Easy Spring Cleaning for an Earth-Friendly Home

Spring is upon us! For some reason, we are supposed to be ready to clean every square inch of our home in a Spring Cleaning frenzy. I don’t know about you but for me, that’s not going to happen.

Does Spring Cleaning leave you overwhelmed and feeling bad about yourself? Stop thinking you need a spotless home!

Here are a few Earth-Friendly Spring Cleaning recipes for when you find the time and motivation to clean.

Earth-Friendly Spring Cleaning Shouldn’t be Stressful

Spring cleaning checklists and cleaning schedules are available all over the place. Doing a massive overhaul and cleaning every item and surface in your home would be great. Unfortunately, not many of us have the time to do all that.

My approach to spring cleaning is more laid back. I pick one area of my home that needs the most attention. What room do I tend to avoid? What room keeps me from having company over? That’s the room that needs spring cleaning the most. You can tackle the rest of the house another time.

Decluttering is a Big Part of Spring Cleaning

Once you’ve chosen your number 1 problem area for spring cleaning, get out everything that doesn’t belong in this space.

Toys don’t belong in the kitchen. Mail doesn’t belong in the bathroom! You get the picture.

If you don’t use that item in that room it’s got to find a new place to collect dust. Better yet, get it out of your house altogether.

Go through items as you are organizing and put aside the ones that aren’t used anymore, don’t work, you don’t like, or as Marie Kondo would say “don’t bring you joy”

I realize this can be a difficult task for some people. In the end, it’s got to be done if you want a clean and tidy home.

It can be very hard to let go of an item if it is perfectly fine. “What if I need it someday” is a logical question but how often have you needed it this last 6 months to a year?

What if it was a gift? To get over this one, I tell myself that the person who gave it to me can’t control what I do with it forever. If I gave someone a mug or T-shirt, I can’t expect them to keep it forever. After that, I can let go of the guilt and the item.

What to do with the Unwanted Stuff?

Gift items to a friend

Send a picture of all the stuff you don’t want to friends and family. Let them have the first choice. Someone may be able to use some of it.

Post it Online

Post it on Buy, Sell, and Trade sites, or sell it on Offer Up. This works best for high-quality pieces.

Side Walk Score

If you live in a neighborhood that allows this, you can put it on the curbside to see if anyone will take it for free. (Do this respectfully. Keep the item dry and remove it in a day or two if there are no takers.)

I do this with furniture. My trash became someone’s treasure!

Bring Items to a Donation Center

Find a GoodWill or a church near you that accepts donations. Please wash everything before you donate it.

Garage Sale

If you have the space to store it all and have the time to hold one, garage sales are a fun way to get rid of your stuff and make a little extra cash.

Recycle it

Some household items that are broken or just don’t have any life left can be recycled.

Electronics can be taken to Best Buy for recycling. Go to their website for the full details. Click here to check it out.

Old Shoes– GoSneekers will pay you for your old sneakers.

Ridwell.com This company will come to you for your plastic film, threads, batteries, and lightbulbs! How easy is that?

Trashie.com will take clean, unwanted textiles. They mail you a Take Back Bag, fill it up, and send it back to them. Each Trashie Take Back Bag can earn you cash rewards to certain brands or a discount.

Throw items away

If they can’t be reused, or recycled or they are broken or worn out It just needs to be thrown away. I hate to do this but I leave it as the last option.

In the end, your mental health is more important than keeping something out of the trash. In the future, try to limit items coming into your home that you’ll have to throw out.

The more stuff you have, the more you need to manage. Once all the extra stuff is out you can get to cleaning!

Keep The Toxic Stuff out of Your Home

Harsh, toxic commercially made cleaners are not necessary for everyday living. Save that stuff for hospitals and really nasty jobs. There are natural components that can effectively clean your counters, floors, and toilets. Some of the ingredients are even in your kitchen cupboards! They are safe for your children and pets too.

Thankfully, there are lots of companies coming out with Earth-friendly cleaning supplies. I still prefer to make my own for most of my cleaning needs. I know EXACTLY what is in them and I save so much money!

Safer Cleaning Alternatives for Spring Cleaning

Baking Soda– Deoderizer and Mild Abrasive

Liquid Soap– Dirt Remover (Use a vegetable oil-based, Castile, or Glycerin soap)

I had everything on hand except for the soap when I first started. My soap then was dish soap from the dollar store and was made from petroleum. I found some at my local health food store. It may seem expensive compared to the soap you currently have but it will last a long time.

White Distilled Vinegar– Deodorizer, dissolves mineral deposits, degreaser, prevents mold and mildew

The potent smell of vinegar dissipates. Essential oils can be added to enhance the smell.

Lemon or Lime Juice– The acid aids in the breakdown of grease and mineral buildup. it also removes tarnish from metals.

Salt– anti-bacterial, de-greaser, abrasive

Borax– Typically found in dried-up water beds, it’s a mineral called Sodium Tetraborate. It breaks down fats and oily messes.

Essential oils– aromatic, disinfectant

Not all essential oils are made the same. Be careful handling them. They may be made from natural materials but they are very concentrated and can irate the skin and eyes. Mountain Rose Herbs are my trusted source of essential oils.

Water!– The most abundant solvent. (Purified water is preferred. Especially if you have hard water.)

Now You are Ready to Clean

There you have it. You are ready to begin. I like to reuse jars or spray bottles once they are empty. If you do so make sure to wash them thoroughly.

Use these recipes to clean the majority of surfaces in your home.

Label each bottle with the name and ingredients used. Trust me, you will forget what’s in the bottle. It’s happened to me.

Masking tape and a sharpie will do the job but you can make or print pretty labels too.

Interested in making your own Herbal Cleaning Spray?

Follow along with the Herbal Academy in their article. How to Make An All-Purpose Herbal Cleaning Spray for Spring Cleaning. (as an affiliate, I earn a commission if you decide to purchase one of their amazing courses)

Please Don’t let Spring Cleaning overwhelm you. I hope you feel like you can do what you can when you can. You don’t have to turn your house topsy turvy every year at this time. Make it enjoyable and safe for you and your family. I hope you enjoyed my Spring cleaning recipes for earth-friendly cleaning.

How do you handle the Spring Cleaning season? Please comment below with any tips or tricks you’d like to share.