With the beginning of spring comes a natural rejuvenation of life: flowers blooming, warmer weather and longer days. As busy as this time of year is, it is important to take some time to refresh yourself and your space. A clean space often coincides with a clear mind.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, air quality inside many homes can be two to five times more polluted than the air outside of our homes. So, as a fresh start to this new season, here are some ways to do some spring cleaning in your home with a few all-natural DIY cleaners. I used a combination of my own sources and experimentation to come up with these simple recipes. They don’t require many ingredients, so they’re cheap and easy to make. More importantly, these cleaners are environmentally friendly as they do not include toxic, polluting chemicals like ammonia and chlorine.
Here are a few all-natural cleaners you can make at home and use every day.
Linen spray
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 10-15 drops lavender essential oil
Combine all the ingredients into a spray bottle. Essential oils are extremely potent and known to cause deterioration to plastic bottles, so it’s best to use a glass one. Lightly spray over furniture and linens. Let it dry for a fresh smell. It is a great spray to use for the final touch in your cleaning process after you’ve picked up your dirty laundry and washed your sheets. Lavender is a natural antibacterial agent, and it also is known to relax you.
Surface cleaner
Ingredients:
- 2-3 oranges
- Vinegar
- Water
Peel the oranges and stuff the peels into a jar. Next, add just enough vinegar so that all the peels are covered. Store it away for two weeks in a cool, dark place. After two weeks, strain the vinegar and dilute the remaining liquid with water. Put it in a spray bottle, and it’s ready to clean your surfaces! Vinegar is an effective cleaner because of how acidic it is, so it can clean up some tough spots on your counters.
Air freshener
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon rubbing alcohol
- 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
- 10-15 drops peppermint essential oil.
Combine all the ingredients into a spray bottle, preferably a glass one, and shake it. Lightly spray this around your space to give it a fresh, mint smell. This spray is good for when you are feeling too lazy to do any actual cleaning but still want the sense of a clean space. The peppermint essential oil makes for easier, cooler breathing, and it is also known to improve memory.
Bleach alternative
Ingredients:
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
Mix all of the ingredients in a spray bottle, and you are good to start fighting stains. Spray this onto white clothes before you wash them. Lemons are a great bleach alternative because of the citric acid, so they can help break down stains.