In the old days, spring cleaning meant giving everything in the house–curtains, bedding, corner cupboards–a thorough wash to remove the soot from winter fires and lamp oil. These days, of course, most of us heat with central heating systems that don’t leave soot, and have electric lamps. So why bother with spring cleaning?

I think that spring cleaning nowadays is mostly about removing dust, and that dust is its link to the tradition’s heritage. As heating systems begin to shut down and we can open windows, the winter’s dust accumulation begins to blow around the home. As the days get longer and there is more sun, it is also easier to see dust and cobwebs. Visible dust inspires one to want to remove it!

Truthfully, whatever the reasons, as the days get longer and warmer, what better excuse do you need for a top-to-bottom cleaning of your home, and to get at all those places regular cleaning maintenance doesn’t reach, such as washing curtains and getting under the bed.

When you undertake this enterprise, the last thing that you want to do is to pollute your home with toxic cleaning chemicals, so I have put together a green spring cleaning kit that uses the most natural and least-toxic ingredients.

Least-toxic, and not nontoxic, you might ask? Yes, because I recommend detergents, and they are not found in nature and are not totally nontoxic. With soap, the minerals in water combine with soap to result in soap scum. For those with hard water, the switch to using soap instead of a detergent, doesn’t produce successful results.

Ingredients Needed
Sun
Baking soda
Vinegar
Washing soda or a sodium percarbonate-based cleanser such as OxyBoost (has the highest concentration of sodium percarbonate) or Stain Solver
Soap or Detergent, such as from Dr. Bronner’s, Seventh Generation, Natural Choices, or Ecover.

Read more about these ingredients in my article Five Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning.

Here are some of my best formulas for making natural cleaning products. Also, see my eBook Cleaning for Pennies, or Clean & Green, for more cheap formulas.

Welcome the Sun and the Longer Days
Choose a sunny weekend for your spring cleaning, and hang as much outside on a clothes line as possible, as sunlight is known to kill dustmites and be antibacterial.

Window Cleaner
With the increase in sunlight you can see just how dirty your windows are and what a perfect time to clean them so you can watch spring unfold. Here is my best window cleaner recipe:

The Best Window Wash
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
2 cups of water
spray bottle.

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake to blend and spray on your windows.
Shelf-Life: Indefinite

Soft Scrub for Tubs, Stainless Steel, and More.
This is my can’t-do-without formula, and the best one I ever created.

Soft Scrubber
½ cup baking soda
A few squirts of a green liquid soap

Place the baking soda in a bowl and add enough liquid soap or detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop some of the mixture onto a sponge and scrub the tub, sink, or the stainless steel. Rinse well.

After cleaning with the above soft scrub, for stainless steel, some people like to bring the metal to a high polish by rubbing the surface with straight household vinegar. I’ve found that just rinsing the soft scrub well does the trick, but each to their own.

Note: Stay away from all chlorine-based products on stainless steel.

Heavy Duty Cleanser
Washing soda, OxyBoost, or Stain Solver (see above)

Wearing gloves, make a thick wet paste of the mineral and layer it onto the area that needs to be cleaned. Let the paste rest for up to eight hours (longer for big stains), and then rinse. Note that this washing soda cleanser is powerful enough to peel wax off a floor, and if you choose the OxyBoost or OxyClean, is very whitening (great for porcelain tubs and sinks!).

All Purpose Spray Cleaner
1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap or detergent
2 cups very hot tap water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

Light and Lemony Dusting Cloth
Light and Lemony Duster
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
a few drops of pure, food grade lemon oil (as opposed to an essential oil)
a few drops of olive oil
a soft cotton rag

Learn more about lemon for cleaning, and its aromatherapy benefits!

For those of you who would like to buy ready-made products, consider Seventh Generation, Natural Choices Refillables, or Ecover product lines. I have a lot of respect for the integrity of all three companies.

By Annie B. Bond, best-selling author of five books, including Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Clean & Green (Ceres Press, 1990), and Home Enlightenment (Rodale, 2007).