Kelly's Healthy Home

My daffodils have bloomed and that means Spring is coming! Yes, it’s likely too soon for the flowers to be coming up, but our winter has been very mild. It does look like next week we may actually see snow in the Philadelphia region, but we shall see if that actually happens.

It’s been a few years since I shared Spring cleaning tips (old post as reference) and I feel it’s a great time to revisit the best ways to consciously clean your home. When I think about being conscious during cleaning, two main things come to mind; reducing waste and improving indoor air. So let’s focus on those 2 areas to keep it simple and attainable for you.

How can we reduce waste during cleaning? First- use reusable or washable cloths instead of paper towels. According to a very outdated statistic, the EPA reports that paper towels and tissues contribute to over 7.5 BILLION pounds of waste in 2018. I can only imagine that number is higher now. However, I sure hope it’s actually lower with all the education and availability of microfiber cloths.

Another way to reduce waste is to make your own cleaning products. There are countless websites and blogs offering DIY cleaning recipes. An easy every day cleaner is water, vinegar and some essential oils. Boom! ::note-educate yourself on the type of surfaces you can put vinegar on:: Or, use water, hydrogen peroxide and oil. I personally use 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 1 1/2 cup filtered water and 10 drops of peppermint oil. Again, there are a lot of recipes and resources out there.

A bonus for making your own, nontoxic cleaner- it improves your indoor air quality!

So let’s dive deeper into that- It’s a fact that the air inside your home could be worse than what you are breathing outside. The products we bring inside, use and consume have an affect and we can do a lot of things to improve this air. When cleaning, you want to use nontoxic and fragrance free cleaners. There are some options for nontoxic store bought cleaners, but be cautious of the word ‘fragrance’ in the ingredients.

You also want to make sure the source of the air cooling and heating your home is as clean as possible. If you have forced air, change your filters out frequently. Also, schedule your yearly cleaning service check up and clean. If you have window or wall units, they have filters as well. Clean and dust them regularly. While waiting for the tech you called to come service your AC, clean the dust off those air registers too.

On a last note, in addition to cleaning, it’s a great time to declutter (psst this helps to reduce dust collectors and less things to clean too) and make sure you are trying to donate or sell rather than toss. More about that in another post.