(Source: Career Hub)

Welcome Spring with a freshly cleaned house.  The Nature Clean® team wants to get you there in time for the beautiful weather outside! Whether it’s your kitchen, bathroom, living room or bedroom, every room in the house needs a good, thorough and refreshing clean up.

 

(Source: Tipnut)

 

(Source: Nature Clean®)

More importantly we want to get you to a clean, refreshing house naturally and safely! In case you don’t think it matters what type of cleaning products you use, many cleaners can have harmful toxins and fumes in their formulas. While they make your windows and surfaces look nice, they may not be very friendly to the health of your family and your pets. Go healthy (without sacrificing the nice-looking windows and surfaces) by using all-natural products. They’ve come a long way!  Many work just as well (if not better) than traditional cleaners.

(Source: Nature Clean®)

Also, look for the EcoLogo™ labels on your products. This logo indicates that it’s an eco-friendly product. If you’re going to go ‘green’ (and it’s a good idea to do so) get a cleaner that is good for the earth and one that is free of chemicals that pose health hazards.

 

The Kitchen

One of the most important rooms in the house is the kitchen.  It’s where you cook, store food and eat, so keep it spick and span.  Many kitchen surface cleaners, household disinfectants or all purpose cleaners claim to be ‘green’ so they appeal to conscious shoppers, but some may not be as healthy as it seems. Stick to the harmless (chemical-free), natural cleaners and wipe your countertops worry-free.  

And you don’t need to use chemical laden disinfectants either – there are natural options available – Thymol (a derivative of Thyme oil) is a natural disinfectant.  The Nature Clean® household disinfectant uses this ingredient and is proven to kill over 99.9% of bacteria.

 

The Floors

When you’re cleaning the salt residue and other winter griminess off of your floors, take advantage of a natural heavy duty cleaner that does the job without leaving leftovers. Nothing will annoy someone more than a cleaner that smells terrible, gives you a headache with its chemically loaded formulas and just won’t get the dirt off.

Mops can be a back-saver, but still make sure you have a light-weight mop that is flexible to use. Buy a mop that uses a re-usable cloths for eco-friendliness and convenience. You also want to ensure that the cloth is effective so you won’t have to scrub so hard you break your back!

If you have carpet stains, odours or other accidental stains courtesy of your kids or pets, now will be a great time to attend to them. Natural pet odour and stain removing sprays are super effective and easy to use; they will make your life a lot easier.

 

The Rooms

While the kitchen is one of the most important rooms, the bedrooms are at the top of the hierarchyas well.  You spend on average over a third of your life here!  Here are some tips to clean bedrooms and maintain them:

• Vacuum regularly (all surfaces)
• Wipe objects that collect dust over time with a damp cloth or a mild, gentle cleanser. Don’t forget window frames
• Wipe your windows with non-toxic, hypoallergenic cleaners
• Store things that you don’t need or donate to charities
• Get rid of carpet stains with a stain and odour remover
•  

Bathrooms are a place most of us cringe to think about cleaning.  They key is to do regular light cleanings so you can avoid the big clean.

• Natural toilet bowl cleaner and calcium rust lime remover cleaners work wonders on toilet bowls
• Keep bathroom doors and windows open to promote circulation of air when you’re cleaning.
• A natural multi-purpose cleaner is great for cleaning toilet surfaces, counter tops, sinks, faucets, tubs, shower walls & more.
• If you have more build up try using a specialized natural tile & bath cleaner or a natural cream cleanser.

Air out your rooms from time to time by opening windows and letting in sunlight.  This is a fantastic and super easy way to maintain a feeling of freshness in your home.

 

Finishing Touches

Once rooms and floors are shiny clean and free of residue and dirt, be sure to add the finishing touch. Make use of natural air fresheners to put a hint of extra freshness in your home and natural fabric refreshers to rid your furniture of unpleasant lingering odours.  Effective ones actually eliminate the malodours in your home or fabric instead of just covering them up with scents.

(Source: Jaeho Kim’s Blog)

It’s important to know that toxic fumes and chemicals can affect you through ingestion and inhalation, not only by contact. No matter the case, you’re better off having a non-threatening cleaner that’s effective. Look toward natural productsthat disclose the full list of ingredients used in their formulas and have 3^rd party certification. For those that don’t fully disclose ingredients, call them to find out. Keep your distance from the products that contain potentially harmful ingredients that we’ve placed on our “non-ingredients” list (check out past blogs for details).

Here’s a last tip: if you’re getting headaches, skin irritations, allergies or nauseous from smelling your cleaner; a nasty chemical - or a group of chemicals - is likely the criminal behind it. So take notice to stay away.  There are many natural and unscented options out there.

Happy spring cleaning from the Nature Clean® team and enjoy the weather outside!