Green spring cleaning guide.
The clocks have changed and the sun is out which can only mean one thing…we’re all itching for a spring clean?
This time of year many take to the shops filling their baskets with conventional supermarket cleaners. Whether it’s bleach, de-greasers, air fresheners, window-cleaner or floor polish these products, while getting the job done could actually be detrimental to your health… known to be packed full of toxins and chemicals. It doesn't take long to fire up a quick google search or look at the warning signs on the back of the bottles we’re using to ask the question of whether these really are safe for us and our families?
A few years back I put together a 7-day series looking at the products we use in our home to limit our exposure to toxins- everything from makeup to what we wear and what we wash our laundry with- you can take a look at that over here. The purpose of this blog is different, it’s to simplify things right down and go back to basics. It’s what you’ve been asking for.
At the back of your cupboards and in your fruit bowls you may just already have what you need to clean your home- and in the process save cash, plastic and lower toxin exposure!
Enjoy discovering that you can simply clean green this Spring!
GREEN CLEANING STARTER PACK
Here are the key cleaning products I always have in my cupboard. The great news is that all these products are SO easy to get hold of and all of them can easily be bought in bulk! You may also be surprised that you can clean with a very limited amount of products. Shops love to sell, and so they have made us think we need a new bottle of cleaner for just about every area of our home. The truth is….you don’t.
1. Bicarbonate of Soda
2. Lemons
3. Oxygen Bleach (percarbonate of soda) (I use this one from Ethical Superstore if doing a shop with them, otherwise I buy here)
4. White Vinegar
5. Salt
6. Spray bottle- either reuse one you already have or I like these ones- they’re everywhere nowadays!
7. essential oils - Lemon essential oil/ Lavender essential oils
LET’S CLEAN
General surface spray
Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle and add some drops of lemon essential oil.
Alternatively, collect citrus rinds in a jar and when full cover in vinegar and put the lid on for two weeks then use recipe above.
This is my go to cleaning spray. I will use this on surface tops, inside frigde and in the bathroom. If i want something more heavy-duty for areas that may have mould or mildew I will use the ideas below which use oxygen bleach.
Refresh the carpet/upholstery
Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda with a few drops of essential oil over the carpets or rugs that need refreshing, leave for 15 minutes and hoover up. A sieve works well to distribute the bicarb easily.
DE-SCALE YOUR KETTLE
Fill the kettle with a cup of vinegar and one cup of water- let it rest for half an hour or more. bring to the boil and pour out. bring to the boil again with water only then discard (use for plants).
get rid of stains
For tea or coffee-stained mugs add 1-2 tsp of oxygen bleach to each and fill with boiled water. Soak for at least 15 minutes, pour out and wash as usual.
Stains on upholstery:
Mix a small amount of oxygen bleach and water and blot onto the stained area, trying not to oversaturate the surface. Leave for 30 minutes then blot away with a clean cloth. Repeat as necessary.
Grout
Mix a little oxygen bleach with just enough warm water to make a paste. Apply the paste with an old toothbrush if you have one or a cloth to the tiles, leave for at least 15 minutes and wash off.
Shower curtain refresh
Add 2tbsp of oxygen bleach to 5 litres of hot water and submerge your shower curtain. Then wash in the washing machine on a suitable setting. Never use oxygen bleach of any kind on silk, wool, leather, or unfinished wood surfaces.
REMOVE SOAP SCUM FROM THE BATH:
Cut a lemon in half and cover in bicarbonate of soda or salt- you could also use an orange or a grapefruit if you have on hand or if they’re going off at the bottom of your fruit bowl. Rub the lemon all over the sides of the bath and wash over with water. If this is not effective use oxygen bleach made into a paste, leave for 15 minutes and wash off.
Clean the showerhead
Remove the showerhead from the hose and place it in a bucket or container and cover it in white vinegar. Leave it to soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. Take it out, rinse and reattach.
Make the sinks sparkle
Fill the sink up with hot water and add 2 tbsp of oxygen bleach (if you have any dishclothes/brushes leave them in the sink. at this point to refresh them). Sprinkle a tbsp or more of oxygen bleach over the draining board and taps and with a cloth add some water to make it into a paste. Cover the whole of the sink. Leave for a minimum of 15 minutes and rinse. (See my reel on Instagram).
refresh mops/cleaning cloths and brooms
Dissolve 1 tsp of powder in 500 ml of hot water prior to submerging anything you want to sanitise. You can then use the cloths to wipe down surfaces
Unblock the drains:
Pour half a cup of salt (any salt) down the drain followed by a kettle load of boiling water. It may take several rounds. one-half cup of salt down the drain. Then pour boil Heat 2 liters of water until it is nearly boiling then slowly pour down the drain and flush with hot tap water.
For more serious clogs that will not budge, poking a wire hanger down the drain to dislodge the hair usually does the trick or sometimes the U-bend may need clearing.
remove sticky spots/labels:
Combine a small amount of baking soda, lemon, and water in a small bowl or dish. Apply the mixture to the sticky surface and let soak for 2–5 minutes. Use a damp towel to remove.
Brighten dull whites and de-oderise
For whitening, deodorising and getting rid of stains, soak items in sink full of hot water with 2tbsp of oxygen bleach for at least an hour or overnight. Rinse. Never use oxygen bleach of any kind on silk, wool, leather, or unfinished wood surfaces.
Clean the microwave:
Add half a cup of water to a microwave safe bowl with the juice of one lemon, or a few drops of lemon essential oil. Put the bowl in the microwave and turn on for a few minutes. Let the bowl rest for two minutes after, open the door and wipe down the inside.
Refresh your chopping boards:
Sprinkle over a tbsp of oxygen bleach and add water to create a paste cover over the chopping boards. Leave for 15 minutes minimum then wash off.
make the windows and mirrors sparkle:
Add equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray glass with the solution. Wipe clean with newspaper crumpled up to ensure no streaks!
Wooden floor polish:
Combine 1/4 cup olive oil with 1/3 cup white vinegar and five cups of hot water. Add a few teaspoons of lemon juice (or lemon essential oil). Dip a mop or cloth in the solution and use it to polish your floors.
Cleaning the toilet:
Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of oxygen bleach powder into your toilet, let it for 2 hours, and then scrub with toilet brush and flush. For very stubborn stains, leave the oxygen bleach in overnight.
For stubborn stains try using a pumice stone.
Rid the smell:
Sprinkle a layer of bicarbonate of soda at the bottom of your bin before you put in the bin bags to rid the bin of foul smells- you can add some essential oils in here too for added freshness. You can also add a small bowl of bicarb to your fridge to remove odours.
Remove pot stains:
Sprinkle the pot or pan with about a tablespoon of baking soda. Add a cup of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar then boil the mix for 10 minutes and then rinse.
oven:
Take the racks out of the oven, Mix half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of water together until it makes a spreadable paste. Double the recipe if you need to. Spread over the whole interior of the oven but don’t put on the heating elements. Let it sit overnight. Meanwhile pop the oven racks on towels inside the bath and fill the tub so the racks are submerged. Add in a cup of baking soda and a few squeezes of dish soap and leave overnight too. Use a damp cloth to wipe away the baking soda in the morning then spray with white vinegar and rinse off to remove the last remnants. Do the same with the racks in bath!
Washing machine:
Measure out two cups of distilled white vinegar and pour it directly into your washing machine's detergent dispenser. Set the washer to run on its longest cycle with the hottest water. Sprinkle half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum of the washing machine and run it on the same settings.
make the appliances gleam
Add just enough water to 3 tbsp of baking soda to make a thick paste. Mix the paste until it is the consistency of toothpaste. Dip a cloth in white vinegar and rub over.
cast iron pans
add a tbsp of course salt with lukewarm water to your pan and scrub with a tea towel or some foil new or used crumpled into a ball. Rinse.
marks on walls-
Mix a half cup of baking soda with a quarter cup of water until it forms a paste. Gently rub that paste into the stained part of the wall and the stain should lift.
freshen up your mattress:
Use a sieve to sprinkle baking soda over your mattress surface and let it rest for at least 30 minutes the hoover off.
freshen the air:
Open your windows! 2. Use a diffuser to burn some essential oils (make sure they are high quality fragrance free oils)
Anything i’ve missed or anything you’ve tried! Let me know!