After many evenings spent in big woolly socks curled up on the couch sipping red wine, chowing down hot stews and stuffing our faces with chocolate self-saucing pudding it’s time for us to emerge from hibernation (and start shaving our legs again). Spring is a time for renewel and rebirth, inviting new beginnings and releasing things that are no longer serving us, and why not include our homes in this too? Spring cleaning and decluttering is a bit of a ritual in our household and let’s be honest (after its done!) it just makes us feel better! With less stuff and clutter, we can have a better focus on what matters.

A few quick tips include working from the top down to avoid having to clean twice. Also get yourself some good gloves to protect your hands and use natural cleaning products so you aren’t having to breathe in toxic fumes and the surfaces in your home aren't covered with harmful chemicals. Look for products that are plant-based and use essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances. Feeling a tad overwhelmed on where to begin? Here’s a few quick notes to get you started:

1. Deep clean mattresses – sprinkle with baking soda mixed with a few drops of calming essential oils like lavender, ylang ylang or geranium. Let sit for at least an hour and then vacuum off. Then air mattress in sunlight which will naturally help kill bacteria and germs. Sweet dreams.

2. Wash all bedding and pillows and dry in the sun which is one of our best natural anti-bacterial masters – spritz bedding and linen with our Chill Me Out Spray for that extra freshness and loveliness.

3. Clear out wardrobe and draws – put winter clothes away/donate to charity if you haven’t worn in 12 months or host a clothes swap party. Get your summer clothes out, hooray! Again, you can spritz those summer clothes with our Uplifting Citrus Spray.

4. Declutter and organise – books, magazines, photos, even that bottom drawer in the kitchen! Ask the kids to choose some toys to donate to charity. Be ruthless and if it’s not adding value to your life, then donate it! You’ll feel better for it, trust me.

5. Dust the obscure: pictures, art, light fittings, air-con units, fans.

6. Empty out fridge and clean with our Organic Cleaning Spray - throw out all those jars of sauces that expired in 2012!

7. Vacuum sofas after sprinkling with some baking soda, and spot clean using our Organic Cleaning Spray which helps remove stains

8. Give EVERYTHING (benches, tables, bathrooms, fridges, draws, couches) a good spray down afterwards with our no-wipe Natural Disinfecting Spray to help blast germs and leave your home smelling like deliciousness.

Still feels like a bit of a never-ending insurmountable task? Just start one room at a time and enlist some helpers - getting the kids (or hubby) involved teaches them responsibility, monkey see, monkey do. Be brutal with things you are no longer using let them go, donate if you can, recycle or upcycle.

Now close your eyes and imagine that your home is perfectly de-cluttered, organised and fresh for spring… you feel calm and serene, think of all that extra space, the beautiful feng shui energy in your home, and that amazing sense of accomplishment! Now it’s definitely wine time!

Home is our safe haven where we relax, unwind and restore (like enjoying that glass of vino or kombucha). We get together at the end of the day to hang out over shared meals chat about our days (moan about our bosses!) and chill watching Netflix. For this very reason it is important that it is safe for our families, friends and furry-ones. Have you ever considered what is in the cleaners you are using in your home and how the hidden nasties might be affecting the health of your loved ones? We are mopping down the floors of our home with chemicals, leaving toxins on our clothes after washing them and wiping down our food-prep areas, benches and tables where we eat with these nasties. We think it’s time to clean up our acts by making the switch to eco-friendly natural products and here’s why:

#1 Our Health

If you start using safe natural products you will no longer be absorbing chemicals through the skin or breathing in the fumes. It’s a bit scary that studies have shown a link between toxic cleaners and asthmas, skin allergies, cancer and autism. If that’s not bad enough they can cause chemical burns to the skin and eyes, urgh no thank you! Children and pets have been known to get under the sink and into these toxic products which are poisonous if swallowed. There’s a lot we still don’t know about how these toxic chemicals can affect our bodies, so this in itself is enough for us to make the switch to natural cleaners.

#2 Indoor Air Pollution

That all familiar stench of pine that we've gotten used to as being 'clean'? Well it’s not so friendly my friends, it's actually toxic SH#T and polluting the air in your home which can affect your breathing and lungs, possibly leading to respiratory problems. Automatic air-fresheners, aerosols and fly-spray are some of the worst culprits so best to get them out of your home ASAP. It’s best to stick to products with a natural essential oil scent, and benefit from the aromatherapy too! Look for green products that contain plant-based ingredients which are a million times safer. Plus we also love using green plants in our home to help purify the air as well as good ole fresh air so fling open those doors!

#3 Nasty Ingredients are not Listed

Warning: this is a tad scary. Most supermarket cleaners DO NOT list any of their ingredients or risks, and this is unregulated by the government. WTF so we don’t even know what is in them! We’ve gone behind the scenes to find out what is recommended before using the most common and popular all-purpose cleaner on our supermarket shelves: safety goggles, gloves, cotton overalls buttoned at neck and wrists, chemical resistant apron, and if there is no ventilation an approved respirator with a replaceable filter should be used. Really!? So we need to dress like there’s been a major apocalyptic event to be safely using these products in our own homes? We believe all ingredients should be clearly listed ON THE BOTTLE and if it contains toxic ingredients to include the risks and controls. That way we can make a conscious decision to use products in our home that are safe.

#4 Keep our Waterways Clean

The toxic chemicals we use make their way back into our water systems when you flush the toilet, wash the dishes or chuck a load in the washing machine. The nasties can end up polluting in nearby rivers, lakes or ends up in our beautiful oceans harming our precious wildlife and ocean dwellers. Always choose biodegradable, grey water/septic safe at a minimum.

#5 Sustainable and Eco-friendly

Green and natural products offer better sustainable and eco-friendly options such as REFILL options. They might also be carbon neutral, cruelty free or have a charity they support. Basically, they actually care about our planet and your health and we're all for that!

It’s quick and easy to run to the shops and grab one of the many bright coloured bottles that line the shelves that promises to make your cleaning chores at home quick and easy but choose wisely! We hope you might reconsider switching to a natural eco-friendly alternative so you know you're doing all you can to keep your home and everyone in it safe, healthy and happy.

Start to detox your home today, http://secondnaturebotanicals.co.nz/shop/

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