Since becoming a mom two things have become very clear to me: First, is that in order to best protect my children I want to limit the amount of chemicals they are exposed to; the Second, is that my house will never truly be clean — there will simply always be toys and clothes and whatnot.
So I’m sharing the (very realistic, busy mom,) eco-friendly tips I use for cleaning our home:
- Use cloths instead of paper towels and sponges. Sponges hold in all kinds of bacteria; and paper towels are just wasteful. So over the last year we’ve opted for EnviroCloths. They’re environmentally friendly and they don’t hold on to germs like sponges.
- Open those windows! As soon as the weather breaks, I air our house out from all of the stale air of the Winter months. It’s inevitable that at some point over the Winter we’re all sick (and this year it was a lot of the stomach bug — ugh!). So it helps to just air everything out.
- We clean with Bona free & simple products. They are specially formulated to be both effective and safe. I recently used the Bona free & simple Hardwood Floor Cleaner to help a dear friend clean the floors of her brand new home. The hypoallergenic formula is certified allergy and asthma friendly (and safe for their new puppy!) and removes of 93.3% of allergens from the surface of the floor.
- Declutter one tiny space at a time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to clean every space of your home in one day, one week, or heck, even one month! Declutter, sort, and create piles for organizing, piles for donation, and piles for trash.
- Keep your home smelling fresh naturally. We use essential oils and diffusers in nearly every room. It’s easy, cost-effective, and safe for everyone!
- Bonus tip! I try to schedule mini-“purge” sessions throughout the year by going through a room every few months and deciding if what occupies it is truly necessary — that goes for clothes, toys, kitchen items (like those awful plastic cups!), and more!
Tell me — what’s your favorite way to Spring clean? And then head on over to the Bona website to sign up for a $3 off coupon so you can clean your house safe and effectively, too!
And remember, life is meant to be enjoyed. So don’t stress over the toys — they will only be little for a short period of time. Let them play in the organized chaos that is life.
