Green Living Room Cleaning Ideas
Living rooms, being the heart of our homes, deserve all the care they can get. Despite the popular opinion, you don’t always need to expose yourself and your family to toxic cleaning chemicals to create a spotless living space. It’s time to embrace green, natural ways to keep the living room sparkling. This article explores a myriad of green living room cleaning ideas that are effective, safe, and eco-friendly.
Green Cleaning Materials
The shift to green cleaning begins with your cleaning materials. Switching to eco-friendly cleaning tools, such as bamboo handle brushes, microfiber cloths, refillable bottles, or natural sponges, significantly reduces both environmental impact and exposure to hazardous substances. Using a microfiber cloth, for example, eliminates the necessity for paper towels, cutting down on both waste and expense.
Use of Baking Soda
Baking soda, a staple found in most households, works magic in cleaning the living room. It’s an excellent deodorizer for carpets and rugs. To use, sprinkle it on the carpet, leave for some hours or overnight, then vacuum – your carpet will enjoy a fresh smell without harsh chemicals. Baking soda can also scrub out stains from the coffee table without causing any damage while neutralizing odors in upholstery.
Vinegar: The All-Purpose Cleaner
Vinegar is another common household item that’s remarkably effective for living room cleaning. A mix of one-part white vinegar and two parts water in a spray bottle serves as an all-purpose cleaner that works well on windows, mirrors, and hard surfaces. Vinegar is also effective for cleaning and deodorizing fabric upholsteries. Just ensure you spot-test first for colorfastness.
Lemons for Polishing and Deodorizing
Lemons offer high citric acid content, making them a robust natural cleaner. Lemon juice works exceptionally well in cleaning and shining brass, copper, and stainless steel items. Applying lemon juice on a cloth and using it to clean your metallic accessories offers both a shining effect and a fresh, citrus scent; just remember to rinse and buff dry afterward. Additionally, the lemon peels can help freshen up the garbage disposal or be mixed with white vinegar to create an effective DIY cleaner.
Green Commercial Cleaning Products
If DIY isn’t your thing, a plethora of green commercial cleaning products are available in the market. Brands like Method, Seventh Generation, and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day offer a wide range of eco-friendly options, from multi-surface cleaners to fabric fresheners and floor cleaners. Check for products with Green Seal or ECOLOGO certifications to ascertain their environmental friendliness.
Regular Dusting: Your Best Defense
Regular dusting, using a damp cloth or high-quality duster, is essential to maintain a clean living room. Regular dusting captures and removes dust instead of merely spreading it around. It’s crucial, especially for living rooms with numerous electronics that attract and hold dust.
Air Purifying Plants
Mother Nature offers some of the best natural purifiers – plants. Some indoor plants like English Ivy, Spider Plant, and Boston Fern can purify indoor air, thereby reducing the need for air fresheners. They absorb toxins from the air and release clean oxygen, furthermore adding beauty and providing a calming effect to your living room.
Shoe-Off Policy
Implementing a shoe-off policy goes a long way in reducing dirt and pollutants tracked into your living room. This easy adjustment not only contributes to cleaner air and floors, but it also lessens the frequency of vacuuming or mopping. And on the plus side, your floor coverings and carpets will thank you for their extended life.
Natural Air Fresheners
Avoid using synthetic air fresheners laden with toxic chemicals. Opt for natural alternatives like essential oil diffusers, simmer pots, and soy or beeswax candles. Essential oils such as lavender, lemon, or eucalyptus provide safer, chemical-free, and refreshing aromas.
Properly Organize and Declutter
A clutter-free, organized living room is not only easier to clean, but it also makes the room more inviting. Regular decluttering includes storing away anything that doesn’t belong in the living room, reduces dust catchers, and simplifies the cleaning process.
By incorporating these green living room cleaning ideas, you not only maintain cleanliness in your living space, but also contribute considerably to the well-being of the environment. The switch might require some changes in habit and a bit of extra effort upfront, but the payoff in healthier, safer living spaces and a less polluted world is irresistible.
