxins that are even more harmful to your health than the dust you were trying to get rid of.
Cleaning is an entirely different process that also makes your home look cleaner but doesn’t require the use of any harsh chemicals. It is entirely possible to have a sparkling clean home using completely natural and eco-friendly ingredients. Intrigued?
How to Clean Your Home Naturally
When it comes to choosing your cleaning products, less is more. Some water, essential oils, vinegar, and baking soda are typically the best items for cleaning your entire home. If you’d like a printable list of DIY cleaning recipes using essential oils, you can grab that here.
If you’d prefer to just click a button and have some wonderful eco-friendly cleaning products arrive at your door, here are some of my top recommendations:
Natural All-Purpose Cleaners
These natural and eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners are perfect for just about any spring cleaning job. You can use them to wipe down counters, clean your bathroom, or to deep clean toys.
This multi-surface cleaner by Meyer’s is incredibly versatile. Simply dilute 1/4 cup in 1 gallon of warm water and use on all non-porous home surfaces like floors, counters, bathrooms, kitchens or anywhere else!
These multi-purpose wipes by Seventh Generation are the perfect solution when you’re short on time! Keep them in the car, bathrooms, or anywhere else you need a quick cleaning!
This Puracy All-Purpose Cleaner is plant-based and non-toxic. It’s already diluted and ready to use on any hard surface to remove dirt, grease, grime, residues, or anything else…without streaking!
Natural Bathroom Cleaners
I love Biokleen’s products that use a unique blend of live enzyme-producing cultures to clean! This bathroom cleaner is designed to make cleaning the least favorite room of the home a breeze!
This eco-friendly and plant-based toilet bowl cleaner by Eco Me is designed to leave your toilet bowl squeaky clean without using any harsh chemicals. It uses essential oils to leave a fresh, herbal mint scent.
This Pine Fresh scented Toilet Cleaner by Ecover is designed to clean, disinfect, and freshen your toilet using plant and mineral-based materials.
Natural Glass Cleaners
For a streak-free shine, this Glass & Window Cleaner by Aunt Fannies removes fingerprints, grease, and smudges without the use of harsh chemicals.
This natural Glass Cleaner by Seventh Generation can be safely used on glass, mirrors, and stainless steel for steak-free shine.
This earth-friendly Window Cleaner by ECOS is sustainably produced and is free from harmful ingredients. It is pH balanced and has never been tested on animals.
Natural Floor Cleaners
This natural floor cleaner by Sun & Earth features 100% plant-based ingredients and is safe for use around children and pets. Simply dilute for use on hard surfaces and carpets.
This Floor Cleaner by Aunt Fannies features an “A” rating by the Environmental Working Group. Powered by vinegar and plant-based ingredients, it gets the job done without any chemicals.
Begley’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a non-toxic, plant-based solution that is ideal for tile, concrete, marble, and wood floors.
Natural Cleaning Tools
This 8-piece E-Cloth Microfiber Cleaning Set is the perfect solution for busy households. What if you could clean with just water? These E-Cloths + water are designed to remove over 99% of bacteria, mold, pollen & other contaminants by locking them inside the cloths’ fibers until rinsing.
These Bamboo reusable organic cotton paper towels by MioEco are a waste-free alternative. They are ultra-absorbant, quick-drying, and machine washable! Best of all, they save you money!
These GreeOn natural kitchen sponges are similar to the mesh-like texture of loofahs and are eco-friendly, antibacterial, and non-scratching.
If you’re looking for a way to clean your floors without chemicals or a bucket, check out this E-Cloth Deep Clean Mop. It features a removable, machine-washable microfiber mop head to clean using just water.
Spring Cleaning Checklist
Now that you have some DIY all-natural cleaning recipes, natural cleaning products, and some eco-friendly cleaning cools — it’s time for a checklist! You can grab this free Spring Cleaning Checklist printable to make organizing your cleaning a little easier.
Happy Cleaning!!!
