To use bar soap instead of liquid, inspired by Nathalie Stampfli’s Soap Flakes pictured above.

While liquid soap is easy, bar soap is more ecological – less water, less packaging, etc.. And there are some great things about bar soap: It’s inexpensive, it smells pretty and it looks pretty too. It also looks fresh and clean – as long as it doesn’t get used. Once it gets wet, that’s the end of that. It immediately begins to lose its shape, the crisp molded edges melt away and it morphs into a slippery lump sitting in a puddle of its own mucky water. A slimy sensation that makes you squeamish and becomes unappealing as a constant reminder that someone else’s grubby hands were all over it. Gross! And then perhaps this stops you from washing your own hands – gross gross! The design of soap flakes is grate! – keeps the soap dry and untouched until you need to get it wet. And the Waterfall Soap Saver by Trademark Home creates a tilted platform to drain excess water and keep soap from turning into a piece of soft mush, $14.99

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Nellie’s All-Natural line cleaning products for laundry and dishes are non-toxic, hypoallergenic and come in retro tin packaging that will look kitschy in your kitchen and be friendly on the environment. The powders and nuggets reduce consumption and allow you to use only what’s needed instead of getting carried away by more and more suds and bubbles.

Fruit & Veggie Cleaner

1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 a lemon or 20 drops of grapefruit extract

Combine all ingredients and pour into a spray bottle. Spray cleaner on produce, let sit for 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly.

The Common Culprits

BLOOD: Saltwater is the key! Submerge the garment in a heavily salted water or rub saltwater mixture directly on the stain until it goes bye-bye. Make sure to use cool water only. For a stubborn stain, add a bit of water to some meat tenderizer and create a paste. Let the paste seep into the stain for 15 minutes, then sponge off with cool water. Wash garment as directed.

COLORED PENCIL: Coat both sides of the stained area with WD-40; use several layers of paper towels as a blotter. Let stand for 10 minutes. Work dish detergent into stain and then wash in hot water with regular laundry detergent.

MELTED CRAYON: Place an adequate amount of paper towels between the stain; both sides like a sandwich. Place a hot iron on top of the stained area so the paper towels absorb the crayon. Continue to replace the soiled papers until the stain is gone.

BERRIES: Immediately place the garment stain side down on a paper towel and sponge thoroughly with cool water. If stain persist, apply a liquid detergent to the area for five minutes before rinsing with hot water. When done, wash garment as directed.

FORMULA: Mix water with meat tenderizer to create a paste-like consistency. Apply mixture directly to stain. Fresh lemon juice works great to white clothing, just allow the garment to sit in the sun when treating.

INK: Place garment on a pad of paper towels. Saturate area with rubbing alcohol or glycerin and blot stain with sponge. Repeat if necessary and follow up with a mild detergent wash.

GRASS: Immediately sponge with warm water or rubbing alcohol. Work a prewash treatment into the stain and let sit for 15 minutes. Work the area with a tooth brush before washing.

DIRT/MUD: If the garment has fresh mud, allow it to dry before removal. With dirt, brush off excess and immerse garment in water with a prewash solution. Add vinegar to help lighten the stain – Leave in water for 30 minutes (new stain) or up to (few hours) for an old stain. Launder garment as directed.

LIPSTICK: Apply an oil solvent, let dry and then remove residue. Apply liquid soap to affected area and water, rub and rinse. Use a dropper filled with ammonia to remove remaining color. Rinse and wash as directed.

COFFEE: Stretch the affected area of the fabric over a bowl and pour boiling water from a kettle held about 1 foot above. If coffee had milk apply an oil solvent. If coffee had sugar apply glycerin. Treat the area and allow for it to sit for 30 minutes before washing, as directed.

Tide Stain Brain App

Got a stain? When stains happen, Tide Stain Brain gives you quick, simple step-by-step solutions on the spot (pun definitely intended!). Blot or scrub? Cold water or hot? Learn how to rid yourself of stains before they even have a chance to dry.

Doing it later. Putting it off will only make it seem more daunting and less doable than it needs to be. And once you finally get around to it, your home will be super clean for a day or two…but then, it will go untouched for weeks and, in the meantime, only get dirtier, dustier, messier and kinda glum.

Doing it sooner. The best way to make cleaning feel like less of a chore is to not treat it like it’s one. Keep up with it, keep the dirt from settling and dust bunnies from populating – clean a little here and a little there and you’ll always have a tidy happy home with the least bit of effort.

Here are the basic ways to make cleaning simple and manageable:

Now, by the time the flowers begin to bloom, you’ll…well, you won’t enjoy it per se…but, you’ll be ready for spring cleaning!

Here is Martha’s approach to spring cleaning:

c/o: Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home

candle in Juicy Nectarine

This scent has made a comeback and a great impression. Fresh and juicy nectarine blended with soft florals and a hint of dewy greens. A highly fragranced candle made using the highest concentration of fragrance oils.

Slatkin & Co. for Bath & Body Works, $19.50

dish soap in Clementine

A natural, biodegradable dish soap in a sweet clementine scent. So you can be a superstar when it comes to whipping up an amazing dinner – and someone else can show off their ultra grease-fighting superpowers at the sink.

Method Home at Target, $3.99

countertop cleanser in Mandarin Vetiver

A convenient, hard-working cleanser that will make you glad you have it handy. The basic formula of the all-purpose cleanser with the added benefits of a special Vegetable Protein Extract, it a naturally fresh way to remove odors from kitchen and bath.

Caldrea, $9

hand wash & cream in Orange-Cantaloup

Fresh, captivating and radiant. This timelessfragrance is as cheerful as a ray of sunshine. A mix of fresh, radiant notes infused with softness, it exudes a captivating citrus scent.

Fruits & Passion, $25

A good looking house is a clean house – cleaning products should reflect that standard. After all, if you’re not excited by your cleaning supplies, you’re not going to be excited about using them. And sure you can say that cleaning is just “one of those things” that has to be done, but why settle on letting a daunting task be miserable when a better outlook is as easy as Murchison-Hume. No, it’s not a law firm and not a funeral home. These are the makers of eco-friendly products are sure to cheer you up and get you in the spirit – just look at them!

First, the vintage amber colored recyclable, refillable, reusable bottles. Second, the clean looking black and white elegantly scripted label. Third, the fragrances – free, juniperberry, white grapefruit, coriander, and fig – like a breath of fresh air (much more delightful than the lingering scent of bleach and ammonia). And best of all, no nasties!

So is it possible for something called, “Boy’s Bathroom” Cleaner, to live up to it’s clever name and back up it’s pretty packaging? Murchison-Hume is confident that they make the finest, safest and most effective products – luxury both inside and out. And behind every piece of housecleaning eye candy is some serious green grunt!