A Round-up of Our Favourite Spring Cleaning Tips from Our Friends at Nellie’s Clean

With April being Earth Month, things are perfectly aligned to focus on green cleaning! Now is the time of year that many of us feel motivated to do a deep clean, and what better way to do it than with non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaners that are low- or zero-waste to boot?

Of course, green cleaning is always our very favourite way to clean, but why not take a minute to take stock of your cleaning habits, tidy them up a little, and make a plan for spring cleaning? Everything feels better when your environment is clean and fresh — especially when you know it was all done without nasty chemicals! We dug into the Nellie's Clean blog for some great tips on green cleaning -- spring, and beyond!

The Essentials

Want to clean safely, effectively and with products that won’t leave a harmful mark on the planet? These are your must-have tools:

• Baking soda (great for scrubbing, deodorizing, brightening laundry and removing stains on surfaces)
• Vinegar (safe; mild disinfectant; lifts dirt and grease; removes hard water and mineral residue)
• Nellie’s Laundry Soda (only four ingredients; highly concentrated; rinses clear; works in hot or cold water)
• Nellie’s Dish Powder (biodegradable; phosphate-free; septic-safe; leaves dishes spotless)
• Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener (uses the power of oxygen to penetrate stains and strip away dirt, odor and grime; safe alternative to bleach; chlorine-free; color-safe; septic-safe; hypoallergenic)
• re:fresh Kitchen Bar (multi-purpose cleaning bar that uses the power of lemon oil for wildly effective dish washing, home cleaning, and laundry stain removal)
• A non-abrasive scrubber like this one by skoy or one of these copper options from Redecker
• An all-purpose cleaner (we carry two bulk options in the store and through our Mobile Refillery)

Spring Cleaning Tips

1. Clean room-by-room
   “One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter you no longer need. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of that natural spring urge to get rid of items that are weighing you down and begin fresh with a more streamlined lifestyle. Sort your belongings into four categories: trash, donate, store, put-away. This is a perfect time to plan a garage sale or donate items to a good cause. Cleaning is so much easier with fewer things in the way!”
2. Organize & clear clutter
   “Approaching your home room by room is the most effective way to deep-clean your home no matter what time of year, but especially in spring. Use room checklists as a springboard for deep-cleaning the areas of your home that really need extra attention. Feel free to skip items that have recently been cleaned so you can focus on the parts of your home that have been neglected through the winter.”
3. Involve the whole family
   “If you need a little help in your cleaning projects, get the whole gang involved! Even the most unwilling helper can make a difference in the workload. Put some music on or establish a family reward as an incentive to finish the job.
4. Tackle the seasonal chores
   “There are some special shores that must be done seasonally – time to bite the bullet! Even though those chores need only be done once or twice a year, they’ll help your home look better and run more smoothly. Outdoor chores like cleaning the BBQ, patios, and windows can be daunting, but you’ll be relieved once they’re done.”
5. Use the right tools for those big jobs:
   The oven: Kitchen Bar
   Check out Emilie’s demo of using the re:fresh Kitchen Bar to clean cooked-on grease and grime from her oven!
   Bathroom grout: Oxygen Brightener
   “Because of its porous composition and light colouring, grout is prone to staining. Depending on which rooms in your house have tiles, discolouration can be caused by dirt, grime, spills, mold or mildew. To clean your grout, make a paste with 1 scoop of Oxygen Brightener and hot water and scrub (with a little bit of elbow grease). We recommend avoiding using an abrasive sponge/scrubber that may scratch the grout. Use a clean, soft cloth and clean water to wipe. Rinse well.”
   Porcelain: Oxygen Brightener
   “Combine 1 scoop and hot water to make a paste, let sit for 20 mins, and scrub gently. Sodium percarbonate will oxidize the stain and sodium carbonate will neutralize grease or oil.”
   Patio cushions: Oxygen Brightener + Kitchen bar
   “If your cushions have been sitting in storage collecting dust, or even worse, sitting outside during the entire winter, they’re probably in need of a good refresher. To revive your cushions, add 1/2 scoop of Oxygen Brightener and warm water into a spray bottle and shake gently to mix the solution. Spray stained areas and scrub gently with a soft brush.”
   For stains, try the re:fresh Kitchen Bar.
   Baseboards: Your favourite all purpose cleaner
   A simple, non-toxic (read: pet- and baby-friendly) all-purpose cleaner is the answer down here near the floor. It’s easy to miss the baseboards, so grime really builds up here. A good, deep clean with your favourite all-purpose cleaner and cleaning cloth combo is so satisfying!

Make a Cleaning Routine

Now keep up this new sense of clean with a regular routine! Try these simple habits, from the folks at Nellie’s:

• Fold clothes when the dryer beeps
• Put shoes away when you take them off
• Wash dishes as you use them/clean as you cook
• Keep counters and tables wiped/wipe them down before bed
• Take out the trash on your way to work
• Add a cleaner and squeegee to the shower
• Let garbage time cue your fridge cleanup