Ten (Simple) Ways To "Spring Clean" Your Home & Body

April is here and as I type this post the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the birds are chirping. Is it safe to say that spring is in the air?! We might still be getting bouts of snow here in the prairies but little by little spring is flourishing.

I think it’s a natural inclination for most of us this time of year to declutter, clean, and refresh our homes, and really get into that “spring cleaning” mode. In just this past week I’ve already cleared out closets, organized, donated, and had our house cleaner help me with a really good deep clean. If you are feeling the same springtime energy and motivation that I am, it’s the perfect time for you to try my 10 simple ways to spring clean your home and your body!

While winter often brings more clutter, dust, and dirt into our homes, it can also do a number on our bodies. With the holiday season, comfort foods, and more sedentary days, we can definitely end up feeling a bit sluggish so I’m also sharing some ways you can lighten the load on your body!

Spring Cleaning For The Home:

Purge Your Pantry: Set aside 1-2 hours this month to give your pantry a good sweep. During the winter I often find that canned goods, holiday treats, crumbs, and clutter builds up, so spring is the perfect time to throw out anything that is expired and donate non-perishable items you know you won’t be using. Then buy a few bins from the dollar store to organize what’s left!

Swap The Soaps: Do an inventory of your cleaning supplies (soaps, sprays, detergents, etc.) and dispose of any that are empty, marry duplicates, and consider swapping chemical-laden cleaners with natural, environmentally-friendly options. You don’t have to swap them all at once, just start with those that need to be replaced and go from there! Not only are natural cleaners better for your home, they are better for your body, your family, your pets, and the environment.

Pot Some Plants: Did you know that many houseplants are natural air purifiers? In fact, NASA uses plants in their spaceships to keep the air clean, and they know what’s up! Indoor air quality is so important to our overall health as we do really spend so much time inside of our homes, and in the winter the windows are often shut so things can get pretty stuffy. Check out this list of Air-Cleaning Houseplants and bring a few into your home this spring.

Aromatize The Air: Along with the houseplants, you can do another very simple thing to “aromatize” the air in your home. Essential oils have been shown to boost wellness when used topically or even orally, but did you know you can use them in your home to purify the air? Lemon, Eucalyptus, and Cinnamon are just a few of the essential oils you can try. Simply add a few drops to your furnace filter or floor vents, not only will your home smell amazing but you’ll get the benefits of purified indoor air.

Call A Cleaner: Having a housecleaner that comes to clean our home twice a month has truly been a very worthwhile investment. As working parents, my husband and I really value the time we get to spend together as a family and we delegate where we can, so for us this includes a bi-weekly cleaner. Also, professional cleaners often see the dirt and dust we don’t see, and get into the places we often miss. After the long winter months, bringing in a professional can be very helpful to give your home that extra special deep clean it needs, even if it’s not on a regular basis and just a one time thing!

Spring Cleaning For Your Body:

Pop The Probiotics: As I mentioned earlier, winter comes with cold weather and the holiday season which often brings more indulgent comfort foods. This can overload our digestive system and with a more sedentary lifestyle, along with the winter cold and flus, you might feel like your body needs some cleansing. Probiotics not only boost digestive health, supporting your body in its natural cleansing process, but they also can help boost immune function. Genuine Health’s advanced gut health probiotic women’s DAILY and women’s UTI each contain 15 balanced strains and 50 billion live bacteria to support women’s gut, skin, vaginal, and urinary tract health. Taking a daily probiotic definitely supports spring cleaning for your body!

Love The Lemons: I honestly can’t say enough about this beautiful, bright citrus fruit. Lemons are a seriously detoxifying fruit and work wonders for your body when it comes to spring cleaning. Just add the juice of half a lemon to your water first thing in the morning every day for 1 month and you’ll notice your digestive system is more efficient as lemon naturally stimulates digestive enzyme production in the body. Not only does lemon boost digestion it also contains loads of antioxidants which supports immune and skin health as well!

Go For A Daily Green: Along with lemons, greens including spinach, kale, parley, sprouts, avocado, pear and apple boost cleansing in the body. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and contain nutrients like omega fats and fibre that support digestive, skin, and immune health. After you’ve guzzled down your lemon water, whip up my Green Apple, Pear, and Parsley Cleansing Smoothie, Kale and Kiwi Supercharged Smoothie, or my Go & Glow Smoothie each morning and enjoy the energizing, cleansing benefits of greens.

Hemsley loves green smoothies too (although they can get a bit messy…)!

Mask It Up: Give your skin even more spring cleaning TLC and try a detoxifying charcoal mask (you can purchase charcoal masks or make your own at home using a DIY tutorial online). Winter wreaks havoc on my skin. It gets dull, dry, flaky, breaks out, and overall can be a bit disastrous, so this spring I’ve been ‘masking it up’ a lot to help bring that natural glow back. One charcoal mask a week will really brighten up your skin this spring and help cleanse it from winter build up.

Sweat It Out: Winter can make everyone feel cabin fever with the cold weather and naturally, we all tend to move our bodies a little less. Now that the weather is warming up and the sidewalks aren’t piled with snow, it’s the perfect time to work up a sweat and “sweat it out”. While there is some debate on whether exercise truly “detoxifies” the body, I’m a firm believer that exercise does boost endorphins which can cleanse the mind and body of negativity. Also, exercise has been proven to boost digestive function which in turn cleanses the body as well. Get outside, breathe in that wonderful fresh air and move as just one more awesome way to spring clean this season!

So…which of these ten tips are you going to try first?! Do you have any other go-to spring cleaning tips of your own? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Have a beautiful Sunday!