This spring The Happy House Cleaning team has prepared great green tips for The Big Cleaning. In the previous article we’ve posted 5 great eco-friendly recipes to help you deal with the dirt in the kitchen. This week it’s all about living room – the place we all spend the most time during winter needs thorough Spring Cleaning. So let’s get started!

General Living Room Cleanup

Before you start polishing your furniture or cleaning the upholstery you’ll need to prepare your living room.Our experts have shared their secrets for fast and easy Spring Cleaning a few weeks ago – you can check their tips here.

Put away all dirty clothes/cups/glasses left around the place. The same applies to old magazines and newspapers – if you want to be even more eco-efficient don’t throw old papers away – you can either give it for recycling or use it to clean glass surfaces.Dust the chandelier and light fixtures. Remove spider webs from the ceiling and corners or the walls. Prepare your own all-purpose cleaner and use it to wipe counters, shelves or tiles around the room. (You can also check another great recipe for all-purpose cleaner in this article.)

Ingredients for all-purpose cleaner:

  • 10 drops of lemon oil
  • 20 drops of tea tree oil
  • 4 cups of water

Another great suggestion for all-purpose cleaner.

Freshen Up Your Carpet

Now, that you’ve decuttered and tidied the living room it’s time to freshen up the carpet. During the winter we open the windows less and our carpets accumulate dust, dirt and foul odours. To get rid of old carpet smell use this trick – sprinkle baking soda generously directly onto the carpet surface. Leave it for 20 minutes and run the vacuum – the bad smell will disappear along with the soda. Here are 5 more eco-friendly tips on maintaining your carpet. If these tips don’t help, call our professional carpet cleaners to help you out.

Living room with a natural Sapele hardwood floor.

DIY Wood Floor Cleaner

Instead of using commercial wood cleaner try these eco-friendly alternatives. Mix all the ingredients and mop the floor – it will be cleaned and polished.

Ingredients for hardwood cleaner:

  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ cup rubbing (ethyl) alcohol
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ bucket warm water

Ingredients for laminate cleaner:

  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 table spoon dish soap
  • ½ bucket warm water

Bonus tip: Use liquid castile soap instead of dish-washing liquid.

Upholstery and Curtains

After the long winter season your upholstered furniture needs thorough cleaning. If your upholstery cover isn’t removable check this easy 3 steps method to clean upholstered furniture in your living room. If it is possible, remove the fabric and wash it in the laundry machine. Always use gentle cycle to avoid shrinking and other damages of the textile. For eco-friendly tips for your curtains check our complete guide for DIY curtain cleaning.

Windows and Class Cleaner

When we hear Spring Cleaning, the task that pops up in most people’s mind is window cleaning. When the weather is nice and warm it is time to clear your view to the outside world. To clean your windows (as well as other glass surfaces) all you need is to mix equal parts of white distilled vinegar and warm water. Pour in a spray bottle and use as regular window-cleaning product.

Bonus tip: Instead of using rags, cloths or paper towels to clean your windows, smash a page of old newspaper and use it to wipe the glass. The surface will be lint-free and sparkling!