Spring Cleaning: Sustainable Traditions from Our Childhood
You know it's officially spring when Mami pulls out all the cleaning supplies from under the sink, and the smell of Fabuloso starts to take over the house. That bright purple liquid was like magic to her. The stronger the smell, the cleaner the house, right?
We still remember waking up to our mama blasting music at 7 am on Saturday to indicate to her 5 daughters it was time to get up and start cleaning. We remember each hermana being assigned a piece of the casita that was their responsibility to clean. We often think about how 5 little girls were constantly exposed to harsh chemicals at such a young age.
This was very different from our mama's experience growing up in a small pueblo in Mexico. Our abuelita grew up using natural cleaning products because she was taught what the earth could provide without harming her. She had knowledge that was passed down to her through generations. Our mama came to the US in her 30s with 3 daughters. When she arrived here, she resorted to store-bought cleaning supplies due to a lack of resources and understanding of the harsh chemicals she brought into our casita. Our mama's only goal at the time was to be able to provide a clean home for her daughters in a land she did not know.
The Wisdom in Abuelita's Ways
Our abuelita, who grew up in a small town in Mexico, would often talk about how she composted all of her food scraps and used them to nourish her garden. She never wasted anything, and everything had a purpose. This was something that was ingrained in her from a young age and was passed down through generations. Our mom also recalls showering in the river using a plant to wash up. To her, it was just a normal part of their life growing up. She never thought twice about the positive impact it had on the environment. These were just things they did with the resources they had at the time. Even to this day, when we return to our mama's pueblo, we still save food scraps for the neighbor's animals. Nothing goes to waste.
We didn't understand it back then when our abuelita would tell us these stories. We knew our mama grew up differently. It wasn't until we were older that we realized their was so much knowledge in our Abuelita's history; she was truly the OG zero waster before it was cool.
Beyond Cleaning: Sustainable Living as a Lifestyle
Once our abuelita arrived to the US she was a constant presence for us as we grew up. Our abuelitos lived in a small little apartment above our tio's house that we would visit often. We would always see our abuleita cooking or cleaning her little casita when we visited. Here are some of our Abuelita's favourite cleaning rituals:
- For windows, she'd use plain vinegar and an old shirt. We never saw her use blue sprays! The windows would sparkle like nobody's business. That's why we love our Glass Cleaning Ritual, this eco-friendly set is abuelita approved! Delivering spotless results with modern sustainability, eliminating single-use plastics.
- Baking soda was her go-to for everything. From scrubbing sinks to deodorizing carpets. She'd sprinkle it everywhere, let it sit, and then sweep or vacuum it up. No artificial fragrances, just clean. Discover our Cooktop and Stove Top Cleaner Kit, which provides a sustainable solution for maintaining a spotless kitchen just like our abuelita liked it.
Coming Full Circle
Now, as adults as madres with our own home, we find myself reaching for Meliora’s Home Cleaning Scrub whose hero ingredient is baking soda instead of harsh cleaning scrubs. We often reach for our Agave Fiber Cleaning Brush (Escobeta) that reminds us of our Mama Pina, our abuelita. We even save our food scraps just like our abuelita did to compost.
It's funny how these things come full circle. What we once didn't understand as kids is now part of our everyday life. Abuelita's peculiar stories that made her upbringing different now fill us with orgullo (pride).
As we tackle this year's spring cleaning, we are grateful for the blend of traditions we've inherited. Our Mama's thoroughness and Abuelita's sustainability. Between them, we've learned that taking care of a home isn't just about making it look and smell clean; it's about caring for it in a way that cares for everything and everyone around it. This is why at VOLVERde we have made it easy for you to find effective and eco-friendly cleaning solutions. We want everyone to be able to clean their home without plastic or harsh chemicals as our abuelita wanted.
Con Mucho Amor,
Aidee + Monica
