Everyone loves a clean, clutter-free living home. However, clutter, dust and pesky finger prints can turning your living room from fab to drab pretty darn fast. Have you ever been afraid to turn on your ceiling fan because of all the dust that has settled on the blades? Or have you gazed out your streaky living room windows lately to notice a film of dirt on the outside as well as the inside? With spring just around the corner, now's the perfect time give your living room a good, well-deserved clean.
Rather than reach for your trusty old chemical-laden cleaning products you've been using for decades, you may want to go the 'green' route. You could head to the store where you're likely to find a large selection of environmentally friendly products or you could simply head on over to your kitchen cupboards. Baking soda, vinegar and essential oils are just a few ingredients that can make your living room sparkle and smell fresher than the first day of spring.
Here are just 7 ways to clean green for spring
1. De-clutter
The first step to a good spring clean is to banish all old magazines, go through any unread mail, toss out or give away all those books that you have read, knick knacks and store away any winter boots, shoes and coats hanging out by the door.
2. Dusting
Gran yourself a duster with a long handle for that hard to reach, dusty old ceiling fan you're afraid to turn on. You're also likely to find some dust bunnies hiding under your couch and chair – and let's not not forget the mantle, blinds and fireplace.
3. Vacuum
It's time to bring out all those vacuum attachments as you will find you will need to vacuum the corners of your living room, the top of the base boards, furniture cushions and possibly behind all of your electronics.
4. Blinds
Now with all that dust out of the way, it's time to fill a bucket with warm water and an eco-friendly versatile cleaner. Simply by adding a mixture of 2 cups warm water to 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 cup of lemon juice to a bucket, you'll have your living room sparkling in no time. This has stronger capabilities than just water and vinegar and works like bleach without the harmful effects. Now's the time to take a soft cloth dipped in the homemade cleaning solution and give those dusty, dirty old blinds a good clean. It's not exactly fun, but it's a job that must be done for a clean and healthy home!
5. Windows
Nothing is more rewarding than the sun shining through, sparkling clean windows. Yes, you could reach for your bottle of Windex, or you could whip up another easy, 'green' alternative. By adding 1/2 tsp. of liquid dish soap to a 1/4 cup vinegar and 2 cups of water to a spray bottle, you will have the perfect formula for streak-free windows.
6. Baseboards
Remember when your dusty old baseboards used to be white? After months of neglect a thick film of dust has settled, turning them a greyish hue – not exactly the look you're probably going for.
You can use the same solution as above for bringing out the best in those dirty, dusty baseboards.
7. Polish furniture
With just a simple solution of 1 cup olive and 1/2 cup of lemon juice mixed together in a spray bottle, you will have your chemical-free furniture polish to make your living room furniture sparkle and shine! Just spray on a soft cloth and distribute evenly, then using another dry, soft cloth to polish the surface.
Nothing is more rewarding than a fresh, clean living room for spring! Soon, the sun will be shining through your sparkling clean, living room windows, allowing you take in the ambiance and beauty of your perfectly polished living room set. Happy spring cleaning.