It’s hard to believe, but the first day of spring is nearly upon us!
For many, this also means it’s time to give their home a good, old-fashioned spring cleaning.
In this post, learn how you can combine two jobs into one this spring by cleaning your indoor air while you also clean your home.
What You Will Need: Cleaning Supplies
Here is a list of clean, eco-friendly cleaning supplies that you can use to do your spring cleaning.
These supplies won’t add any harsh chemicals or chemical-based odors to your indoor air.
- Plain water
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Rubbing alcohol
- Essential oils (for natural scent, if desired)
- Lemon oil to clean varnished wood
- Lemon or citrus juice (for dissolving odors and cleaning unvarnished wood)
You can check out this great post for lots of natural cleaning recipes to make with just this small list of totally natural, non-toxic, and planet-friendly ingredients.
Have a Spring Cleaning Task Order List
Your next step will be to set up your spring cleaning tasks so that each one adds to the overall cleanliness of your home and indoor air.
By doing each task in order, you minimize the accumulation of dust, debris, and allergens that may either enter from outdoors or simply be stirred up while you’re working on another cleaning task.
Here is a task order that will help you maximize the effectiveness of your spring cleaning for both your home and your indoor air:
Open all of your windows before you start cleaning
This will assist with ventilation as well as air circulation as you clean. It will also aid in moving out some of the dust, dirt, dander, and other allergens that will inevitably be stirred up while you clean.
Begin by washing all your bed linens and drapes
Pop all your bed linens and drapes into the wash so they’re cleaning while you’re doing the next tasks. This way, you can avoid dust and debris getting into the folds of your linens as you clean.
Next, sweep, mop, vacuum, and steam clean
This will aid in removing as much dirt, dust, debris, dander, and other allergens and toxins as possible, AND circulate them out of your home through the open windows. If possible, include your area rugs and blinds.
Give your pets a bath and clean their sleeping and living quarters.
If you have a furry pet in particular, you already know how incredibly easy it is for them to deposit hair and dander all over your house and especially in your bedding.
So while you are cleaning your carpeting/floors, washing your bedding and having your mattresses cleaned, give your pets’ bedding and living area(s) a good scrub-down as well. Then wash your pet (if applicable). Do all of this at the same time and you are guaranteed to have fewer allergies this spring.
Schedule your mattress cleanings for this time!
It can help to plan your spring cleaning and mattress cleaning for the same day. This way, you can have your mattresses cleaned while your linens are being washed and then have fresh allergy covers ready to slip over all mattresses and pillows to keep allergens out during the notorious spring allergy season.
Do all your dusting using a damp cloth or towel
If you try to dust with a dry cloth or duster, the best you can hope for is to relocate the dust to another, less visible area. But if you dampen the towel or cloth and then wipe it over the dusty surface, the cloth will pick up the fine grains of dust.
This applies to any dusty surface. If you can, carry a small bag as you dust, so you can just pop used dusty rags or towels in for cleaning or disposal.
Other Spring Cleaning Tasks That Also Clean Your Indoor Air
As you are cleaning, you may notice areas where your carpeting is worn out or your blinds are starting to look old and tired. If so, this is actually great news for your indoor air quality!
By swapping out carpeting for tile, laminate, or hardwoods and exchanging blinds for thin draperies, you will greatly reduce available surfaces where dust, debris, and dander can congregate. (As a side note, this will also make future spring cleaning tasks easier!)
You may also want to consider any/all of the following:
Installing HEPA filters in key areas HEPA filters can really improve your indoor air quality in places such as pet areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms. This is because they are able to catch even the finest particulates that may lead to allergies. Whether you choose to install spot filters or a comprehensive indoor HEPA-based filtration system, your health will thank you for it.
Replace and upgrade your HVAC filters Your air conditioning and furnace filters should definitely be changed when you do your spring cleaning. But your system may also be able to handle a higher rating of filter to catch more toxins.
Put in an air exchanger An air exchanger helps to remove toxic, stale indoor air in exchange for cleaner, fresh air.
Have your ducts and dryer vent cleaned Cleaning your ducts and dryer vent is a great way to ensure that even hidden dust, debris, and allergens are gone before spring arrives in force!
