Gloss How-To: Spring GREENing
Since it’s the time of year to get your Spring cleaning on – here are my top tips for not only getting your entire home squeaky clean and free of pesky germs, but also how-to detox your home from any chemical nasties, which you may still have hanging around. The thing that thrills me most about cleaning the DO IT GORGEOUSLY way, is that you get to save an awful lot of money. Here are the basics you need for a basic non-toxic Spring Clean.
You will need:
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- White Vinegar
- Table Salt
- Baking Soda
- Borax
- Liquid Castile Soap (find it at your local health food store)
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil (optional)
- Lemon Essential Oil (optional)
Kitchen:
* Tackle the fridge first by removing every single item and laying it on the table. Fill a large bucket with hot water and add 2 cups of white vinegar. With a sponge or rag, wipe down the entire interior, especially drawers and shelves in the door. If there are any sticky patches, squeeze a little castille soap onto the scouring side of a sponge and gently remove – then use vinegar/water solution to wipe off. Dry fridge well with clean rags and open a small box of baking soda to set down in the back of fridge, as this absorbs odors. Carefully replace all the food, checking sell-by dates.
* Next up is the oven. Please don’t buy toxic and expensive oven cleaners, as you don’t need them. Simply mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar. Smear mixture all over the interior of your oven (wearing gloves!) and go do something else for an hour. Get your gloves back on and grab some steel wool for the fun ahead! Use circular motions to scour off baked-on grease. Spritz with water if mixture gets too dry. Use 100% recycled paper towel to remove the mixture. You may need to dampen the towels with water first.
* For all-round germ busting. Find an opaque sprayer bottle and fill with 50% water and 50% hydrogen peroxide. Use the fine mist setting on nozzle to spray all around germ-gathering areas (phone handle & mouthpiece, fridge handle, corners of counters, door knobs etc). Finally give all your sponges a good spritz.
Living room and/or den:
* Now is the time to give all your wooden furniture a treat. Fill an 8oz bottle with 1 cup of cheap olive oil, 1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 tsp of lemon essential oil. Use an old rag to work this wonderful polish into all your wooden furniture.
* Fill a 32oz sprayer bottle with 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Use this as a glass cleaner for mirrors and pictures.
* Deodorize your carpets, rugs and upholstery by filling a small measuring jug with 1 cup of baking soda and 20 drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil. Sprinkle liberally over your carpets and upholstery and leave for 1/2 an hour. Vacuum off.
Bedrooms:
*For musty closets, fill an old pair of pantyhose with 1 cup of baking soda 1 cup of borax. Tie a knot above the filled part and hang in the closet.
*Wait for a sunny day and then strip your bed. Take off pillow cases, comforter covers, and remove your mattress topper/cover. Hang or lay the pillows, comforter and mattress topper in the hot sun for a few hours. The hot sun is great for baking away any germs and mustiness.
Bathrooms:
* Remove your shower curtain and wash in with a cup of hydrogen peroxide in the cycle. If you have one that you can’t wash, spritz it with your vinegar/water spray.
*Make the tile and tub cleaner from Do It Gorgeously and give your tiles the shine of a lifetime!
*Make the toilet cleaner from Do It Gorgeously and get scrubbing.
*Remove all skin care products and cosmetics from shelves and cupboards and use a bucket of hot water filled with 1 cup of vinegar and 20 drops of tea tree oil to clean.
*Finally spritz your shower, especially corners and crevices with your hydrogen peroxide/water solution.
About the Author
Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of “Gorgeously Green”, “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” and the newly released “Do It Gorgeously
Read more amazing tips from Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com
I love summer because even if there’s just a ray of sun poking through, we get grilling. I love to smother a bowl of fresh veggies with olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs and grill them until lightly brown. I then serve them over a bed of nutty brown rice — yum!