Spring Clean Your Way to a Healthier Home: Refresh, Revitalize, & Rejuvenate

Ahhh Spring. The quintessential season of rebirth and fresh starts. Somehow the season has become synonymous with the time of year when our homes get the deepest of cleans. The concept even has earned the well known (and perhaps dreaded) name of Spring Cleaning. After being more homebound during the Winter season, I suppose it makes sense to do an environmental cleanse. Think of it as a home refresh, revitalizing our surroundings with new energy- to better greet the bounce of Spring weather while gently stirring from our home hibernation.

In this blog, we’ll visit some easy-to-tackle ways to get a big impact on your home space. It doesn’t have to be a “whole house” detail. Depending on your energy levels and mindset, it can be sectional, topical, or sporadic. Whatever suits you, it all helps. Perhaps just start with taking down the Christmas lights.

5 High-Impact Ways To Revitalize Your Home Health

1. Open the windows and doors to get a full air exchange. A literal ‘out with the old, in with the new’ when it comes to air quality. During Winter, we have our homes bound up tight to protect from the biting cold weather. Something as simple as opening some windows can breathe fresh life into our space. As a seasonal allergy sufferer, I like to do this exercise BEFORE the pollen has started circulating. Designate an afternoon and get a good cross-wind flow for a few hours throughout the house.

2. Change Your Filters- Depending on your set up- this can include many things like your: humidifier, showerhead, air filter, water filter, and certainly your HVAC. All need routine maintenance to operate at optimal performance.  Be ready for the coming season when we’re trekking in more and the home is more affected by outside air conditions (like pollen and fire season). Also consider cleaning all vents and ducts in the home. Vacuum bathroom and kitchen hood vents with a HEPA filtered vacuum. Follow with wiping down with a damp microfiber cloth.

3. Wipe Down Surfaces- This should include dusting those 'forgotten surfaces' and unused spaces, or conversely, heavily used surfaces where germs may have accumulated during the winter ‘plague season’. For this task, I like to use something like Branch Basics All-Purpose Concentrate. This multi-functional concentrate can be used on just about any surface and diluted to different strengths. You can even add your own essential oil blend (since it is unscented) to add some aromatherapy and zest into the cleaning experience. (We think citrus-noted EO’s like Campo Energy or Rowe Casa Organics Lemon Verbena are top notch!)  I use a damp microfiber cloth, even with dusting- to prevent recirculation into the air of dust particles.  

4. Polish The Windows- It’s always surprising the amount of stuff that can accumulate on a vertical surface of a window. This is important in the Spring, especially if you have a wood-burning stove- which distributes fine particles of sediment during the high burn season. Trade out the windex, for a non-toxic cleaner like Koala Eco’s Peppermint Window Spray. Not only is it effective, but the smell is invigorating and helps to keep you motivated to stay on task!

5. Re-pot Plants- Your flora house-mates deserve a Spring refresh too! Repotting houseplants can help rejuvenate our air-cleaning friends with a refresh of soil nutrients and perhaps a better-suited pot size too! While you're at it, give them a fresh wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth, because plants get dusty too! Or if you’re more in the ‘artificial house plant ‘ realm, give those a fresh wipe down as well. I like to do a seasonal switch of some floral arrangements in my decor. This gives me some “spring vibes” while I’m waiting for the Montana post-winter “brown season” to catch up to speed.

Springtime is the perfect time to pay special attention to the oft-neglected areas of the home that accumulate over time. Removing dust and improving ventilation can do wonders for your air quality, while using non-toxic cleaning products- help set you up for success in maintaining a healthier home.