Non-Toxic Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks

Spring is in the air and it is time to open the windows, let the fresh air in, and refresh your living space with a deep cleaning. For many, spring cleaning doesn’t involve making your home healthier for you due to the use of toxic chemicals that leave residues behind as “cleaning” occurs.

Some tricks to cleaning can be dedicating a full day or two to cleaning your home, but this will only work for those who have a work schedule that makes this feasible. For others, cleaning for 30 minutes every day for 1-2 weeks is much more feasible. Whichever way you are able to clean, you can still use the techniques and tips listed below.

Non-toxic, what is that?

Let’s consider what is truly non-toxic. Try looking for and using plastic-free fibers such as linen, cotton, wool, coconut, bamboo, and cellulose. Look for a cleaner with no scent, an EWG score of 3 or less, and if it is scented then make sure it is scented with pure essential oils which can be a powerful source of antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Natural fibers have been shown to offer more benefits than just being plastic free and thus endocrine disruptor free. They have been shown to have supportive frequencies. I am not saying this in a woo-woo kind of way, but a scientifically measurable energy. Let me explain. Physics has found that ice has a kind of vibrational stretch as if people were together in a crowded space and one person made little room by extending their elbows and returning them to their sides, then the next person did the same, so on and so forth. Ice in its purest form has a measurable energy of 3.17hz. (1) Just like ice, fabric is in a solid state and has a measurable energy. Dr Yellen found that different fabrics have different measurable frequencies/energy levels.
“Dr. Heidi Yellen, who measured the frequencies of different fabrics and their effects on the human body. According to her research, a healthy human body vibrates at a frequency of 100 Hz, while a sick body can vibrate as low as 15 Hz. Here are some fascinating results from her study:
Linen: 5,000 Hz
Wool: 5,000 Hz
Organic Cotton: 100 Hz
Regular Cotton: 70 Hz
Hemp: 100 Hz
Silk: 15 Hz (or 5,000 depending on the source of the test)
Polyester, Rayon, and Synthetic Fabrics: 15 Hz” (2)

While silk might be considered a natural fiber, to become what it is today and the fabric we are familiar with, it has been put through a rigorous process, possibly resulting in negative effects. The above findings of Dr Yellen lend one to consider how the material we wear, use, sit on, etc. may be impacting our health.

An experienced firefighter recently mentioned that when modern houses burn down, they take longer to ignite (think fire retardants ect.) but they burn down quickly once they ignite due to the amount of synthetic materials and composite materials that houses are now made with and filled with. While there are many other reasons that natural products have a positive or neutral effect on health versus a negative effect, let’s move on to the task of cleaning.

For cleaning, you will need:
Natural fiber rags
Baking soda
Water
Vinegar
Paper towels or reusable towels
Solid Dish Soap bar (linked)
Dandelion Naturals Laundry Detergent (linked).
Hydrogen Peroxide
Natural Scrubbing brush (linked).
A glass container for hot water
Swedish dish cloth (linked). 
Lemon

Lets start cleaning:

Open your window and clean your windows. This will help remove toxins, germs, and will remove stale air.
Vinegar is a great window and mirror cleaner.

Consider how to clean top to bottom. This will most likely look like:
Wet dust your fans. This can be done with water and a rag.
Clean your light fixtures
Vacuum your air vents
Dust all your surfaces using 1 cup of water, 1 tsp of oil solution, and 1 tsp of alcohol.
Scrub all your walls, this can be done quickly and thoroughly by mopping the walls with a Swiffer-style mop.
Wipe the baseboards
Lift the carpet for vacuuming and mopping under the carpet.
Clean upholstery
Wash window treatments
Wash throw blankets
Vacuum all floors
Clean the office/organize files
Vacuum and mop under furniture

Kitchen:
Wipe the top of the cabinets down, this will probably take soap and a bit of scrubbing unless you have maintained this area.
Remove items from the insides of your cabinets and wipe down the shelves.
Clean out the fridge
Reorganize drawers
Deep clean the dishwasher
Scrub the trash can
Scrub the front of your cabinets
Clean and organize pantry shelves
Clean the oven

Bathrooms:
Deep clean the shower and tub
Thoroughly clean around the toilet and in the toilet
Wash the bathmats
Assess your shower liner or clean your glass doors
Clean sinks
Clean makeup brushes
Decalcify all faucets and shower heads

Bedroom:
Clean all bedding
Clean the mattress
Flip or rotate your mattress
Organize the closet

Let’s take it a step further:

A decluttering challenge will make your home less of a burden to maintain, possibly bless someone else, while reducing your stress.
‘Minimalists’ share a decluttering challenge that can be quite effective and fun! The 30 day minimalist game is played by: “On the first day of the month, you declutter one item.
On the second day, declutter two. On the third, three.
And so on.
Some people like to play backwards, where on the first of the month, they declutter 31 items.
The second day, they declutter 30 And so on.” (3) By the end of this challenge, more than 500 items will be out of your home, and you can have friends join you, maybe even have a garage sale at the end of the challenge.

When you go through your closet and dresser, decluttering, consider what natural fibers you have. And you can repurpose the old items, such as old t-shirts, into reusable paper towels. This will help the environment and prevent them from going to a landfill too soon.

As you declutter, you may find that you need to restock a couple of items.
If you are needing a plastic-free toothbrush. (linked)
If you are needing a natural fiber kitchen towel . (linked)
If you are needing non-toxic cotton swabs . (linked)
You can find all of these items and so much more in our online store. We recommend that you browse our website and see if there is anything that you need to restock or swap out for a non-toxic alternative.

Tips and tricks:

Removing urine from bedding:
Soak the bedding in 50% vinegar and 50% water, then heavy duty wash the bedding in hot water with a scoop of Dandelion Naturals Laundry Detergent in the tub and one in the dispenser of your washing machine. Then hang outside to dry in the sun. If necessary soak your bedding in hydrogen peroxide then wash once more.

A glass shower door:
Use baking soda and lemon. Cut a lemon in half and dip it in baking soda then scrub your shower door, refilling as needed. Then rinse and wipe down with vinegar and a rag or towel.

The oven:
To clean the oven use hot water, Dandelion Naturals solid dish soap and some baking soda. Wipe and scrub as needed then wipe away with a clean damp rag.

Cleaning does not have to be just a chore, it can also be rewarding and satisfying. And after it is done, make sure to go outside and enjoy nature, including the fun dandelions.

Resources:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-glaciology/article/dielectric-properties-of-ice-and-snowa-review/A4F950358E513838DAE111F6A07EC077 (1)

https://goodfibes.ca/2025/01/08/the-science-behind-clothing-fibers-and-frequencies-why-good-vibes-matter/ (2)

https://nourishingminimalism.com/mins-game-march/ (3)
https://www.theminimalists.com/game/ (3)