Your Guide to Sustainable Spring Cleaning

If you’re feeling anything like us, you’re welcoming spring with a warm hug as it whispers in your ear promises of warmer weather, beach hangs, outdoor BBQs, and finally getting your washing dry. Lambs are frolicking, summer holidays are a stone’s throw away, and the house is well overdue a deep spring clean. This year, fill your spring cleaning session with natural cleaners, responsible decluttering, fun up-cycling projects, and cost-effective tricks that minimise waste.

Welcome to your guide to Sustainable Spring Cleaning!

Declutter responsibly

The first step: decluttering. Cleaning your home will be easier when the things you don’t need or use anymore, are out of your way. Put your ‘Marie Kondo’ hat on, and start by getting rid of items in your home that no longer bring you joy.

Before you begin, remember the overall aim of the game is to reduce the number of items you throw into your rubbish bin. Our world has a finite amount of resources, so it’s important we avoid throwing things away, and instead repurpose what already exists!

Here are some ideas to kickstart your creativity.

Broken or old items?

  • Complete simple clothing repairs yourself, or hire a local seamstress
  • Turn chipped mugs into candles
  • Cut up old t-shirts into vegetable ties, car washing rags, or reusable paper towels
  • Donate old magazines and redundant technology to schools for arts and crafts
  • Recycle responsibly: separate e-waste, batteries, scrap metal, and household recycling
  • Compost expired food scraps, and donate edible food that you do not need to community organisations

Items you don’t use anymore?

  • Paint old furniture to suit your new interior aesthetics
  • Turn old books into knife blocks
  • Hang ladders as bookshelves
  • Sell unwanted items on Trademe, Facebook Buy and Sell pages, or gift to friends

Safe Household Cleaners

When choosing your cleaning products, keep in mind four things: the hygiene of your home, the safety of your family, the cost of the product, and the environment. It’s important to purchase a cleaner that is free from nasty chemicals that may harm your body while you clean or when you and your family touch surfaces. Additionally, cleaners end up down the drain and in our waterways, so keeping the environment in mind means other creatures and habitats will stay safe too.

We recommend:

Santosa Good For Everything Spray

Choose either Lavender and Grapefruit or Peppermint and Eucalyptus in glass or recyclable plastic bottles.

This spray is lovingly made in small batches in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

It exists to fill your home with uplifting scents while getting rid of germs and inspiring you with the meaningful quotes front and centre of their bottles. Refills are also available.

Sustainable Spring Cleaning Essentials

Protect your hands as you get up and close with mould and bacteria. Gloves are especially helpful for those suffering from eczema who may be sensitive to even chemical free cleaners.

Ditch the paper towels and opt for reusables! Even though paper towels can be compostable, using a cloth that can be washed over and over again in the washing machine is far more sustainable for your wallet. These bamboo wipes are made from 100% bamboo and can be composted at the end of their very long life. They are a great alternative to paper towels, napkins and synthetic dishcloths, and can also be used as facecloths and makeup remover wipes!

$12.90$13.90

For all the hard-to-reach corners of the shower, or window sill grit that just won’t move. This dish brush is meant for washing dishes but is a brilliant tool to help with deep cleaning missions. If this doesn’t work for you, an old toothbrush is handy too!

Declutter your cleaning cupboard with this multipurpose cleaner. From your floors, all the way to your dishes and laundry, the Dr Bronners biodegradable cleaner concentrate will keep all areas of your home fresh and clean, without toxic chemicals.

Sale!
VARIOUS DESIGNS

Polish, wipe and wash with the super absorbent 100% biodegradable ‘Spruce’ Dish Cloth. This home cleaning companion saves you 15 rolls of paper towels, and can even be washed in the top rack of your dishwasher between uses. The ‘Spruce’ Dish Cloth is so colourful and vibrant, it will inspire you to clean when you least expect it.

Once your spring clean is complete, and after you’ve high-fived yourself, think about how you can make next year’s spring clean even easier and more sustainable for you and the planet.

  • Reduce the amount of paper you use: save money and trees
  • Buy indoor purifying plants: they increase air quality and reduce mould spores
  • Think long and hard before you purchase: save money and reduce junk

 Happy Spring Cleaning!

WIN A ‘CLEAN’ CLEANING PACK!

We have a clean-green prize from The Green Collective up for grabs including:

  • Two Spruce Cloth dish cloths
  • A teatowel
  • A pack of Goodie Bags produce bags

To enter, just comment below sharing your top Green Spring Cleaning Tip!

AU & NZ residents only, cannot be exchanged for cash, ends midnight Sun 13 Oct 2019.

137 thoughts on “Your Guide to Sustainable Spring Cleaning

  1. caroline johandiputri says:

    My Green Cleaning Tip : since having kids and dogs i try to use an enviromentally friendly cleaning products around my house. My good natural cleaning kit includes the following items:

    Baking soda for cleaning gritty scrubber, also reacts with acids like lemon and vinegar.

    Lemon juice – disinfects, cuts through grease

  2. Kiri says:

    I keep my wastemaster/insinkerator clean and deoderised by regularly liquifying citrus down it on a regular basis. Whatever citrus is in season at the time keeps it smelling fresh

  3. Julia says:

    I love my white vinegar (refilled fortnightly in a glass bottle @ my local Bin Inn) – It’s brilliant for cleaning, like those pesky mouldy winter windows, or spritzing to freshen the air after cooking, or my fav: pre-treating the laundry (stinky shirts)… Happy Spring Cleaning everyone!

  4. MARIANNE says:

    It sounds crazy but it works – Mom would always insist that we dry down the shower walls after having our showers – It kept them cleaner longer and there was a lot less mold and mildew.

  5. Rhiannon Young says:

    Use safe eco-friendly & natural dish liquid for cleaning up spills/marks on floors and other surfaces where your pets might walk/lie on. I worry about what my cat might have on her fur, and ingest when bathing, so natural cleaners make it safer for them. Also same for more natural sprays around the home; 👍🙏🤞 So gen of u guys!— Yes pretty please.

  6. Tine Reymen says:

    Vinegar and baking soda are my go-to’s for just about anything. We also try to go through our clothes after every season and bring anything we don’t wear anymore to an op-shop so someone else can enjoy them.

  7. Alex Batchelor says:

    I use clove oil and water in a spray bottle to remove mould from around our bath/shower seals. Leave it on for 30mins approx and voila!

  8. Elise Cotter says:

    Shop at bin inn for cleaning products instead of plastic buying spray bottle after plastic spray bottle from the supo. I love bin inn!!

  9. Mikayla Tremayne says:

    We already use these dishcloths at home, and it’s such an easy swap to make! They last sooo long, and once they’re done in the kitchen we retire them to the laundry for other cleaning jobs. Great for cleaning up small spills too (no paper towels needed!)

  10. Amanda B says:

    We’ve started using vinegar and baking soda to make our own cleaning products, but have found the best way to reduce soap scum in the shower is to wipe down the walls with a squeegee after each shower.

  11. Sarah Stone says:

    I have started polishing wooden furniture with a bit of olive oil, it works a treat and picks up dust really well, no nasty odour. Also making a paste out of baking Aida and water and applying it to the oven surfaces, leaving 1 hour before rubbing off works a treat, just as effective as those nasty industrial oven cleaners!!

  12. Miss Delia says:

    We moved to beautiful Northland one year ago today!
    From day one our focus was on recycle and reuse.
    I make my own cleaners and also encourage my customers (I’ve started a cleaning business) to refill existing cleaner bottles and avoid buying more plastic! I’m super keen to try Santossa – it will be a yummy addition to my cleaning rituals.

  13. Eryn Inglis says:

    Who would have thought a dish cloth could be so pretty!?

    Recently, especially after cooking a lovely lemony dish, I’ve been using the half lemon to scrub and clean the kitchen. Just pop a bit of salt on the juicy side and use it to gently buff the sink and stove top- works wonders. 🍋💛

  14. Elena Piere says:

    It’s not quite spring cleaning, but we use beeswax wraps, do lots of composting, use old clothes (natural fiber ones) as weed mat in the garden and mop the floor with vinegar, water and essential oil. Would love to win this! I have been eyeing up the spruce cloths for months!

  15. lynne lillington says:

    I use vinegar on the fascia outside instead of bleach with better results. my cleaning routine is only Bi carb , vinegar , salt and lemon. I find I can clean everything just using these products.

  16. Amber says:

    I love this recipe for a diy yoga mat cleaning spray – 1.5cups water, dash of white vinegar and 10 odd drops of tea tree oil (you can other essential oils like lavender, lemongrass too). Spray away and enjoy 🙂

  17. Jodie Tilson says:

    It’s so easy to compost, just have a food scrap bin under your kitchen sink and watch your waste reduce dramatically and your garden will love the nutrients

  18. Holly Thompson says:

    Firstly, I love your products. My green tips are:
    * instead of biffing our old toys/clothes, give them to Hospice or Sally’s
    * Use white vinegar, baking soda & lemon as natural surface cleaners
    *Use bento boxes for school lunches, instead of glad wrapping everything
    * Invest in a reusable Coffee Mug
    * Use beeswax wraps to keep food eg: to preserve cheese
    * Invest in a moon cup & ditch the tampons

  19. Lauren says:

    Bamboo scrubbers and brushes are a great swap out to make when your old plastic ones break! Keen to try out a block soap for our dishes next when our refill bottle runs out!

  20. karina l says:

    I go through the kids toys and chuck out/donate toys they have outgrown or do not play with anymore. That way, there’s room for more new toys when Christmas rears it’s head!

  21. Charlotte says:

    Enjoying all these great ideas! My wardrobe spring clean plan is: patch the knees on the kids pants, use natural dyes to give some of my older pieces a lift and sell a bunch of stuff on trade me. AVOID FAST FASHION!

  22. Valcye says:

    Baking soda and cider vinegar used together is the law!
    It not only keeps my windows and oven sparkling clean, it is perfect in the foot spa for removing dry skin.

  23. Monica says:

    To clean windows & mirrors, I use enjo cloths. These do a great job of leaving windows clean and streak free and you only need water – no window cleaner required, and they last for ages!

  24. Liana Scarf says:

    We have bought some new indoor plants, cleaned out and donated the clothes that no longer fit, compost, took old fire parts, bike frames and aluminium cans to the scrap metal yard and then just thinking about whether or not we need things instead of just buying it because we want it.

  25. Olivia Price says:

    Banana peel cake! Using food scraps for baking just like an orange rind cake does. Sounds bizarre but the flavour is amazing 🍰🎂

  26. Poppy woods says:

    Love these tips! Can’t wait to try these products. My top tips would be freezing scraps eg. Veggie peels/ onion skins/ extra herbs in a container in the freezer. Once you have enough and day off you can use them for a lovely broth/ stock.

  27. Anna says:

    I am teaching my 4 year old about passing on things she no longer needs. Very cute hearing her decide off her own back who she might like to pass certain things on to and her reason behind it.

  28. claire evans says:

    lemon and bicarb is great to degrease and de stink the microwave – by using green clean you know the next meal you heat will be yummy and not chemicals in your tummy

  29. Laurine says:

    One of my main spring cleaning tips is to stop and understand what items I’m decluttering, haven’t used etc and try to make a conscious decision to not accumulate more of the same products again.

  30. Sarah says:

    At last we’re in a house with room for a decent compost, so recently we’ve made a real effort to use this well. Love my washable knitted kitchen cloths, and we’ve made a massive effort to reduce the amount of paper towel we were going through simply by making the kitchen cloths more accessible to reach for.

  31. Christina says:

    For me baking soda is a great spring cleaning hack. It can be used in lots of different types of cleaners, it can absorb odours in the air, it is great in a bath bomb to spring clean your body and really it just has endless uses 🙂.

  32. Briar Thorman says:

    My cleaning tip is use a steam mop for more than just your floors. It’s great on windows and surfaces too. The best part about a steam mop is that it only needs water and the pads are washable.

  33. Heather Dunlop says:

    I am trying to switch out the regular cleaning products for the sustainable and eco friendly ones. This would be a great help, and the designs are gorgeous!

  34. Amanda says:

    Open up all the doors and windows for a day (even if it’s still a bit chilly outside). Half close your curtains to air them out while you air out the house. Everything smells so much fresher afterwards!

  35. Demi says:

    My green spring cleaning tip would have to be rather than using paper towels, use old tea towels, face cloths or some type of reuseable cloth. Have one for each room and then wash after use. When organising and sorting things properly don’t rush out and buy new containers etc. look around and use what you may already have.

  36. Sophie says:

    Using eggshells to get stains out of my teapot (so I can have plastic free tea) and mugs, and using citrus peels to make an all purpose cleaner 🙂

  37. toutouwai says:

    I save the paper bags from Uber Eats to use as rubbish bags. If you then tip straight into the wheely bins, you can reuse multiple times.

  38. Vicki Olsen says:

    Baking soda to clean pots, vinegar spray for cleaning surfaces, lemon juice to deodorise wooden chopping boards, and I cut up old sheets for reusable cleaning rags.

  39. Tavia says:

    I love to use the Pay it Forward pages for nearly everything I have to clear from my home, good condition or even broken, there’s nearly always someone who wants it and will refurb or use it! One mans trash is another mans treasure as they say 🙂

  40. Heidi O'Day says:

    Be educated and plan, plan, plan. I find planning and prep makes all the difference. I make a list the week before with what I’ll need and EVERY job. High to low also helps.

  41. Francesca Skelton says:

    Using the sunshine as a natural sanitizer, just donated some baby clothes and have been recycling old boxes to make new play resources for my daughter. Would love some more spruce cloths!

  42. Alejandra Tynan says:

    DIY cream surface cleaner: mix baking soda with lemon juice until a think mixture is formed. Rub onto surfaces and scrub off with some water. Keep in glass jar. 🙂

  43. ingrid wierenga says:

    I don’t buy wetwipes, I have a spray bottle of water, pure soap and essential oil I squirt onto handmade cotton squares each time we nappy change – so easy!

  44. Hayley Annals says:

    Any old towels and bedding etc (not in a condition to be passed on to charity shops) can be donated to the SPCA for the animals. Some mechanics also accept these to be used on car engine work.

  45. Helen says:

    My go to cleaner for just about everything is white vinegar, baking soda and a bit of lemon if there’s one around. So good! Sponge is on it’s last legs and I can’t wait to move to compostable dish clothes now 🙂

  46. Tamara Tesolin says:

    I have two tips:
    1. I make my own cleaning products. It’s cheaper, safer and generates less waste. Essential oils are a great way to create a pleasant smell.
    2. Stop unwanted items from entering the house. I am guilty of loving a freebie, but usually these items are not needed and add to the clutter. STOP these items at the door!

  47. Tania says:

    Mix a couple of drops of essential oil into baking soda and sprinkle over your carpet and mattresses. Leave for approximately 30 minutes then vacuum up. A great way to deodorise and freshen your spaces.

  48. Bella says:

    Might be a bit strange for some… but I love saving Whittaker’s choc wrappers to use as wrapping paper! I also have old samples of wallpaper, bits of fabric, cute ice cream containers etc… they make a gift look so cute

  49. Alex says:

    Shampoo to reset oily hair or product built up hair!
    Add 1 desert spoon of baking soda to a couple of teaspoons of water (add the water to the baking soda until you have a paste that is runny enough to work through your hair).
    Wet your hair. Add the paste to your hair section at a time until the paste is all gone. Massage after application for each section. Leave in for 5-10 minutes and rinse out.

  50. Ashlee Adams says:

    What an awesome blog post – I am happy to say although I completed my big spring clean last weekend I did successfully employ quite a few of these wonderful tips.

    My top Green Spring Cleaning Tip is to skip the paper towels for windows and surfaces and instead opt for a few old rags, one wet for getting grime off and one dry for polishing up. I also think that bulk filling your cleaning supplies is a must if you can – it really is important to minimize the waste from all those bottles! x

  51. Donna says:

    I turn old clothes and tea towels into rags to clean with, plus have started making my own cleaning products using things like baking sofa, white vinegar and essential oils.

  52. Kat says:

    Spring time! Time to get my garden soil turned, mix in my compost as fertiliser ! Best , cheapest & cleanest way to help the garden thrive! I love planting succulents in old tins I’ve saved, making jam with my mum from their massive mulberry tree, again in jars we’ve saved or collected! Bottling up our own passata , in memory of my nanna, it was her favourite get together! Opening up all the windows for fresh air! None of those sprays that are polluting the air! Re home of Re purpose any clothing I may be clearing out, some old ones are great for rags! & I enjoy making candles! I must do that before it gets too hot! I save jars & reuse candle jars to refill with wood wicks & soy wax, with essential oils! Enjoy spring lovelies!

  53. Joy Graham says:

    I love using white vinegar to clean all my wet area/paint surfaces and mirrors. Brings them up nice and clean as well as absorbing any odours that are around.

  54. Melissa K says:

    Make your own chemical free cleaners at home. Simpy using vinegar and water for an all purpose cleaner and baking soda mixed witha little water for harder to clean surfaces. Not only good for the environment, good for your pocket too!

  55. Charleigh says:

    I make my own cleaning products using ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, citrus peels, Castile soap and essential oils. I then wash and reuse old cloths and rags and keep my previously used toothbrushes for all the little cracks.

  56. Sasha Marks says:

    My top tip is to clean in categories, so for example, starting with clothes then shoes then books etc etc. I find this makes the job way less daunting and it gets done in no time!

  57. Rebecca Tyndall says:

    I cut up old sheets, towels and clothes to make cleaning cloths. They are hardy, can be used for most cleaning tasks and can be washed and used again and again.

  58. Deb says:

    Some great ideas and tips on here. We use lavender infused white vinegar for cleaning almost all surfaces, chopping boards etc in our kitchen and bathrooms. I have purchased the compostable dish-cloths from your site and they are fantastic. There are many cleaning cloths around that only require water to clean with. We use them on all our mirrors and windows.

  59. Helen Howard says:

    I make my own citrus cleaning spray. Citrus peels in a bottle with white vinegar. Leave it a couple of weeks then transfer the liquid to a spray bottle.

  60. Carol Daw says:

    I use a window cleaner cloth and water only to clean windows. Donate as much as possible to charity, including all my plastic pots from gardening shops to school fairs for their plants to sell.

  61. Holly Jamieson says:

    I use biodegradable cleaner concentrate, such as Dr Bronners, to clean my flat without toxic chemicals. I put a squirt of it in the water I use to mop the floors, and it’s also great for cleaning the kitchen bench.

  62. Fleur Hardman says:

    Instead of chucking out clothes, learn to patch and fix them. I’ve started going to a local sewing place as don’t have my own machine.

  63. Mic Smith says:

    Love this list!
    Recently I have been trying to use less chemicals at home by making my own laundry powder, soap, body wash, hair spray & all purpose cleaners. Wendyl Nissan’s book the The Natural Home is awesome for ideas and Dr Bronners 18-in-1 make awesome bases. I also make cloths for cleaning out of old sheets/ towels and make handkerchiefs out of fun patterned clothing that no longer fits.

  64. Olya says:

    Those scrubbing brushes are great! I also love the idea of re using jars for spices and tea leaves… and organizing a clothes swap is a great way to get together and change up your wardrobe, donating anything left over!

  65. Nat says:

    I use lemon to clean my microwave – I put some lemon juice (and half a lemon) into a heatproof cup in the microwave, nuke for a minute, then wipe down the inside using the lemony steam.

  66. Emma says:

    I love bamboo toothbrushes! After their lifespan on my teeth, they clean shower corners, label veges in the garden (upside down), and get into nooks and crannies when cleaning jewellery!

  67. Tabitha Newton says:

    So one thing at a time- one cupboard, on room, one closet. Nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed right in the middle
    Of a massive clear out and being surrounded by mess. Small nugget tasks can be completed then give you motivation to continue

  68. Sarah says:

    On a beautiful sunny spring day, put all mattresses and pillows outside to air, the sun kills all the dust mites and fresh air freshens them up, then you don’t have to replace them so often.

  69. Ruth Tate says:

    I’m not the best spring cleaner, but my tip would be to tackle one room at a time – declutter, tidy, then clean. Then have a coffee to celebrate!!!

  70. Andrea says:

    I am very interested in the thought of indoor purifying plants reducing mould – I’ll need to try that! I wonder if it’s any particular plants? I’ll check that out.

  71. Anna says:

    I am loving my local cleaning product refillery it is helping me cut down on plastic waste by refilling the containers i already have. Ive also made use of our local dump shop after a recent clean out of things we don’t need anymore, a great place to recycle things that havent sold online

  72. Donna Hunt says:

    I love to use essential oils for their theraputic properties and gorgeous aromas. Simplest one is eucalyptus and teatree in my rinse cycle of my laundry ( base of white vinegar)

  73. Holly Price says:

    Things I love to do in the kitchen include composting! Being a plant based house hold, having a compost leaves us with next to nothing rubbish, I love to reuse jars for smoothie transport, storing baking goods, and organising the pantry, I tend to make my own cleaning spray and always go for biodegradable cleaning options when possible!

  74. maryanne hooper says:

    love the dish clothes. sprays with tea tree eucalyptus lavender pine lemon are fantastic for germs just add geranium orange etc for lovely uplifting smells. wonderful products loving the environment by caring and reusing containers,

  75. Pel says:

    When trying to de-clutter, I ask my children to go and find three books (or toys or clothes) they no longer want. If we all agree on the selection, they go off to an op shop. It’s a slow process, but a quick and easy one (as long as you don’t buy more stuff when you drop them off!)

  76. Laura van Amsterdam says:

    There are lots of recipes for homemade cleaning products on Pinterest. Save money, the environment and perfect for getting chemicals out of the home.

  77. Jen says:

    So many useful tips here. I’m a big fan of painting furniture to give a tired piece new life, replacing handles is so easy to do also and can completely update the look.

  78. Aimee says:

    I use Thieves Household Cleaner by Young Living to clean all surfaces in my home. I make up my multipurpose slowest by adding 1 capful of the cleaner to a 500ml glass spray bottle filled with water. I love that now I’m not throwing away 100s or empty cleaner bottles filled with dangerous chemicals that are no good for the environment anyway! 🙂

  79. Greta Bachmann-Fuller says:

    Fabulous list of ideas. As a family we are composting, recycling, using lunch wraps and I actually knows my own dish cloths but I have to say you’re are better. Mine have not stood. The test of time so well. It’s always great to read blogs that give you a few more ideas. Spring time deciphering starts now.

  80. Kyla says:

    I love these tips and products. I have been using white vinegar with essential oils as a natural all purpose cleaner. Works great and you can change up the scent and germ fighting power depending on the oils you use

  81. Rebekah says:

    This is a great list! Using a worm farm is also a good way of putting veggie scraps back into a flourishing veggie garden. I love the idea of turning old tshirts into ties for the garden, I’m going to do that this year!

    • Ruth says:

      Spring cleaning is definitely started in our home and just in time before our first baby arrives too 🙂 We’ve been using a compost bin and have put it in our vege garden this year to help them grow. Would love to try some of these cloths you are talking about and the old T-shirt’s is a great idea too. Thanks for sharing.

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