Keeping your clean home can be a real chore. However, by focusing the bulk of your cleaning efforts on key spots, you will save time and your sanity. Here are three primary spots in your home to clean on a regular basis to keep your house looking tidy and free of harmful bacteria and germs.

What’s better: Hand Sanitizer or Hand Soap?
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We create and sell both (hit up the Homemade Essential oil hand sanitizer page!), and believe in both.
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But, hands down, we support the power of SOAP!
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True, effective, All natural organic hand SOAP.
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Hand Sanitizer is great when you’re out and about, on the go, at the park, on the playground, in a pinch. But it doesn’t attach to the germs on your hands and rinse them away.
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Only SOAP does that. Hand sanitizer is better than nothing. Hear us loud and clear there.
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But washing your hands (yes, for at least twenty seconds) with real SOAP is the only way to rinse those germs off your hands.
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Don’t overlook the power of a good hand washing session with a good bottle of effective soap. Especially right now.
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It’s time to stock up. And, probably time to go wash your hands right now, too. Go, go! And then stock up on our organic hand soap. 👊🏼

You've worked hard to maintain a beautiful deck and getting it pressure washed will help to maintain that pristine appearance. However, you can't just have a professional come and start spraying. Well, you could, but you might not get the stunning results that you were hoping for.

• Homeowners should take precautions to prevent pets from ruining their carpet, such as installing a hardwood or tile entrance for wiping off dirt and mud from paws.
• Carpets should be maintained and cleaned using hot water extraction once a year.
• Pets' nails need to be trimmed and filed routinely to avoid scratching the fibers of the carpet.
• Adequate cleaning supplies and other supplies should be kept ready before bringing a pet home.

• Prior to the 1970s, asbestos was commonly used in home construction and manufacturing.
• Insulation in homes built prior to 1980 is likely to contain asbestos which can cause respiratory issues, lung cancer, and mesothelioma if breathed in over a long period of time.
• Baby powder and certain cosmetics may still contain traces of asbestos, leading to mesothelioma and ovarian cancer with prolonged use.
• Gardening products have been known to have traces of asbestos from vermiculite which is often mined near asbestos deposits.
• It is best to select premixed soils for gardens to avoid breathing in dust particles that may include asbestos when mixing soils.

Keeping it clean doesn't stop at countertops, windows and the usual germ-accumulating suspects like toilets and sinks. For the deepest and most thorough cleanse, there are some surfaces that are absolute must-cleans that often get overlooked. Here are four important surfaces that you may be forgetting to clean.

Dishwasher

The all-important dishwasher sanitizes your dishes making them safe to eat off of once again, but it is a frequently neglected appliance that doesn't often get a cleaning of its own. It's good to keep in mind that a clean dishwasher gives you cleaner dishes so making sure to give your dishwasher the care it needs inside and out ensures that your dishwasher will not only cleanse your dishes more efficiently, but it will also keep your dishwasher healthier for longer by preventing food buildup that could cause clogging issues.

Doorframe

Be sure to add your doorframes to your cleaning to-do list. Many people do not think to clean their doorframes, but dust can easily accumulate over time, causing irritation to those suffering from allergies. Neglecting to clean doorframes simply creates more settled dirt that can potentially affect your health, so regularly cleaning them reduces the amount of dust that settles and can be dispersed into the air if the door is opened and closed frequently.

Doorknob

Doorknobs are used often but are rarely cleaned. A doorknob can rapidly accumulate germs, so it's important to clean them frequently to prevent germs from spreading unnecessarily. Staying on top of the care of the doorknobs in your home decreases your chances of contracting a virus or other illness that can be spread through touching the same surface as a person with a contagious virus or infection.

Driveway

Cleaning the exterior of your home is equally as important as the cleaning you do on its interior. Your driveway needs love too, and cleaning it regularly allows it to remain intact and reduces the number of cracks that unwashed driveways experience. Neglected driveways get more cracks than driveways that are cleaned regularly, so properly maintaining your driveway by recognizing its need to also be cleansed saves you time and money for repairs in the long run.

Cleaning the seemingly insignificant surfaces on the interior and exterior of your home keeps the smooth running of your house, your loved ones and yourself going strong. Incorporating the regular cleaning of surfaces that you may miss provides you with a cleaner, happier and healthier home.

Ready to clean any overlooked surfaces in your home? Shop our eco-friendly cleaning products today!

• Over 70% of conventional cleaning products contain harmful chemicals, so many people are turning to eco-friendly options for healthier lifestyles.
• Tea tree oil is a great eco-friendly option for sanitizing gym mats and has natural disinfectant properties.
• Vinegar and water can be used to mop floors, deodorize, and clean hard surfaces.
• Soap and water is effective for general cleaning of equipment such as free weights.
• Opting for eco-friendly cleaning solutions is safer for users and the environment while being cost-effective.

Within most humid and warm environments, there is the by-product called mold. Whether you live near a forest, by the ocean, or any other moist place, mold will thrive. It can work on decaying certain organic materials and recycle them back into the Earth. Molds can also be used to make enzymes to make certain foods. Molds have the ability to develop penicillin and other antibiotics. However, the last place you want mold would be in your house. How do you remove your home’s mold without introducing other harmful toxins? Here are four ways to do it.

Early Detection

Detecting mold in your home as early as possible is the best strategy, simply because the spores can become airborne and cause the mold to easily spread. Cleaning it off of walls within a few hours of the first appearance of mold is ideal.

Use Vinegar

The best way to utilize vinegar as a mold-fighting agent is to spray it undiluted on the offending area. After leaving the vinegar on the mold for a few hours, you can wipe off the mold. White vinegar is particularly adept at killing mold spores, with some studies reporting a track record of eliminating 82% of them.

Hydrogen Peroxide

If you’re turned off by the smell of vinegar, in many cases, you can utilize hydrogen peroxide to get mold residue off your surfaces. Just spray a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution on the mold and wait for ten minutes. After you scrub it clean, you can remove any residue with a damp cloth to treat any residue. Many individuals have found hydrogen peroxide and vinegar as an effective solution for mold issues. Store it in a bottle in a dark area so light doesn’t break it down.  

Stock Up on MamaSuds

There are plenty of all-purpose cleaners on the market today that fight mold, such as Mamasuds. This brand diminishes mold by neutralizing the properties of the fungus and then the cleaner can wipe it away almost immediately.

As you can see, there is no need for you to use harsh chemicals to clean up the mold issues in your home. You can use any of these alternatives and you can also talk to experts to learn of countless more options too. These individuals have spent their whole careers finding new ways to combat the mold problem in many homes, and they would be happy to assist you.

Indoor air pollutants are up to five times higher than outdoors, and the chemicals in cleaning products are a big culprit. Removing the chemicals from your home by switching to natural cleaning products can reduce your homes air pollution, which can only be good news for both the health of you and your family, but also your pets. All pets love to lay on the floor and roll around, cats are known to walk over your kitchen countertops and dogs may even have a drink from your toilet bowl. This means that everything you use to clean your home has the potential to harm your pet, which is why it’s essential to use safe, pet-friendly cleaners.

Natural ingredients can be toxic to pets

Cleaning products that claim to be made with 100% natural ingredients are, in general, better for the health of both humans and pets, as well as the planet. But there are plenty of natural ingredients that can still be harmful to pets, so you need to make sure products are pet-friendly, as well as natural and eco-friendly. Essential oils are commonly used in homemade cleaning products for their scent and cleaning properties, but they are a highly concentrated volatile oil, which means they can cause irritation or harm to humans and pets if misused. In particular, tea tree oil should be kept away from cats.

Homemade natural and safe cleaning products 

The majority of homemade cleaning products can be made using a combination of distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and water, all of which are natural and perfectly safe for your pets. Keeping floors clean is a common chore for parents as young children spend a lot of time playing on the floor and pets will walk around and then lick their paws. Baking soda alone can be sprinkled on to carpets to remove stains, odors or just for a freshen up. Leave it to sit for a few hours and then vacuum it up. For a simple all-purpose cleaner, mix together ½ cup of vinegar with one cup of filtered water, two tablespoons of lemon juice and two tablespoons of natural and pet-safe washing up liquid. Alternatively, you can buy products if you don’t have time to make them yourself. A regular supply of eco-friendly and pet-friendly cleaning products from ThriftyCrates will ensure your home is always spotless.

Using plants for air freshener

Air fresheners contain loads of chemicals and some even pollute the air more instead of doing any good, so when you’re trying to remove or cover up pet smells, it’s best to avoid these. Plants are a great way to purify your home’s air, as well as adding a decorative touch. Some plants are harmful to pets, such as lilies and aloe vera, but there are plenty to pick from that are safe for pets. For example, money trees, spider plants, Areca palms and Boston ferns are all good options for cleaning the air and removing odors while keeping pets safe. Just be sure to keep them out of reach of children who could easily knock them over.

Cleaning your home with non-toxic, natural and pet-friendly products helps to improve the air quality in your home, which not only benefits your beloved pets but also your whole family.

 

Contribution by freelance writer Sally Preston