With spring here and the long dark winter finally drifting behind us, it’s time for a fresh start. Most of us see spring as an opportunity to start new, whether it’s rigorous house cleaning, major yard work or adding in an exercise routine, spring is the perfect time to make a change. It’s a time of year to get rid of the old and welcome the new.
One of the first things I do every spring is organize my apartment. By organizing your belongings, you are simply seeing what you have that you can recycle and reuse. Go through clothes, magazines, books, furniture and whatever else you might have a mass amount of and separate them into three piles.
The first pile will be to donate; these can be items like clothing, toys and household goods. By donating belongings you never use, you are reducing build up in your home and preventing messes from piling up. The second pile will be for recycling. It’s important to recycle whatever you can. Any old newspapers, glass, magazines, cardboard or plastic can go in this pile. The third pile will be the “makeover” pile. This will be a smaller pile and will come in handy later when you are feeling crafty. Anything you have that you can creatively update can go into this pile.
Now that the clutter is cleared up, it’s time to get to work on the actual cleaning. Try using vegetable-based cleaning products instead of harsh chemical cleaners. For example, switch to a vegetable-based dishwashing detergent and help save oil (traditional dish detergent is made from petroleum). Vinegar is another natural cleaning product that can be used to clean just about anything, from kitchen floors to carpet stains.
It’s important to aim for a no-waste clean-up system. No matter how eco-friendly your cleaning supplies are, it truly will not matter if you are using a roll of paper towels just to clean one bathroom. Think about trading in your paper towels for reusable micro fiber cloths or sponges, and instead of a Swiffer sweeper, just use a real broom.
One of my favorite things about spring is being able to hang dry laundry. There is nothing better then the fresh scent of laundry dried outdoors, plus you will be cutting back on your energy bill.
Here’s another great tip… and it might even be the easiest one of all. We all love throwing open the windows on the first warm day of the year, so why not keep the windows open a little longer this year and try avoiding the air conditioner as much as possible.
If you’re looking for some household cleaning products that are eco-friendly, I suggest you simply read the labels. Look for warnings on the labels and avoid anything that has the words “danger,” “poison” or “toxic” printed on it. The least we can do is live consciously in the most important environment to us, our homes!
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