Home is where the heart is. But it’s also where the mind is, too. Be honest with yourself, how many times have you been distracted around the home or even at work by something that’s awry in the home. What’s between your four walls is more than just warmth and shelter. It’s a microcosm of your mental state. And it’s hard to relax if your home has become dirty, untidy or prone to clutter. Your environment plays a huge part in your psychological wellbeing. And whether you’re a busy working parent or a Momtrepreneur trying to create success on her own terms, you’ll find that there’s a direct link between the state of your home and your mood and mental clarity. Especially since, for many of us, the lines between home and workplace have become completely blurred.
Image by Jeanvdmeulen via Pixabay
Yet, while we all need a home that’s clean, tidy, cosy and welcoming, the ecologically minded of us will be wary of using harsh chemical cleaning products to attain it. Especially when many of these are packaged in non-recyclable plastics. Here we’ll look at how you can keep your home beautiful, comforting and conducive to mental health and productivity, the natural way.
If your home is looking dirty or drab, you needn’t have to resort to the use of bleaches and other ecologically harmful chemicals…
Invite plants and flowers into your home to beautify drab spots
No matter how hard you try to dust, polish, vacuum and scrub all around your home, you may find that there are some areas that just don’t get enough natural light and as such can start to seriously lack in cheer. These dull spots can be brightened up in the home just as they are in the garden… with a splash of color that plants and flowers can provide in abundance.
It’s hard to imagine a space that can’t be transformed with the bright, radiant presence of hawaiian orchids. The presence of plants in your home doesn’t just lend aesthetic beauty, it can help to purify the air in your living space and imbue it with a wonderful sense of calm and serenity. Which is why you’ll find that many who work from home keep a Japanese peace lilly and a few succulents on their desk to help to keep them calm and productive.
Use essential oils to create the scent of calm and tranquility
Of course, a beautiful home isn’t just enjoyed through the eyes. It’s enjoyed through the nose, too. When your cat unleashes something wholly unpleasant in their litter box, it can undo even the most carefully constructed home aesthetic.
But that doesn’t mean that you should resort to spray and plug-in room deodorizers which can contain harmful parabens. Instead, carefully distribute a few diffusers around the home that are loaded with essential oils. These are a natural way to keep your home smelling beautiful while also giving you a little aromatherapy. Use lemon or mint oils to keep you feeling refreshed in your home office. Zesty orange in the kitchen. Comforting sandalwood in the living room… and for the bedroom, think lavender if you’re trying to sleep and jasmine if you’re feeling amorous.
Restore the lustre to your furniture with olive oil
Aerosol furniture polish can be irritating to the eyes and skin, and soms cheaper brands even contain carcinogenic compounds. Instead use a combination of 2 cups olive oil to one cup lemon juice or vinegar. Work the mixture into a soft cloth and you have a potent and completely natural furniture polish. It’s also a great way to hide scratches. If a scratch is very deep and distractingly conspicuous, try rubbing a walnut on it, then giving it a once over with your olive oil mixture.
You’re welcome!
There’s hardly anything that can’t be cleaned with baking soda
We’ve been conditioned to believe that we need a different cleaning product for every surface and every room in the house. One spray for the kitchen. Another for the bathroom. Another for the shower. But the truth is that no matter what you’re trying to clean, there’s very little that can’t be banished with a combination of baking soda, water and a dash of lemon juice. And where baking soda falters, spirit vinegar will almost always do the job. Whether you’re trying to banish black mold from the bathroom or trying to make your kitchen counters sparkle, a little baking soda and water can shift most stains easily and naturally.
So, why burden your home with expensive cleaning products when you can have a clean, tidy and beautiful home naturally?
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