The Tools You'll Need for Green Spring Cleaning

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Are you ready to shake the house clean?

I enjoy knowing the history and origin of all things cleaning. And while the actual origin of spring cleaning is still under debate, I am rather partial to the term "khooneh tekouni," which literally means "shaking the house." To me "shaking the house" has always sounded more fun than just plain old spring cleaning.

Regardless of where and how it started, the fact is, spring cleaning is a must. Throughout history, what we have used to perform the act of cleaning has changed drastically. In the beginning, harsh chemicals didn't even exist for cleaning, but by the mid-1900's strong chemical-based cleaners were considered the safest way to keep our homes clean. But now, it is becoming more and more evident that the effects of harsh chemicals can be damaging and long-term.

So how do we get our homes, offices and schools in tip top shape this spring? We take advantage of green technology to make our spring cleaning chores easier than you could have ever imagined.

Look at some of the great things that we can use to make cleaning easy and safe:

• Micro fiber window cloth. This has been one of the best "inventions" in the past 10 years. This cloth can clean your windows without spraying ANY cleaner or using any paper towels. It leaves your windows smear and streak free. You can wash your windows -- inside and out -- in just a few minutes. You wet this cloth with warm water, wring it out really well and wipe the windows. Then walk away. They will dry completely without any lint or streaks! It's amazing!
• Eco - Sponges. A newly designed sponge that uses friction instead of chemicals to clean. By just wetting this sponge, you can remove fingerprints, scuff marks, and buildup on floors and sinks. It is a great timesaver and combined with the blue cloth makes cleaning chemical free. You can get them for $4.99 for months of safe cleaning.
• Casabella Sparkle Sponges. Not only hard-working but also fun to use! Sparkle scrub sponges are safe for any porcelain, glassware and non-stick surface. They will not scratch, yet they are tough on grime. 2-pack for $2.99
• Microfiber mops. These mops are used in hospitals to prevent cross contamination. A removable pad makes cleaning clean from the very start. And using just a spray bottle of water leaves your floor dirt and germ free. Microfiber picks up whether it is wet or dry. It is also great for dusting walls! It will hold the dirt inside the pad until you place it in the wash.
• Ostrich-Down Feather Duster. Did you know professional cleaners still use feather dusters? A quality feather duster dusts large surface areas and easily cleans uneven surfaces and gets in-between objects. In addition, the high-quality ostrich-down feathers attract and hold dust until it's shaken off.
• Home-made Cleaners. What is old is new again. People are finding that some of the things our great-grandparents used to clean actually work and are much safer than what we are using today. A great grand-mother's recipe for laundry soap is found to do just as well as any store-bought soap and is much cheaper! Here is the recipe and the details of where to buy some of the ingredients. For more recipes you can down oad the e-book "The Joy of Green Cleaning" or purchase the spiral-bound recipe book from Amazon. (Put in coupon code DG09 for the e-book and get 10% off.)

Leslie Reichert is a "green" cleaning coach with over 20 years of experience. She presents with celebrity chefs like Paula Deen and Ming Tsai at events such as the Chicago International Home and Housewares Show and Good Taste, Pittsburgh. Leslie can be contacted at her cleaning hotline at 1-866-50CLEAN or on her blog. She resides with her husband and three children in the Blackstone Valley area of Mass.

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