The winter clouds have lifted, the sun is shining, and the trees and flowers are in bloom. Spring is in the air.

Of course, this means it’s time for the annual operation known as Spring Cleaning. A few plucky neat-freaks have already gotten an early start – but most residents on the rainy West Coast have likely put it off for the moment, setting aside the new and unfamiliar sunny weekends for fun outdoors. 

Photo from Delgoff on Flickr

There’s no avoiding it, though: the big clean is going to happen. And it doesn't have to be an environmental disaster.

Every year, tons of eco-unfriendly antibacterial products, corrosive liquids, and toxic chemicals contaminate our homes and filter into the environment. Cleaning your house should never mean giving yourself headaches, depression, and digestive problems. And there's no reason why marine animals ought to be put in harm's way because you want a shiny bathroom.

Bet you didn't know that you could make furniture polish out of olive oil and lemon juice. Or that you can just use baking soda and water to clean your oven.
There are plenty of excellent green cleaning products available – and keep in mind that even "natural" cleaning products can be dangerous if used in improper quantities and combinations. Here are some recipes for making your own greener cleaning products from common household items.

 

Jonathon Narvey is principal consultant at WRITEIMAGE.  He blogs about politics and life in Vancouver at Currents.