Spring Cleaning Continued

When it comes to the nitty gritty part of cleaning, removing dust, scrubbing sinks and stoves, I like to keep it simple. My home is part of my every day environment and I don't want harmful chemicals in it any more than I want them in or on me. I use non-toxic, biodegradable, and mostly homemade cleaning products. They are inexpensive, easy to make, and do their job leaving your home cleaner than when you started. Obviously that is the goal when cleaning, but most conventional cleaning products are made with chemicals that are not healthy for your home environment. For more information on which ingredients to avoid, I recommend two websites The Naked Truth Project and the Environmental Working Group.

For most of my cleaning I use vinegar, water and baking soda. I fill a spray bottle about 2/3 full of water and 1/3 full of white vinegar. This solution alone is ideal for cleaning windows and glass. For sinks, the stove top, and the bathtub I sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the surface and then spray it with the vinegar and water mixture. I save my retired dish sponges for scrubbing these other areas of the house.

For spots that are harder to get clean (like stuff that is stuck on the stove top or in the oven) I make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it on the area and let it sit for a few minutes. Then I give it a little vinegar and water spray and start scrubbing.

When a drain is clogged, a treatment of hot vinegar helps. Bring 1-2 cups of white vinegar to a boil, then pour it down the affected drain. Follow this with a quart of boiling water.

I mop our hardwood floors with a bucket of hot water and a few splashes of vinegar. By the way, if you don't like the smell of vinegar, it doesn't linger for more than a few minutes. Don't forget to open windows in your house daily to let in fresh air.

It might seem like I have a vinegar and baking soda obsession, but they work perfectly to get things clean. Lately I haven't had as much time to devote to tending my home as I would like, so it's best to keep cleaning simple. We buy biodegradable dish soap in bulk at our local co-op. I'd like to try making this laundry detergent but Ray is in charge of laundry and usually buys Seventh Generation before I have a chance to gather up the ingredients to make our own.

If you prefer to purchase cleaning products there are a number of truly green companies that make them. These companies print a list all of the ingredients on the product bottle so you know just what you are using. The websites I mentioned above can help you figure out which ingredients to avoid. Many conventional products don't even reveal what is in them which seems reason enough not to use unnecessary and harsh chemicals.

Do you have any simple cleaning tips or homemade cleaning solutions?

Spring Cleaning

Although April has arrived, we are still in the awkward transition between winter and spring, sometimes called mud season. We've had just a few days full of sunshine that have been warm enough to step outside without a jacket on. While waiting for more weather that will draw me out of the house, I find it is a good time to clean and spruce up inside. The days get longer and lighter and I can no longer ignore dusty corners and disorganized shelves. As I wait for new growth, green grass, and budding leaves I like to bring new life to my living space.

Deep cleaning and organizing might sound like a pain, but it can be really refreshing. Rearranging a room, some furniture, or even just what I put on the walls can change the feeling of the whole space for the better. I love to use what we already have and find creative solutions for eliminating clutter and neatening up. Since we moved we only had one bureau which meant that Ray's clothes were just in a pile on the floor. I freed up two shelves which can hold all of our clothes and moved the bureau to my studio for storing my fabric. It only takes simple changes to make a space more peaceful to live in, like keeping my supplies organized with empty canning jars. They hold a lot and I love the aesthetic.
 

Spring cleaning is also a good time to get rid of things that you don't need or rarely use. It is all too easy to acquire more than you need and often this means finding more storage space or living with more clutter. I've become pretty relentless about letting go of clothes that I rarely wear and, aside from books, items that I don't really use. I try to remember that this is my living space, not storage space for things. Acquiring and holding on to things you don't need can be stifling and letting go of some of this makes room for more light and air and life.

While I pack up what I don't need and take it to Good Will, I also pay attention to what I keep in my living space. When I need a change, sometimes all it takes is putting up new inspiration on the walls. I love my clothespin system for hanging photos, art, poems and anything I want to see while I work at my desk or sewing machine. I can hang new photos and take down old ones without any extra holes in the wall and no need for tape. To make this, I simply screwed a few cup hooks into the wall and connected them with string.

These are just a few ideas for spring cleaning in your living space. On Wednesday I'll share some of the simple cleaning products I make to get rid of dust and dirt in my home.

What do you do to freshen up your living space?