Every new mother wants to protect her baby and keep them safe from harm. That’s why your nursery cleaning routine is so important. You know your baby is susceptible to the effects of harsh chemicals, and you want to do everything you can to minimise the health risks.
The good news is that with a few tweaks and some baby safe cleaning products, you can make sure your nursery is clean, green and healthy for your little one.
Here are our top tips:
Start with Surface Cleaners
One of the best ways to keep your baby clean and healthy is to make sure your surface cleaners are eco-friendly and gentle on baby’s delicate skin. Because your child explores the world through touch and taste, you’ll want to make sure the nursery is always hygienic and safe.
Green cleaning products use small amounts of non-toxic ingredients to cleanse surfaces without leaving strong fumes or nasty chemical residues. This reduces the chance of respiratory problems for your baby while still making sure your nursery is free of nasty bugs.
Take a DIY approach
If you want to take a DIY approach to cleaning, equal parts white vinegar and water can be sprayed on nursery surfaces to remove the usual stains and bacteria, while using dilute hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning and sanitising more heavily soiled areas.
Sometimes your home gets dusty easily, but you’re worried about your baby inhaling all that gunk. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution. Put a few drops of orange essential oil on a dusting cloth and dust in the usual way. The dust will stick to the duster and your nursery surfaces will be left shiny and smelling of orange. Mmmmm, right?
Be careful how you clean
Whether you decide to use commercial eco-products or make your own, it’s a good idea to think about how you use these products around the nursery. In the past, chances are you just sprayed surfaces and wiped the product off as you went. But it’s time to do things differently.
Rather than covering your nursery surfaces in cleaner, spray the baby safe cleaning products into your cloth and wipe things down. This will reduce airborne particles that might cause allergies to your baby, and you’ll use less product too.
Go Green in the Laundry
Your baby’s clothes are worn right next to the skin and should keep him or her warm and comfortable. This means it’s essential to wash baby clothes with products that don’t cause skin irritations or allergic reactions.
Green cleaning laundry detergent uses natural enzymes and small amounts of soap so the chances of irritation are reduced. They also avoid synthetic fragrances which may contain toxic chemicals like phthalates. Phthalates have been linked to a range of health problems, so it’s best to avoid them in the nursery and around a baby.
Choose Cloth Nappies
While cloth nappies may seem like a lot of extra work with a demanding baby, their green credentials are undeniable. Disposable nappies take a very long time to break down in a landfill, and they are also made with polyethene plastic that could irritate your baby’s skin.
Cotton is also a much kinder fabric for baby’s skin, meaning cloth nappies could help ease or prevent nappy rash. To keep things hygienic in the nursery, use a nappy pail to soak used nappies for a couple of days in environmentally-friendly cleaning solution before you wash them. It’s a simple way to keep your nursery green.
Clean your carpets differently
As you probably discovered when you were pregnant, most carpet cleaners contain toxic chemicals that aren’t good for you or baby. But the truth is, your baby will spend a lot of their early years on the floor, so how do you make sure they stay safe?
First of all, make sure everyone in the family takes their shoes off before they go into the nursery. This will cut down the dirt tracked in from outside. Soak up spills with a super absorbent microfibre cloth and use multi-purpose solution and warm water to clean away stains.
Sticky stains can be removed with a spatula or spoon, and then sprayed with ECO.3 eco-responsible stain remover. After a couple of minutes, simply soak up the dissolved stain residue by pressing firmly down with an Evolution micro fibre cloth. Do not rub the carpet pile as this will result in the pile becoming damaged due to friction.
Change Your Air Freshener
Let’s be honest, sometimes your baby’s nursery isn’t the most fragrant place to be. You might want to get an air freshener to keep things smelling sweet. But most commercial air fresheners contain chemicals like xylene, a neurotoxin that isn’t good for you or baby.
Happily, there is an alternative to leaving the windows open day and night. You can use essentials oils as an alternative way to freshen up the nursery. Tea tree oil and lavender can be used as cleansing, deodorising agents, as well as helping to keep the atmosphere calm and pleasant.
Stop ‘Zapping’ Annoying Insects
As the days get longer and warmer, the number of insects in your home will increase. Your baby’s nursery isn’t immune. It’s tempting to pull out the bug spray to make sure these nasty creatures stay away from your precious little one. But stop! This is another habit you have to change.
Most bug repellents contain DEET, which is an effective bug spray for a reason. It’s not very eco-friendly. While it does chase away mosquitos and other critters, it’s not very good for your baby.
Instead of zapping those annoying insects, use non-toxic bug repellents like citronella and lemon eucalyptus to keep them away. You and your baby will be glad you did!