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It's never been easier to keeping a home looking—and smelling!—pristine using earth-friendly products and cleaning methods.
- Mop with microfiber. Instead of using a commercial hardwood floor cleaner with harsh chemicals, start cleaning your hardwoods with microfiber mop pads, which use only water to remove dirt and grime effectively.
- Brew your own disinfecting spray. To disinfect surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom, follow this recipe: Mix six drops of essential oils (any scent you choose) with eight ounces of white vinegar in a spray bottle. Add four ounces of rubbing alcohol and four ounces of hydrogen peroxide. Shake together before using. (Note: Avoid spraying the mixture on sealed countertops—the acid in the vinegar can damage the coating.)
- Eliminate clutter. Put simply, clutter attracts dust, and too much clutter makes finding that dust more and more difficult as time goes on. So if you want your place to stay clean for longer, don’t give dirt and dust so many good hiding places.
- Ditch paper towels. Invest in a large stack of premium cotton cloths, and use them daily to clean your kitchen instead of using paper towels, which add waste.
- Naturally clean the garbage disposal. To remove foul odors from your garbage disposal, cut up a lemon and grind it in the disposal. Follow by grinding a cup of ice to loosen any smelly grime that may cling to the disposal’s blades.
- Use olive oil to make appliances shine. A little dab makes for a great polish for stainless steel refrigerators, dishwashers, and other appliances.
- Steam-clean your shower. Most commercial bathroom products are loaded with toxic chemicals. A better way to cut through soap build-up on shower walls, doors, and tiles is to use a steamer. And there’s no scrubbing required!
Sources: Debbie Sardone, president of SpeedCleaning.com; Beth McGee, author of Get Your House Clean Now: The Home Cleaning Method Anyone Can Master; and Leslie Reichert, author of The Joy of Green Cleaning.