As the snow melts and the blossoms grow again, most homeowners consider this new season as the cue to begin their annual spring cleaning.
After months of confining yourself indoors during the winter, your living space may already be cluttered with dust and dirt, and it may need some cleaning and organizing.
While you’ve probably been spring cleaning every year, you may be unaware that many homeowners use hazardous cleaning products and unsustainable cleaning methods that are harmful to the environment.
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can pull off spring cleaning without harming the planet in the process. Here’s a brief guide on how you can clean your home this spring in an eco-friendly way.
1. Switch To Natural Or Nontoxic Cleaning Products
When shopping for cleaning materials, check the labels and see if these products are not made from toxic and hazardous chemicals.
Preferably, you should go for cleaning products that are made from organic ingredients and that are classified as ‘green’ products.
If you’d like to use do-it-yourself (DIY) cleaning supplies, you may do research to learn how to make your own organic cleaning materials. For example, you can use baking soda, white vinegar, and fresh lemon juice to clean certain areas of your home.
If you want to restore your wood furniture’s shine, you can use lemon juice and olive oil instead of the typical chemically filled furniture spray.
In the event that you decide to use a cleaning service instead of doing the spring cleaning yourself, you can look for sustainable cleaning companies in your area.
These companies focus on using sustainable cleaning processes and eco-friendly products.
Overall, using eco-friendly cleaning products will reduce the risk of indoor air pollution and give your house a healthier atmosphere by the start of the spring season.
2. Air Out Your Home
Instead of using toxic air fresheners, keep your indoor air fresh and clean by simply opening your doors and windows.
Although air fresheners smell good, most of them contain chemicals that could cause allergic reactions, especially to household members with asthma or other respiratory illnesses.
So go the natural way, let the cool breeze flow through your home, and get rid of the indoor air pollution that has probably accumulated during the cold months.
3. Use Old Fabrics And Ditch Paper Towels
Many homeowners use paper towels to clean and wipe down their furniture pieces and windows. However, these single-use paper towels will only end up in landfills, further polluting the environment.
To reduce your waste production, gather any old clothes and fabrics you have lying around and use them as rags in cleaning your living space.
After cleaning, you can wash and store them in a safe place so you can reuse them the next time you need to get some cleaning done.
4. Air-Dry Your Laundry
When washing your bed sheets, clothes, towels, and other used fabrics, take advantage of the spring season and air-dry them instead of placing them in the dryer.
Air-drying will help you save electricity and reduce your carbon footprint. You can reserve the dryer for the cold months and rainy days, but for now, reduce harm to the environment by air-drying your laundry.
5. Donate Or Sell Unused Items
Generally, part of most people’s spring-cleaning checklist is to get rid of clutter. But instead of dumping your clutter (e.g., old items or items that are no longer being used) in the trash bin, consider setting them aside for donation or reselling.
Whether it’s your used couch, old clothes, or shoes your kids have grown out of, you can still donate or resell them as long as they’re still in good condition.
You can host a yard sale/garage sale with the help of your friends or family, or you can contact your favorite charity and deliver your old items to them.
Not only will you be clearing your home of clutter, but you’ll also be giving these items a new home and preventing them from being thrown in landfills.
6. Compost Food Leftovers
Most homeowners include their pantries when they do their spring cleaning. When cleaning out your pantry, look at the expiration dates of the food you’ve stored and take out anything that’s too old to be eaten or that was left open for a long time.
To reduce waste, you can compost them in your backyard instead of dumping them in the trash bin. This will result in the added benefit of you creating a natural fertilizer you can use for your yard or garden.
On the other hand, if you have food that’s still good to eat but that you don’t think you can use before it goes bad, you may want to consider donating these instead.
This way, you can free up space in your pantry while ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
7. Use Natural Solutions For Pest Infestations
As the spring season begins, ants, flies, and other unwanted pests will likely start showing up in your home in search of food.
Instead of buying toxic and hazardous pest control products that could be dangerous for your family, you can equip yourself with natural pest control solutions.
For example, you can sprinkle cinnamon, salt, mint, or other natural deterrents on your windowsills to keep pests away. You may also use a mixture of essential oil and vinegar to spray on any pest you spot.
Wrapping Up
Spring cleaning is more satisfying when you know you’re not hurting the planet or creating waste in the process.
So, before you begin this annual undertaking, take a step back to consider the methods or products you use and whether you can replace these with eco-friendly alternatives.
With the items listed in the guide above, you already have a great place to start.
