23 Apr Spring Green

Although the weather outside may be disillusioning…it’s SPRING! Time for us to all get off our humps and do some Spring Cleaning.

Among the many Green tips we found out there, the below are a few of our team’s favorites:

• Clean & polish wood with a mix of vegetable oil, essential oil of lemon, , mint, eucalyptus or your fave, and beeswax.
• Toilet: Scrub with baking soda; follow by wiping seat with white vinegar
• Kitchen sinks: try making your own sink scrub using one part vinegar, four parts baking soda and several drops of your favorite essential oil (or oils). Scrub the paste on with a sponge, let sit for a few minutes then rinse.
• Windows: Vinegar again, this time in a spray bottle, will do the trick. A lot of people recommend wiping vinegar-sprayed glass with crumpled newspaper, but a lint-free washrag works well too. Don’t clean windows when they’re in direct sunlight, because they’ll dry too fast and look “streaky.”
• Carpets: Before vacuuming, shake baking soda over the carpeting; it will help to absorb odors. For spot cleaning, try that natural wonder, vinegar. Spray it on, scrub out the spot with a washrag and don’t worry about the vinegar smell; it dissipates quickly.
• Upholstery: Sprinkle stale cushions and chairs with…you guessed it, our old friend baking soda, then vacuum after letting it sit for a while.
• General odors: Make your own scented sprays by mixing distilled water, isopropyl alcohol (keep this away from heat and flames, as well as from children and pets) and a few drops of your favorite essential oil in a spray bottle, then spray wherever needed. For especially stubborn smells, some people swear by zeolite, a natural mineral with tiny, tiny pores and an ability to soak in the worst of odors.