As warmer weather arrives and spring cleaning commences, I started thinking about what are our household must-haves. What are the items that we use on regular basis that make our lives easier? What items do we use around the house that have more than one purpose?
Today, I’ll share the ‘Top Five Green Household Must-Haves’. Please feel free to leave a comment below to share your must-haves!
#1 A good vacuum cleaner
A few years ago we met a guy whose family owns a local vacuum store (Willett Vacuum). We had just gotten Charlie, our first dog, and we already had two cats. The amount of fur and dirt in our house was getting out of control and we needed to upgrade our vacuum. I visited the store, told them our needs, tested out various models and decided on this Riccar vacuum. It easily transitions from carpet to hardwood, and does a master job on cleaning up all of the pet hair that accumulates in every nook and cranny around our house. As the main vacuumer in our house, this is definitely one of my must-haves.
#2 A lint roller
A good lint roller is also a necessity in a house full of animals. We now have two dogs (one yellow, one black) and one cat (white), so leaving home without animal fur on us somewhere is almost impossible. A lint roller by the door sure helps though. In addition to using the lint roller on clothing, I’ve also found a few other useful tasks that truly make it a must have:
-cleaning lamp shades (have you ever noticed how dusty they can get?)
-cleaning the tops of window treatments (when I’m in a hurry and don’t have time for a full vacuum)
#3 Green All-Purpose Cleaner
I like to wipe down our kitchen counters every night, and I prefer to use a green, natural cleaner. This multi-purpose cleaner comes in handy all over the house though, from the bathrooms to the basement. Right now we have the Seventh Generation lemongrass scent, but I prefer the smell of the Clorox Green Works, so we’ll probably be going back to that as soon as this bottle runs out.
#4 A filtered showerhead
(Don’t you love our 1940′s Tiffany blue tile?!)
Where we live, our water is hard and harsh. About a year ago, I was having a hard time with dry skin and an itchy scalp. I had tried various lotions and shampoos, but nothing really seemed to do the trick in minimizing my symptoms. I decided to buy a filtered showerhead to see if it would help. Boy, did it ever! I could immediately feel a difference in the hardness of the water. As a result, my skin is less dry, my hair is softer, and my scalp is no longer itchy.
There are many choices available for filtered showerheads, but I chose this Sprite model from Lowe’s. We flip the filter once a month and change it out for a new one every three months. Definitely worth it, and definitely a must-have for us!
#5 A good tape measure
This was Andrew’s pick for a household must-have. Whether it’s measuring for furniture placement, for picture hanging, or for building something, a good tape measure is a necessity for us. Andrew actually put this one in my stocking this year because he was tired of me ‘borrowing’ his 
!
º What are your household must-haves?
