The Active Family

Ahhh Spring. The weather is getting warmer (mostly), the flowers are starting to pop up, and people everywhere are starting to drive around with the windows down (or cracked at least.) The frappacino blenders are going constantly at work, and people are ordering more iced drinks than before. With each new sign of spring, I start getting that urge. You know the one. Throw open the windows, blast the music and get CLEANING!

I don’t know about you, but this was the worst winter for illness in my house. I swear the kids just went from one virus to the next. I’m so ready to just completely disinfect every surface in here! I figured since we are making a concerted effort to live “greener” I’d share some easy ways you can be green while you clean!

Everyone knows about the old vinegar and water trick. Not only is it dirt cheap, but it is easy to use and can clean, disinfect, and deoderize just about every surface you clean. The typical concentration of white vinegar to water is 1:1. Use a stronger solution for really grimy areas, and full on vinegar for things like the toilet and soap scum in the tub. Be REALLY cautious when using it on floors, as too much vinegar can eat away at grout. You also don’t want to use it on marble.

Another easy tool I use is baking soda. Again, super cheap, super easy, and so many uses. Sprinkle a little baking soda on the counter and wipe with a damp cloth. It will scrub away any grime without scratching your countertops. The same works with your stovetop. if you have some baked on ickyness, make a paste from baking soda and warm water. Apply the paste to the crust, and let it sit for a few minutes. Don’t let it dry there, or you’ll just have 2 layers of crust to clean! You can then give it a squirt with the afore mentioned 1:1 vinegar/water solution, let it foam up and then easily wipe it away.

I also use lemons in a lot of my cleaning. I especially like when I pick up a huge bag on sale! I use cut lemon halves sprinkled with baking soda for cleaning the counters, table and chairs. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to your vinegar solution for extra cleaning power as well as a yummy scent. I’ve heard that a bit of olive oil mixed with a bit of lemon juice works well as a wood cleaner/polisher, but I’ve never tried that one.

There are certainly a growing number of ready made products out there that would fit the “green” catagory. Basically, look for all natural ingrediants, pre/post consumer recycled material, and companies that donate a percentage of profits to charities and causes are always a good thing. Products like Method, Life Tree, and Seventh Generation are all pretty good cleaners that are also good for the environment. You don’t need to pay a fortune for green materials. Look for ultra concentrated, and then only use a few drops! Reuse spray bottles, and don’t dump hazadous chemicals down the drains. Suck it up and pay the disposal fee at the local dump. They can at least attempt to recycle most waste in a way that us average joes can’t.

Go for natural bristle brooms and brushes, staying away from animal products of course! Pay attention to labels, and also check the bottoms of any plastic products you buy to be sure it can be recycled. Check with your town recycle program to see which codes they accept for recycling.

Use newspaper for rags. You will get a lint free shine on your windows! Also stay away from papertowels as much as possible. Use old tshirts to clean, using bio safe cleaners, and then toss them in the wash using bio safe detergent! There you have it, you just reduced, reused, AND recycled all at once! Pat yourself on the back.