Spring Cleaning

Spring is just naturally the time to renew and refresh. I am not really "into" cleaning, but I do what I have to. Since I've been having dreams about people coming over to my house and picking up brooms and dust cloths I decided it was time to embark on Spring Cleaning... Chloe-style.

My version of Spring Cleaning is not an all out attack on dust and clutter. Although I did just participate in a multi-family yard sale to rid my attic of stockpiled baby clothes (seems we've run out of babies to pass things to) I didn't get rid of much in our living space. I like to take things slowly working on one room or closet at a time using the entire spring to complete the process.

I started by cleaning out the kids' closets, drawers, and toy boxes. It's so nice to be able to fit their things into the storage compartments that are designated for them. I am moving onto the spare closet now. We removed everything last week so the spiders could move on before I got in there with them. Old house plus dark cluttered closets equal Brown Recluse Spiders in these parts. And we all know I don't want to encounter one of those biting buggers.

Another aspect of Spring Cleaning is giving everything a fresh wash. Walls, baseboards, curtains, carpets, linens. I am wishing I could just take a pressure washer to it all. But since I can't and I am cleaning everything by hand, I've decided to try to do a Green Clean. Yes, I am trying to use Earth-friendly cleaning products; making my own when possible (wallet-friendly). So when cleaning my bathroom yesterday I broke down and used a 50/50 vinegar-water solution. It worked great!

I am going to try this recipe for polishing the wood furniture in the house: one teaspoon lemon juice in two cups of vegetable oil. You just apply with a cloth and buff.

The vinegar solution worked really well, but the scent wasn't that great. I'd like to find a recipe that smelled a little better. Perhaps I'll try this the next time I start cleaning with vinegar to offset it's unpleasant odor: place a drop of essential oil on a light bulb (one that's on, of course) to fill the room with the scent. I have to admit even though the vinegar scent lingered for a few hours after the cleaning, when I returned home later in the evening the house smelled fresh and pure not like vinegar at all.

Anyone have any Spring Cleaning/Green Cleaning tips?