Spring Cleaning: Tips For A Naturally Clean Home

Spring is the perfect time to throw open your windows, let in the fresh air, and do a little spring cleaning!

Nothing is better than going into spring, which is a time of renewal, and having a clean and fresh house 😉

But what do you do if you don’t have enough time or energy to do a full-on, whole house deep clean all at one time?

Here are must-have tips that are going to help you clean your house easily, with no toxic chemicals, and without overdoing it!

If you’re ready for your home to be fresh, clean, and organized, keep reading!!

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Cleaning Equipment And Supplies

The best thing to do when starting a new project is to gather your supplies.

Most of us need to fit cleaning in between nap time, running kids to practice, work, or whatever else we have going on in our lives so taking time to gather supplies and get ready will help you to have more time to clean.

Must-Have Natural And Chemical-Free Cleaning Supplies

• Cleaning Vinegar
• Lemon Essential Oil (lemon juice works well too!)
• Peroxide
• Baking Soda
• Dish Soap
• Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds

With just six ingredients it is possible to clean almost everything in your home!

But wait! Now that you have a list of natural cleaning supplies, you might want to add a few handy tools.

Cleaning Tools And Equipment

Here are helpful cleaning tools that can make your job a lot easier!

• Scrub Brush Set
• Small Cleaning Brushes
• Cute Cleaning Gloves
• Mop & Bucket
• Shark Liftaway Vacuum – this is the best vacuum I have ever owned! Seriously.

Now that you have the supplies you need, let’s get to those tips and tricks for a naturally clean home!

Chemical-Free Spring Cleaning Tips

If you’re trying to create a healthy home, then you know that there is no place in your cleaning routine for harsh chemicals.

Harsh chemicals contribute to poor indoor air quality, can be worse for your lungs than smoking cigarettes, cause eye, and throat irritation, and have been linked to a number of other health issues.

So how do you do a little spring cleaning without the harsh, toxic chemicals?

9 Cleaning Hacks To Help You Tackle Your Spring Cleaning List!

Spring cleaning can include any house chores you choose to do, but I thought I would include these 9 tips because these jobs are often only done once or twice each year, so you want to make sure they are done well!

Streak-Free Windows & Mirrors

Does it irritate you when you clean your windows or mirrors and see streaks? I feel that way too!

One easy way to have streak-free glass is to make your own homemade window cleaner.

All you have to do is mix equal parts of warm water and vinegar and use newspaper or coffee filters to wash your windows.

This will leave your glass looking sparkling clean with no streaks in sight!

Freshen Rugs

After a long winter, it is time to freshen those rugs!

For large rugs, sprinkle baking soda over your rug, let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then vacuum it up.

If your rug is too small to vacuum, roll it up, take it outside, and drape it over a clothesline or chair. Beat it with a broom (a tennis racquet works too :D) and then let it sit in the sun and fresh air for a few hours.

Make Your Glass Top Stove Shine

If your glass top stove is like mine, it has gunk, rings, and generally just needs a good cleaning.

Since you want to use something that won’t scratch the glass but still cleans well, here is a quick, non-toxic glass stove cleaning recipe I have used for years.

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Dish soap
• Peroxide
• Baking Soda
• Scrub Brush

What To Do:

First, squirt a large line or two of dish soap that goes across your stovetop. Next, sprinkle baking soda over the stove. And finally, drizzle peroxide on top (maybe 2-3 Tbsp?).

The measurements do not have to be exact. I usually just drizzle the stuff on until it looks good to me, you can always add more of something if you think you need to.

After all of your ingredients are on the stovetop, use your brush and gently mix them all together. Let this sit for 20 minutes or so, then come back and give the stovetop a good (but gentle!) scrubbing.

When you feel satisfied that the stovetop is clean, you can start wiping with a damp washcloth until all of the soapy mixture is gone, and then wipe to dry with a dry washcloth or microfiber towel.

Oven Cleaning

This is one chore that I used to absolutely hate!

I know that most ovens are self-cleaning these days but I don’t love that. For one, my oven takes FOREVER to go through the cleaning cycle. I also don’t like how my house ends up smelling like something burning as the food crumbs on the bottom are being burnt to ashes.

So what’s the other option? This super easy, chemical-free oven cleaner!

Supplies You’ll Need:

• Dish soap
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon (optional)
• Scrub brush

What To Do:

1. Mix all ingredients together until a liquidy paste forms
2. Wipe the mixture over the entire oven
3. Let sit for 1 hour (overnight is even better if possible!)
4. Use a scrub brush and gently scrub any areas that are extra dirty
5. Wipe oven with a clean, dry washcloth or towel.

When you finish cleaning your oven, you’ll be amazed at how clean it is!

Degrease Cabinets

Do your cabinets seem greasy or grungy?

Here is an easy way to clean them naturally!

All you need to do is combine 1 quart of hot water, 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and use a gentle scrubber.

Your cabinets will look clean and fresh in no time 🙂

Freshen Your Mattress & Furniture

Naturally freshening your mattress and furniture is really easy to do!

Just sprinkle baking soda, let sit for about 30 minutes, and then vacuum well!

If you have stains you’d like to remove you can make a spray with:

• 1 cup of peroxide
• 2 Tbsp. baking soda
• 1-2 drops of dish soap

(Always test a small area first!!)

Mix all ingredients together and make sure that the baking soda is dissolved. Spray on the spots and let it dry. Then, vacuum well.

When you’re done your furniture and mattress will be fresh and clean!

Washing Machine Cleaning

It seems weird that you would have to clean your washer, doesn’t it? But all of the dirt, grease, and grime from daily use can build up in your machine and make it less efficient.

So a few times per year it is a good idea to give your washing machine a little love in the form of a good cleaning!

Here’s how to do it:

Top-load machine– fill your washer with hot water on the largest load setting, add 3-4 cups of vinegar, and then let the machine agitate for about a minute. Then add 1/2 cup of baking soda, agitate for a few more minutes, and then turn it off and let it sit for 30-60 minutes.

After letting the baking soda and vinegar water sit, turn the washer to the regular cycle and let it run through.

Front-load washer– you need to start with the gasket or seal. Use a mix of 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 Tbsp. baking soda in a spray bottle, spray the seal, and use a small scrub brush or toothbrush to clean. If there is mold or mildew, spray peroxide in there and wipe it away.

After you clean the door seal, add 1/2 cup of baking soda and 2 cups of vinegar to your machine and turn to the cleaning cycle if it has that, or to the regular laundry cycle.

*Helpful cleaning tip- after cleaning your washing machine, or waiting for it to go through the wash cycle, it is a good time to check the dryer’s lint trap and hose!

Deep Clean The Dishwasher

Just like the washing machine, the dishwasher needs a good deep cleaning every once in a while too.

This will help prevent bad smells, prevent scale buildup, and ensure that you have sparkling clean dishes!

Here are the steps to easily clean your dishwasher:

1. Make sure all dishes and food particles are removed
2. Remove the filter, clean, and replace
3. Clean the spray arms by using vinegar in a spray bottle and giving them a good dousing. If you have scale buildup you may need to spray vinegar, leave it for a few minutes, and then use a small brush or toothpick to clean out the holes
4. Spray the seals and wipe or scrub
5. Add vinegar to the soap dispensers and run through a washing cycle. If you want extra cleaning and deodorizing power, you can add some baking soda to the bottom of the dishwasher. Just be aware, you may need an extra rinse if you add baking soda.

After that thorough cleaning, your dishwasher will be shiny and clean 🙂

Freshen Up The Garbage Disposal

If you find that your garbage disposal needs a good cleaning and deodorizing, here is an easy way to freshen it up!

What You Need:

• Lemon peel (any citrus peel will work)
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Ice cube tray

What To Do:

Add water to your ice cube tray, add lemon peels to each section. After these are frozen you can put about 1/4 cup of baking soda down your disposal with around 1/4 cup of vinegar. Then put 2-3 ice cubes in and turn it on.

This will help clean the gunk and deodorize your garbage disposal so you have a wonderful lemon scent 🙂

I hope these chemical-free spring cleaning tips will help with some of your toughest projects!
If you find that you want to do some spring cleaning this year but you’re short on time or don’t have the energy, I’ve included some tips on how to make it just a little easier.

Must-Have Tips To Make Spring Cleaning Easier

Here are a few tips I have found that help me spring clean but not overdo it and end up exhausted and tired for the next few days.

These tips are also great for those times when you’re busy and need to squeeze spring cleaning into short blocks of available time.

Declutter & Organize First

When you think of spring cleaning you may not automatically think to put decluttering or organizing on your list.

But the reason I included it here is that the less you have to move, clean, or work around, the easier life will be!

Just think- if you took all of the clothes, small appliances, books, or other items out of your house that you haven’t used in the last year, you would have more room, less to clean, and your house would even feel more relaxing.

Then, after you have decluttered (or while you go through each area) you can spend just a little bit of time organizing the important items you decided to keep.

The result will be a place for everything and everything in its place, and I promise that your house will feel cleaner and more relaxing!

Handy Organizers

Need a little organization help and inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite organizers and the different ways you can use them.

• Over The Door Shoe Organizer– these are great for storing shoes (of course 😀 ), cleaning supplies, storing toys, gloves, scarves, office or art supplies, or any number of other items you need to organize.
• Closet Organizer- I don’t know about you but my closet is a disaster! After going through clothes, shoes, and everything else in there, I plan to get a closet organizer just like this so that I can have a clean space where I can find what I need!
• Pan And Lid Rack Holder– this rack has adjustable shelves and will help keep those pans and lids organized so you can find what you need quickly and easily and your cabinets will stay clean and organized.
• Spice Rack Drawer Organizer-if your spices are all in a shelf or cabinet and you have to dig to find what you’re looking for, this organizer could be life-changing! (Ok, almost life-changing, lol!)

Prioritize

If you don’t have a lot of time or energy prioritizing is a must!

In my house, the kitchen and bathrooms are at the top of the list because the whole house feels cleaner when those rooms are nice and tidy.

My bedroom, on the other hand, is a whole other story! :/

You may feel that way about other rooms though, so decide which rooms are most important to you and start from there.

Choose One Project Each Day

Ok, so choosing one room or one project each day can help in two ways.

1. You won’t feel as overwhelmed-Sometimes that to-do list starts looking awfully long. But by choosing one thing each day you can chip away at that list and before you know it, your whole house will be cleaned.
2. You won’t exhaust yourself– if you’re dealing with any health issue and have a lack of energy or struggle with fatigue, adding extra cleaning can make your situation worse. If you spread out your spring cleaning over a longer amount of time you will be less likely to do too much.

Enlist Help

If the thought of tackling spring cleaning seems like too big of a job or you know that you can’t handle all of the extra work right now, one easy way to get it done is to ask for help.

I know it’s not always easy to admit that you can’t do it all and then reach out and ask someone else to help, but we all need it sometimes 😉

Ask your husband or partner if they would be willing to help with some of the bigger jobs and schedule a day or weekend to get those done and checked off the list.

Kids can also be great helpers! Hand out the chore list, turn up the music, and have a cleaning dance party!

And finally, friends and family would be another great place to seek out help. You could always make (or buy) lunch in exchange for a few hours of cleaning help.

Invest In Helpful Tools

Having the right tools for the job can mean the difference between cleaning and not cleaning for some.

The tools listed above are just basic suggestions, but if you have trouble bending, scrubbing, or are just interested in more ergonomically correct tools, here are a few that can help:

• Steam Mop– can help make mopping easier, uses no chemicals, has a built-in scrubber, and kills over 99% of germs
• Extendable Shower Cleaner- this tub and tile scrubber is lightweight and extends up to 42 in. so you don’t have to lean or bend while cleaning

Commercial Clean

If you’re short on time or dealing with a health issue and don’t have a lot of energy or stamina, try doing small cleaning jobs during commercials of your favorite tv shows.

I know it sounds a little weird, but hear me out.

During the commercials of a regular one hour show, you would have time to get these chores done:

• Start a load of laundry
• Switch loads of laundry
• Wipe down kitchen counters
• Clean the front of appliances
• Take out the garbage
• Clean the bathroom sink and mirror
• Clean the toilet
• Strip a bed
• Put sheets on a bed
• Dust the tv and stand

And so many more! If you’re interested in all of the chores you could do during commercial breaks, here is a really handy list of 101commercial break cleaning chores!

One Final Tip For Spring Cleaning Success

Spring cleaning your home has many health benefits, especially if you use natural, chemical-free cleaning products! So it’s great that you are looking for ways to make your home a healthy, happy space.

Let me give you one last tip – If you want to do a little spring cleaning and freshen up your house this year but find yourself short on time or energy, do be afraid to spread out your chores.

What I mean is, it doesn’t matter if it takes you a weekend or a month to get your spring cleaning done, you’ll get there.

And remember- it’s ok to delegate and ask for help if you need it 😉

Related Articles

Looking for more cleaning recipes or ways to create a fresh and clean home? Check out the Healthy Home section to find everything you need!

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• Reclaim Your Yard with Paul Harvey’s Mosquito Spray
• 9 Homemade All-Purpose Cleaning Recipes You Need to Try
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• Best Homemade Window Cleaner
• Homebiotic: A Probiotic Spray For Your Home
• Austin Air Purifier: Pros, Cons, & My Personal Review
• 19 Best Spring Diffuser Blends To Refresh Your Home
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