Spring Cleaning Tips with Nellie's

Alternate Uses for your Favourite Nellie’s Products

 
Since we’re all spending so much time at home these days, there’s no better time than now to start those big projects - and we have a few Spring Cleaning tips to help. While you might have started a few tasks already, it seems like there’s always more to do. If your “I’ll get to it one day” list hasn’t been ticked off in a while, it’s time to channel your inner Marie Kondo and tackle the items that you’ve put on the backburner.
 
Did you know that most Nellie’s products have many alternate uses? That’s right – Laundry Soda can be used for things other than laundry! We’ve put together a list on how to use your favourite Nellie’s products when tackling those big Spring Cleaning jobs, while encouraging you to use the products you already have at home.
 

Here are our top Spring Cleaning tips:

 

Reusable Water Bottles & Travel Mugs & Decanters:

For those impossible-to-reach-the-bottom items: your trusty Nellie’s Water Bottle, your Thermos, or that beautiful wine decanter with a red ring on the bottom from that time you left a tiny bit of Cab Sav in – no matter how long you soak them in hot water, they just won’t clean out. We have a solution!
To remove those tough stains that you can’t reach, add half a scoop of Oxygen Brightener and top with hot water. Let it sit for 1-3 hours, depending on the stain, then rinse thoroughly. The sodium percarbonate from the Oxygen Brightener will oxidize the stain and give you a cleaner mug. Be sure to place the item you’re cleaning in your skin as the powder/water combination might suds up and overflow!
*If you don’t have Oxygen Brightener, you can sub it for Laundry Soda or Dish Powder, however Oxygen Brightener will work best.

 
 

Kitchen Oven:

Another Spring Clean must-do. It seems like everyone has been spending their time during social distancing by baking sourdough or becoming master chefs. Safe to say, our ovens are busier than ever. Unless you do this regularly (kudos to you), chances are your oven has been in need of a deep clean for a while now.
For a non-toxic cleaning hack, make a paste with 1 scoop of Oxygen Brightener and hot water, and apply with a sponge or cloth. Let it sit for a few hours and rinse off with a sponge or cloth wrung from clean water.  The sodium percarbonate will oxidize the stain and lift off soil, while sodium carbonate will neutralize any fatty acid residue.

 
 

Bathroom Grout:

Tile is generally easyto clean, but cleaning grout? No thank you! Because of its porous composition and light colouring, grout is prone to staining. Depending on which rooms in your house have tiles, discolouration can be caused by dirt, grime, spills, mold or mildew.
To clean your grout, make a paste with 1 scoop of Oxygen Brightener and hot water and scrub (with a little bit of elbow grease). We recommend avoiding using an abrasive sponge/scrubber that may scratch the grout. Use a clean, soft cloth and clean water to wipe. Rinse well.
 
 

 
 

Shower Head:

Cleaning the things that clean you is a no-brainer. Think about how old your shower head is. Did it come with your house? Has it ever been replaced? While you generally don’t touch the shower head while showering, it can still get clogged with build-up from years of water running through it, get mildewed, and even develop some nasty bacteria. And if you live somewhere with hard water, chances are your shower head needs some descaling.
Combine 1 scoop Dish Powder + 2 oz of Shower & Bath Cleaner and hot water in a plastic bag. Tie the bag around the shower head and let sit for a few hours. The citric acid in Shower & Bath Cleaner will help unclog your shower head, clean off any mildew, and remove hard water deposits and rust scale.
* If you don’t have both Dish Powder and Shower & Bath Cleaner, you can swap one for 1 oz of distilled vinegar.
 
 

 
 

Porcelain (sink, toilet, or bathtub):

While porcelain is a highly durable surface, it’s susceptible to chips, cracking, and a dulling of the finish. If you use the wrong products, you will do more harm than good, potentially damaging the surface, so it’s important to know what not to use. Abrasive cleaners such as scouring powders, white vinegar (or other cleaners with a high acidic content), and steel wool should all be avoided.
Nellie's Shower & Bath Cleaner was designed for this surface. Apply the solution to a damp sponge or directly on the surface. Allow the solution to sit, then rub or scour. Avoid using an abrasive sponge that may scratch the surface. Use soft cloth to wipe. Rinse well.
* If you don’t have Shower & Bath Cleaner, you can use Oxygen Brightener. Combine 1 scoop and hot water to make a paste, let sit for 20 mins, and scrub gently. Sodium percarbonate will oxidize the stain and sodium carbonate will neutralize grease or oil.
 
 

 
 

Patio Cushions

As warm weather is popping up, it’s a great time to get your patio summer-ready! If your cushions have been sitting in storage collecting dust, or even worse, sitting outside during the entire winter, they’re probably in need of a good refresher.
To revive your cushions, add 1/2 scoop of Oxygen Brightener and warm water into a spray bottle and shake gently to mix the solution. Spray stained areas and scrub gently with a soft brush. For more serious stains, use a WOW Stick.
 
 

 

Baseboards

This is probably something you do regularly, but we have a trick to make it easier than ever. Even if your entire house is shiny and clean, if you forget about cleaning your baseboards, it’s quite the eyesore. Did you know you can clean them without even bending over?
Position your WOW Mop’s Scrub & Polish pads so they stick out about 3-4 inches on the same side. Angle them up at a 90-degree angle, turn your mop on, spray, and go! Make sure that the part of your pads covering your baseboards get a bit of Floor Care (or the solution of your choice) on them. Ta da!
 
 
Most importantly, keep in mind that not everyone needs to be super ridiculously productive while we’re dealing with an unprecedented health crisis. For some, crossing off a to-do list helps, but if you don’t get anything done, that’s fine too! Just remember the number one tip that we can offer: practice self-care and be kind to yourself. Now go ahead, pour yourself that glass of wine!
 

There are some cleaning chores that actually have very little effect on the visible cleanliness of your home. If you never lift your cushions to vacuum the seats of your upholstered furniture, no one will know (until they reach for a lost remote). And if you never declutter your closets, well… the mess is literally behind closed doors. But there are other chores—even some very small ones—that, left undone, snowball into a much bigger mess and a much more annoying task to tackle.
To keep your home humming, pay attention to the following small jobs:

Folding the clothes when the dryer beeps

You might be great at washing clothes when they’re dirty, but do those baskets of clean clothes pile up while you’re waiting for a Netflix night to fold them all? Folding clothes when the dryer beeps and they’re still warm isn’t just cozy. It helps prevent wrinkles and having to iron (or wear wrinkled clothes, or avoid said clothes) down the road. Using the dryer cycle ending as your folding cue also keeps folding and putting away clothes a small, manageable task you can do in a few minutes rather than a monumental obstacle you have to set aside a whole day to get under control.
Tip: Try setting your wash cycle to start on a delay so you’ll be home to switch clothes to the dryer and to be there when it beeps.

Putting shoes where they go when you take them off

We’re definitely guilty of this! We don’t wear shoes in our house, and we all take them off by the front door. Having a home for everyone’s shoes – and making sure they are put away – keeps your foyer looking spic and span, and makes it easier when you’re rushing out the door in the morning. No more searching for that favourite pair of sneakers, because you know exactly where they are!
Tip: No matter how good you are at putting away the shoes, sometimes mud and dirt will still make it in to your entry. Keep the WOW Mop nearby so you can easily clean up any messes!

Washing dirty dishes

It’s easier to put just one or two more dirty dishes in a sink that already has a couple dishes waiting to be washed in it—but it should give anyone pause to put dirty dishes in a clean, empty sink.
Washing dishes right away keeps the sink clean and empty, and with any luck, reminds others in your household to do their own dishes. In addition, washing dishes right when they’re done being used keeps you from having to scrub off dried-on food and, again, makes most daily dish-washing a job that takes a couple minutes rather than a mini-marathon at the end of the day before it’s time to prep dinner.
Tip: Keep your favourite One Soap next to the sink, so that when you’re doing the dishes you’ll have a beautiful scent to enjoy.

Keeping counters and tables wiped

If there’s one thing that drives us nuts, it’s having to dodge sticky spots on counters or the table. To dispel the anxiety of wondering where you can sit something down (homework, mail, a casual cookie), keep the All Purpose Cleaner and a cleaning rag handy to take care of any spills or messes as soon as possible, and wipe the table down immediately after it’s used. This habit also keeps you from having to clean up the things that get dirty from being set down on messes as well as the spaces that get dirty from having those dirty things put away (such a snowball).
This habit will also save you from spreading the mess around. For instance: If you set a container down onto a splatter of syrup, and then put the container away in the fridge, you now have three sticky spots to clean up rather than just the one quick swipe you could have made at that initial syrup spill. This keeping-surfaces-clean habit has the out-sized reward of keeping the interior of your fridge and cabinets clean for much longer.
By staying reasonably vigilant to take care of clean laundry, doffed shoes, dirty dishes, and messy surfaces when they are small problems, you’ll empower your future self to enjoy a perpetually clean home. Next thing you know, your friends will be asking for your secret!

As the weather warms up, we’re transitioning our closet from winter’s heavy and dark knits to light and airier pieces. Whether you're spending your sunny days picnicking, running around with the kids, or having a friendly soccer game, it can often mean more stains to deal with! Thankfully, you don’t have to resort to harsh, toxic stain removers to lift the stains out, whether they’re grass stains, spilled wine, coffee, or blood (we won't ask why!). We’ve got the guide to easily removing tough stains on all fabrics, from your favourite light-wash jeans to light summer dresses.

Pre-Treat the Stain

Made with natural ingredients and free from dyes and synthetic fragrances, the WOW Stick uses the power of nature to lift stains out of all fabrics. The WOW Stick contains lemongrass and sweet orange essential oils, which work in combination with the cleansing ingredients to combat any odours caused by the offending stain. You’ll be surprised at how powerful this little stick is!
To use, just wet the stained area of fabric, and then rub the WOW Stick onto the stained area. Agitate the stain under water, and repeat until the stain begins to fade.

Wash

Nellie’s Oxygen Brightener uses the oxygen to penetrate stains, stripping away dirt, odour, and grime – perfect for getting out these pesky stains! The Oxygen Brightener’s chlorine-free formula is colour-safe, septic safe, hypoallergenic, environmentally-friendly and biodegradable, so you can forget about toxic ingredients! Use the Oxygen Brightener along with the Laundry Soda for the ultimate stain-fighting clean. All you need is a tablespoon for a small-sized load, or 3 tablespoons for a large load. Use 3 tablespoons for super-stained clothing. Use on whites and brights, but not your favourite black jeans.

Dry

Dry your clothes as you normally do – hang dry on the clothes line, or toss into the dryer with your favourite Lamby Wool Dryerballs or Flyerballs! We love to use the Scented Wool Dryerball in Simply Fresh to give a subtle, beautiful scent.
No more stains, and all without using harsh chemicals. Your skin, your clothes, and the planet will thank you!

No matter how you go about it, laundry is a regular part of life. Even more so if you have kiddos running around and getting dirty! While many might hang our clothes on a line to dry, the majority of us choose the convenience of the dryer. One of the most toxic things we do on a regular basis is use fabric softener or dryer sheets. These products are full of nasty chemicals! Exposure to such toxins is linked to skin irritations, neurological disease, cancer, hormonal imbalance. Yikes!
Chemicals infiltrate the clothing we wear, which in turn gets on to our skin and is absorbed by our bodies. There are reports that show the occurrence of brain disease is growing, as well as the levels of industrial chemicals being found in human bodies. Some suggest the two are linked! Using alternatives to these products is a great way to avoid increasing the amount of chemicals being absorbed by your body.

Soft Laundry with no Toxins

Don’t worry, you can still have super-soft and scented laundry, without subjecting your body to horrible toxic chemicals thanks to Nellie’s Lamby Wool Dryerballs and Nellie’s Flyerballs! Both are made with 100% pure New Zealand wool, so no nasties! They reduce drying time by helping dry your clothes faster, so you’re saving energy and money. They also reduce wrinkles, all while softening your clothes. Plus, they’re chemical free and will last about 2 years. What’s the difference between the original Lamby Wool Dryerballs and the Flyerballs? The wings on the Flyerballs are designed to help float through your dryer to separate fabrics, shortening drying time and reducing static.
If you prefer your laundry to have a fragrance, the Scented Wool Dryerballs are infused with pure essential oils and available in Citrus, Lavender, and Simply Fresh. The scent will last about 50 loads, so you can enjoy the chemical-free natural scent. We recommend tossing one scented wool ball with your four unscented wool balls to enhance your drying experience.
 

The flowers are about to bloom, the birds are singing… but the house still feels stuck in the winter blues! Spring cleaning is one of our favourite traditions – it allows us to freshen up our homes and get a head start on the hectic seasons of spring and summer. We’ve got a few tips to help you make this your easiest spring cleaning sessions yet!

Clean Room-by-Room

Approaching your home room by room is the most effective way to deep-clean your home no matter what time of year, but especially in spring. Use room checklists as a springboard for deep-cleaning the areas of your home that really need extra attention. Feel free to skip items that have recently been cleaned so you can focus on the parts of your home that have been neglected through the winter.

Organize & Clear the Clutter

One of the biggest parts of spring cleaning is getting rid of clutter you no longer need. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of that natural spring urge to get rid of items that are weighing you down and begin fresh with a more streamlined lifestyle. Sort your belongings into four categories: trash, donate, store, put-away. This is a perfect time to plan a garage sale or donate items to a good cause. Cleaning is so much easier with fewer things in the way!

Involve the Family

If you need a little help in your cleaning projects, get the whole gang involved! Even the most unwilling helper can make a difference in the workload. Put some music on or establish a family reward as an incentive to finish the job.

Tackle the Seasonal Chores

There are some special shores that must be done seasonally – time to bite the bullet! Even though those chores need only be done once or twice a year, they’ll help your home look better and run more smoothly. Outdoor chores like cleaning the BBQ, patios, and windows can be daunting, but you’ll be relieved once they’re done.

Keep Cleaning Products to a Minimum

You don’t need to resort to harsh chemicals and toxic cleaners to get your house into shape! Nellie’s makes just about everything you need, from the All-Purpose Cleaner to the One Soap and more!