Clean Green This Spring

You've been hunkered down for months trying to survive the bitter cold of winter. All you've had time to do is stare at the dirt and clutter building up around you. At that first sight of light, you have resolved to emancipate your home of last year's grime.

Now, imagine this year you really clean up your act. No more spreading toxins and chemicals all over your furniture and floors. This year, when you Spring Clean you'll feel a sense of relief that your home is as natural and alive as all those new flower buds.

Wow what an image! Ok, so here are the tips on how to Spring Clean and stay green. All of those indoor cleaning products you're using can make the pollutants in your home 100 times higher than those outdoors according to the EPA. Avoid skin, eye and respiratory issues by picking truly natural alternatives

1. Choose products with grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve as a solvent
2. Choose products with coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum as detergents
3. Plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage instead of trclosa
4. You can do most of your cleaning cheaply and safely by simply using plain soap, water, baking soda, vinegar, washing soda, lemon juice and borax around the home.
5. Avoid products with fragrances as they contain phthalates which are linked to cancer and reproductive-system harm. They may also trigger asthma and allergic reactions. These are especially popular in dishwasher detergents.
6. Choose dish and laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners that are plant-based
7. Remove stains from clothing using a mix of water, borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, or white vinegar. You can soften fabrics by adding a cup of baking soda to the wash cycle.
8. Clean your oven by coating surfaces with a paste of water and baking soda, let then stand overnight, then scrub off the paste while wearing gloves.
9. Polish furniture with a mixture of one teaspoon olive-oil and one-half cup vinegar.
10. Use baking soda, dried flowers, or cedar to remove odors from your house and open the windows to let the fresh air in!

I know this is a lot of information. I am going to go through my house and use old, empty spray bottles to make the mixtures recommended above, then label them for their use..."Furniture Polish", "Window Cleaner","General Cleaning." Think of the money you'll save and how much better you'll feel.

Go here for all of the information. Spring is almost upon us, kick it off right by naturally green spring cleaning.