Safe Eco-friendly Home Cleaning Tips

Moms do a lot to make sure that everyone comes back to a clean home on a routine basis. Deep cleaning may be employed weekly, monthly or quarterly and mostly during the spring season. It is spring break once again and time to deep clean your house. Most people would go for commercial cleaning products to clean their houses. It is a common belief that the industrially produced home cleaning products are harsh on stains and disease-causing germs. However, the chemicals that are used might have toxic effects on the environment. For this reason, there is need to find routine cleaning tips that are eco-friendly.
With the following tips, home cleaning is not only made easier but also you rest assured that your cleaning does not negatively affect the environment.
Home Cleaning Tips that are Eco-friendly

• First off, ignore the traditionally petroleum based cleaners and utilize the biodegradable, non-toxic and renewable sources that are slowly hitting the market. Also, you can utilize the natural cleaning products that you have at homes such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon and warm water. In the long run, the natural products provide you with a multipurpose cleaning solution.
• When cleaning your home, keep your windows and door open. The air in the house might be more toxic and allowing air from outside into the house promotes circulation, reducing toxicity and energy is also renewed.
• Antibacterial and antimicrobial cleaners when used for a long period cause the bacteria to be resistant. Regular soap and warm water are good enough for your cleaning.
• Employ natural methods for cleaning glass and mirrors. Use lemon and water or alcohol to clean glass and mirror. Ammonia based products for cleaning are not environmentally friendly.
• Minimize dust in your house by removing clutter such as old magazines that may collect dust in the house. Also, you can initiate a policy of no shoes while in the house.
• Polyester and plastic sponges are non-biodegradable hence harmful to the environment. For this reason, opt for cellulose sponges for your household cleaning. 
• If you have pets that spend most of their time playing outdoors, try to keep them out of the house especially the bedrooms unless they are clean. They may carry a lot of dirt or germs into the house. 
• Avoid using furniture polish. Furniture polish contains petroleum which is a harmful product to the environment. Use olive oil and lemon juice to clean your furniture. They not only leave your furniture sparkling, they also have a fresh smell.
• When painting your house, the smell of paint might be too strong and irritating. Place bowls of vinegar as you paint. The vinegar will absorb the strong paint smell leaving your house tolerable.
• Avoid harsh commercial products for cleaning metal surfaces. They contain ammonia, an acid and other ingredients that are not friendly to the environment. Instead, you can make use of your home products such as salt, vinegar, and flour to give your metallic equipment a shine without causing damage.
• Use a cream of tartar and water to create a paste that you will use to clean up soot. You will apply the paste of tartar to the soot leaving it to dry then scraping off. The soot will come out with the paste. This method is suitable for cleaning the fireplace. Also, when using your fireplace, practice to pour salt on the fire. This act helps in reducing the layer of soot and will ease your cleaning.
• To keep your bathroom from the mold that may bring about disease-causing bacteria, use carbonated water and vinegar to clean grout. You can add baking soda if the grout is too tough.

I hope that with these tips not only will you be able to make your home neat and tidy but also help save the environment as well.
by: Greg Macchia