Spring Cleaning Before Baby

With your baby's due date right around the corner, you probably have a mile long to-do list. 

By now, you've probably had a baby shower cluttering your nursery with hundreds of tiny outfits, baby supplies and stuffed animals.  Before you can sit back and relax with the last few weeks to go, you have a little spring cleaning on your hands. 

Before you panic that you're in over your head, we put together some tips and tricks to help you get organized before your baby's big arrival. 

Organization Strategies

The best way to stay organized it to keep everything conveniently within reach. Expert organizers recommend keeping your changing table stocked with your products together in a container. Drawer organizers help keep tiny clothes and supplies neatly organized in dressers and shoe bags over the door can also be a great way to store small or awkward shaped baby items. Keep a changing station in various spots throughout the house in case of emergencies or for quick, convenient changes. 

Baby Safe Cleaning Products

In the last few weeks before your due date, your busy schedule keeps house cleaning on the back burner. Before you bring home your new baby, some tidying up is in order. Lots of cleaning products on the market can do more harm than good. We put together a go-to guide for moms to be looking for a good list of safe supplies to stock up on. 

Laundry

• Ecover Zero Laundry Detergent and/or Fit Organic Baby Laundry Detergent
• Grab Green Bleach Alternative Pods
• OxiClean Laundry Baby Stain Soaker, Fit Organic Baby Laundry Stain Remover, or Babyganics Stain Eraser, Fragrance Free

Dishes

• Puracy Natural Dish Soap
• Seventh Generation Dishwasher Pods
• Sun & Earth Dishwashing Liquid Extra Concentrated, Light Citrus or biokleen Automatic Dishwasher Liquid
• Seventh Generation Rinse Aid, Free & Clear

Cleaning

• Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Citra-Solv Citra Clear Window & Glass Cleaner
• Seventh Generation Natural Tub & Tile Cleaner, Emerald Cypress & Fir
• Seventh Generation Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Emerald Cypress & Fir
• Whole Foods Market green MISSION Organic All-Purpose Spray Cleaner & Degreaser, Lemon Zest
• Babyganics Floor Cleaner Concentrate, Fragrance Free

DIY Cleaning Supplies

If you still feel uneasy about store-bought cleaning supplies, the DIY route might be a good alternative for you. Homemade cleaners can not only be simple to make but also cost effective. These cleaners are safe to use while you're pregnant or even after you bring home baby.

Lemon & Tea Tree Disinfecting All-Purpose Cleaner

Disinfecting Cleaner: Combine ½ cup warm water, ½ white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into a spray bottle. Add 15 drops of tea tree oil. To spruce up the lemon scent, add a few drops of lemongrass essential oil as well. Put on the lid and shake well to combine all of the ingredients. Tea tree oil is a natural anti-bacterial agent, as well as a fungicide and germicide, so you can kill the germs without using harsh chemicals.

Tub and Tile Scrubber

Tub and Tile Scrubber: Mix 1 ⅝” cups baking soda, ½ cup liquid soap, and ½ cup water. Mix thoroughly then add 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Apply immediately, scrub, and wipe. For a mildly abrasive scouring scrub, just blend baking soda and plant-based liquid soap to your preferred consistency.

Family-Friendly Floor Cleaner

Family-Friendly Floor Cleaner: Fill a bucket with about one gallon of warm water. Add ¼ cup of white vinegar and a few drops of all-natural liquid soap. Mix well, then use the solution to mop your floors. This solution is safe for most types of floors, including wood and laminate. If your floors are ceramic or a delicate stone like marble, do not use vinegar. Instead, mix a few drops of a pH-neutral soap or cleaner with water to clean the floors.

Even with some tricks up your sleeve, cleaning can be exhausting in your late stages of pregnancy. 

Take it easy when tackling chores and cleaning, and small projects at a time. Before you know it, your new baby will be home and you can concentrate on the first few days bonding with your family's newest addition.