The Plan to Simplify - Phase 2

Next up, after going through all my belongings, was re-committing to green cleaning. This was much easier and faster than Phase 1!

During the height of the pandemic panic, I had purchased regular cleaning supplies and used those instead of my regular homemade formulas. I’m not sure why I reverted, but every time I cleaned with those smelly chemicals, I felt kind of gross. It was time to welcome back my easy-on-the-earth friends: Vinegar, baking soda, Castile soap, and essential oils. 

I gathered all my supplies and made up various formulas for different needs: a kitchen counter spray, a non-abrasive disinfectant spray, shakers of baking soda for sprinkling in sinks and tubs. (This book I found at the library was a very helpful guide.)

And the new supplies didn’t smell falsely of flowers or lemons. The bottles didn’t have scary labels with skulls warning to keep away from kids. And they didn’t leave me wondering if the house was actually any cleaner, or safer, post-scrub.

Plus, all my homemade supplies looked really pretty lined up in my newly pared down, simplified spaces. Bonus from Phase 1.

In case you’d like to do some green cleaning of your own, here’s one of my favorite recipes:

Phase 2 complete. Moving on to Phase 3.