Welcome to Green Cleaning Solutions from Bounce Energy! In this series, we will share our best practices,  favorite tips, and homegrown cleaning recipes – all designed to keep your home clean using environmentally friendly products and methods. We’ll help you skip the gadgets and toss the harsh products by embracing cleaning practices that use items you likely have in your possession already. And you might even save money by creating your own cleaning supplies and keeping it simple!

We have focused on individual rooms in your home throughout our Green Cleaning Solutions from Bounce Energy and now, we turn to our furniture. Likely the most overlooked item in our rooms, furniture is what we use to sit and lounge on, so it no doubt needs a little love!

We place our books, keys, computers, and other personal items all over it, and over time, grime and dirt builds up. If we don’t maintain our furniture, it can slowly disintegrate and resemble an item you could have found at the local thrift shop!

Grab a few washable cloths and some natural oils, and let’s get to work.

How to Clean the Couch

Depending on whether you own a leather couch or one made of natural fibers, you will want to use different approaches.

With a leather couch, use the soft brush end of the vacuum cleaner to vacuum out all dirt and dust. Then mix equal parts water with vinegar into a bucket, dip a microfiber Towel, and wring out so that the towel is moist but not saturated.

Using circular motions polish and clean your couch. Avoid using creams or oil solutions loaded with chemicals. Not only are they bad for the air in your house, but you don’t want to sit on top of greasy leather.

If your couch is covered with linen, cotton or hemp, then stains are easily removable using a gentle bar of soap, a clean washable sponge, and a cotton rag. Be sure and test the fabric on a non-obvious part of your couch first. Gently moisten the stains and rub the bar over the dark spot.

Using a circular motion rub the dirt out. Remove cushions and lay them in the sun for a day to freshen them up. Also vacuum to remove the dirt out of the cracks and backs of the cushions.

How to Clean Wooden Butcher Blocks

Restore the natural beauty of your kitchen’s wooden butcher block by bringing it outside on a sunny day, and use a fine grain piece of sandpaper to sand down the wood and remove stains. Once finished sanding, wipe with a dry towel. Apply a food grade mineral oil using an old rag and circular motions until you’ve saturated the pores of the wood.

How to Clean the Dining Room Table and Other Wooden Furniture

If your dining room table doesn’t have a polish on it, then you can use the same technique as used above for the wooden butcher block and give it a gentle sand to bring it back to life.

But if it has a polish, use 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 a cup of lemon juice to bring that sheen back to life. You can also use the same formula to polish other wooden furniture that’s polished.

To restore old wooden furniture use a simple mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/8 cup of distilled vinegar, and 1/8 cup of flax oil. Use a soft cloth to wipe and restore the look and richness of its surface.

If the surface of your dining room table is glass, simply fill a reusable spray bottle with white vinegar and spray onto the glass for Cleaning. Avoid using paper towels and use a microfiber towel instead.

How to Clean Your Bed

The best way to freshen up your bed is to strip the sheets and mattress protectors, wash them of course, and vacuum your mattress to remove all the dead skin, dust and other creepy critters living inside.

While vacuums use electricity and aren’t a manual way to clean, there is no other substitute in this case for cleaning a mattress! Flip your mattress while your bed is stripped to keep the feeling fresh when you lay down.

How to Clean Bookshelves

Simply wipe down dusty bookshelves with a cotton rag or microfiber towel. Using an old flannel shirt cup up for rags is great and eco-friendly, too.

You can also invest in an ostrich feather duster to knock the dirt and dust off your shelves. Just give it a whack outside to dislodge old dust, and hang it up for next time. There is no paper waste, and no need to wash extra cloths from dusting.

How to Clean Kids’ Furniture

Kids’ furniture and all it’s little crevices and surfaces gets really grimy over time! From snack spills to dirty hands, kids furniture is expected to get dirty.

Engage your little ones in cleaning and caring for their things by providing them with a simple cotton towel that has been dipped in water and a few drops of lavender oil. While it may not cut through the grease like other cleaners, it will show them how to clean and take pride in their things.

Moms and Dads can also clean their items using non-toxic solutions like equal parts water and vinegar. Simply spray on, and use a moist sponge to scrub off the dirt. Wipe dry with a clean rag.