5 Green Living, Spring Cleaning Tips

This post is part of the March 2012 Green Moms Carnival hosted by Lori of Groovy Green Livin. The topic is How to Keep Toxic Chemicals Out of Your Home.
Spring is a time of birth and renewal, so it's also the perfect time to incorporate elements of green living into your every day life. With the spring season right around the corner, spring cleaning is an excellent way to welcome the season and try out a few easy ways to reduce toxins in your home.
green baby
Here are five of my easiest, go to, green spring cleaning tips:
1. Use natural, non-toxic cleaners.
We use a mixture of distilled white vinegar, water, and lavender essential oil on everything! For more cleaning power, you can mix in some Borax or baking soda. I have also reviewed a few excellent, non-toxic cleaners from companies like Eco-Me and Natural House if you prefer to buy something already made.
2. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
We bought our Eureka Air Extreme after reading all of the fantastic research on AllergyBuyersClub.com. HEPA filter vacuums remove dust and allergens from your home, as well as improve the overall quality of the indoor air you breathe.
3. Open your windows!
Especially when there is beautiful weather, why not keep your home healthier and enjoy the fresh air? Opening the windows for even 5 minutes per day reduces the toxins in the indoor air of your home.
4. Start a no shoe policy in your home.
Not only do shoes track in the visible dirt that you can see with your eyes, they also carry toxins into your home. A no shoe policy greatly reduces the amount of lead dust, bacteria, and allergens in your home!
5. Avoid plastic as much as possible.
We are surrounded by plastic – it’s in our packaging, our children’s toys, our household products, and even in our clothing. This may make it feel like avoiding plastic is a no win battle, but it is worth reducing your plastic exposure in order to avoid BPA, PVC, and PET. Why surround ourselves with carcinogens when simple choices like using cloth bags, buying wooden toys, and using glass or stainless steel containers can make our homes healthier? For more information on the dangers of plastic and for suggestions on how to avoid it, check out Cloth Diapering Mama’s post: Leaching…yucky word…yucky consequences…PLASTIC.
To read all of the posts in the Green Moms Carnival about keeping toxins out of your home and for other green cleaning tips, please visit Groovy Green Livin's post with all of our post links!
What's your favorite green spring cleaning tip? Let me know in the comments section below!

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5 Ways to Create a Non-Toxic Environment (Green & Natural Mamas Bloghop)