Spring means beautiful weather, fun picnics and beautiful new blooms. Well, another thing Spring brings, that isn’t quite so exciting, is Spring cleaning. It’s time to dust, sweep, polish, and mop from top to bottom. I don’t mind Spring cleaning too much, and I just received the Smart Living Steam Mop Plus that added a bit of excitement to my tasks. It’s easy to go green when you spring clean with the Smart Living Steam Mop Plus.
The Smart Living Steam Mop Plus is a totally green mop that uses only distilled water to create a steam that cleans hard floor services. There is no need for chemical cleaners, the water gets to 110 degrees in just 30 seconds. It disinfects with reusable micro-fibre pads and without the using cleaners. It has an ergonomic lightweight design and the pivoting head makes it very versatile. I love that it is completely green and safe to use.
Harmful chemicals that are in practically EVERY cleaning product are dangerous to use and to even store around the house. I have nieces and nephews that love to dive into everything and I feel better knowing that with the Smart Living Steam Mop Plus they aren’t in danger of chemicals.
Being safe around the kids is top priority and the next is taking it easy on Mother Earth. The Smart Living Steam Mop Pro is totally green which means that Mother Earth is not suffering. Let’s face it, the majority of the population doesn’t think twice about the big blue ball we all call home. But, with everyone one person that makes a change, it could grow exponentially by just passing the word.
I have looked around the house, asked my mom, racked my sister’s brain, and even chatted up my pops and have found some all natural, green, and earth friendly cleaning recipes. They are easy to make, cost next to nothing, safe to have in the home, and actually work just as well, sometimes better than store-bought chemicals! Without, further ado, here they are!!!
- Disinfectant All Purpose Spray
If you walk down the cleaning aisles, there are dozens of different products with so many chemicals that it give us a headache (that’s before we get stuck in the fumes!) A good all-natural spray is easy to make thankfully. Lavender and tea tree oil have antibacterial properties and help to disinfect and deodorize.
Take a couple drops of liquid castile soap mixed in two cups hot water (DO NOT shake), then add about 30 drops of either lavender or tea tree oil. Store in a clean spray bottle and you have a very effective disinfectant all-purpose spray that smells refreshing too!
- Air Freshener
Commercial air fresheners only mask odors and can often be overbearing. Lemons are an amazing fruit and can eliminate odors instead of masking them. Lemon juice mixed with most of the cleaning and freshening products you already have can get rid of stagnant odors.
Also, clean pots and pans with some lemon juice and vinegar to get rid of onion and garlic smells. Cutting boards have a tendency to hang on to smells also, so after you cut up fish, chicken, any others of the like, wash as normal and clean with lemon juice and vinegar. If you have a garbage disposal, grind up some lemon slices in there to help get rid of mold.
- Degreaser
Grease is a pretty tough customer to get rid of. Ironically, it takes good ol’ elbow grease to conquer the grease. Well, white vinegar can make grease clean up much easier. To get that cleaning power at your just add 1 part vinegar to every 3 parts water, depending on the cleanup task.
Also, another tip is to use a bit of washing soda, couple drops of liquid castile soap and about 2 tablespoons of vinegar as an effective cleaner. Salt is also a great help with grease spills. Just sprinkle salt on liquid grease spills and let sit, then simply wipe it up and rinse with warm water. There is no avoiding grease, but with these few items, it can surely be dealt with.
- Oven Cleaner
Inside of an oven is intimidating for anyone looking to get things spick and span. Well, don‘t fret, a bit of baking soda mixed with some water and made into a paste can be used to coat the tough spots in the oven. Let the paste sit for an ample amount of time and then just scrape the gunk off.
Follow up with some soapy water to rinse the gunk out and the oven will look just like new. There won’t be the burnt smell next time you bake some cookies, just the aroma of homemade goodies.
- Floor Cleaner
Our home only has two rooms with carpet, so the rest of the house has hardwood. Floor cleaners are expensive and made of dangerous chemicals. Quick fix; mix a gallon of water with white vinegar and 8-10 drops of peppermint essential oil. It cleans and leaves a lovely scent.
For any scuff marks that may come up, mix about ½ part vinegar, ½ part water and 15 drops of lavender oil to clean them up. We have wood floors as well, so I use a mixture of olive oil and vinegar to give them a nice polish after cleaning.
- Wood Cleaner
Wood surfaces are a beautiful accent throughout the home, but they can also be tricky to clean. Wood is porous so it tends to collect germs and bacteria. Salt is a great item to use on wood surfaces.
Just like the grease, sprinkle it on spills or used cutting boards and let sit. Wipe it away with a rag or cotton ball moistened with isopropyl alcohol to disinfect. Be sure to rinse with some water and uses the olive oil and vinegar polish recipe to give it a bit of shine.
- Mirrors & Glass
Glass cleaner have a lot of chemicals in them, and I cannot stand the way my hands feel after using them nor can I deal with the odor. I have found a solution, again we turn to isopropyl alcohol.
Mix one tablespoon alcohol with water in a spray bottle. Spray your windows and mirrors and wipe to reveal a clean clear window without the smell. If you don’t have time to mix a cleaner, mouthwash, hand sanitizer and rubbing alcohol can also be used to clean the glass surfaces.
- Bathrooms
Bathrooms are the rooms I dread the most, but they have to be done. It’s tough for me because I share the bathroom with my nieces and so there is constant traffic. When they go to school I can just mix my own cleaner and not worry about chemicals being left out. I mix 1 cup vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda and use that to scrub the basin of the toilet.
For the mold in the shower I just spray diluted vinegar on the tiles, let it stand, wipe off and then rinse with warm water. For hard water buildup, soak the shower heads and faucets in vinegar. It loosens of the deposits and so they can be cleaned and then allow for better water pressure.
Well, there you have it. These are some green clean tips that I have come across that work very well for me. The Smart Living Steam Mop Plus was such a wonderful cleaning tool to use and with no need for chemicals, it will last for a long time. It comes with replaceable cloth pads that attach to the bottom of the mop. So, I have denoted one pad specifically for polishing the wood floors using the wood polish recipe I mentioned earlier.
I hope that these tips helped you out and if you have any of your own ideas that work wonders, feel free to share. Remember, knowledge is power and just one change can grow exponentially and one by one we can take care of our kids and our Mother Earth. Let’s get up, get green and get clean using these tips and the Smart Living Steam Mop!
This post is sponsored by Ocean Sales and The Smart Living Steam Mop Pro and written by me. All statements and opinions are 100% my own.
