It’s time for spring cleaning, but instead of just sprucing up your home, why not make it a healthy living space that can help reduce the symptoms of the upcoming pollen-filled months?
Robin Wilson, author of “Clean Design: Wellness for Your Lifestyle” and an ambassador for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, offers this advice for spring cleaning that will turn any home into a healthy space free of the wheezes and sneezes:
NATURAL STAPLES
• Baking soda – cleans, deodorizes and scours
• Distilled vinegar – cuts grease and kills 99 percent of bacteria and 80 percent of viruses
• Citrus – bleaches, removes stains and acidity is antibacterial and anti-fungal
• Soap (plant-based) – naturally cleans and cuts grease
RECIPES
All-purpose: 1 tablespoon baking soda, ½-teaspoon dish soap and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Combine in a spray bottle and shake. Let rest. Fill the remainder with warm water. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon/orange juice.
Toilet: Mix ¼-cup baking soda with 1 cup vinegar and pour into toilet basin. Let sit 15 minutes or more. Scrub and flush!
Bathtub/shower: Combine baking soda, a squirt of dish soap and vinegar to form a thick paste. Use half of a grapefruit, orange, lemon or sponge. Apply the paste to the flesh of the citrus or sponge and clean in a circular motion. Squeeze the fruit slightly while cleaning. Rinse with warm water.
Glass: Combine 1/3-cup vinegar and ¾-cup distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray glass surface, and using a newspaper (leaves a dirt-resistant film on glass), clean glass in a circular motion. To polish away streaks, use a clean chalkboard eraser. Tip: Clean glass on a cloudy day. Streaks occur when the sun dries the cleaner too quickly.
Wood polish: Combine the juice from 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water in a bottle or jar. Shake vigorously until oil is well combined. Using a soft cloth, apply polish to wood surface in a circular motion and rub thoroughly.
Provided by pinkpistachio.com.
