10 Tips for a Greener Spring Cleaning

As you may remember, my family and I are strong believers in living a more natural, sustainable, green, and simple life–but NOT for environmental and conservation reasons–but, because it’s our duty to Allah subhan Allahu wa Ta’ala. We cannot be wasteful and need to be mindful of His creations as temporary inhabitants of this precious Earth we call home. So, by prioritizing our green-er habits, we are in fact helping the environment and everything else that’s becoming more and more mainstream. So, as we spruce up our homes of old stale winter dust bugs and crude…consider the below Green Tips in the process.

10 Tips for a Greener Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning comes in many shapes and sizes. For some, it’s about a simple dusting around and under furniture, while others see it as an opportunity for a complete overhaul of the home from roof to foundation. Whatever category you fall into, there’s one thing we should all benefit from–and that’s to make the cleaning experience a green one.

How is this accomplished? The truth is, everyone’s set of circumstances are different, so there isn’t one answer to the question. However, some general guidelines that can put a greener stamp on the process, improve our lives, and take a little pressure of the environment include some of the following:

1. Cleaners: At some point, every level of spring cleaning requires a little scrubbing with a sponge and a cleanser. The problem is, most standard products on the market are made from chemicals that leave noxious fumes in the breathable space, and when spilled outdoors or down the drain, they have the potential to taint underground aquifers.  Try using eco-friendly brands or make your own from household items such as baking soda and vinegar.
2. Repurpose: You don’t have to be a homeowner to know that whether clothing, digital equipment, art supplies, or books, it’s very easy to collect a lot of belongings. At a certain point, we often feel too heavy and want to unload it all. If you’re planning on downsizing, consider giving things away as hand-me-downs to family or friends, as donations, or if you have the time, sell them online or in a consignment shop. The main thing is to prevent usable items from going to a landfill.
3. Recycle: When you’ve exhausted all your repurposing options or if you just need to get rid of stuff in a hurry, recycling is the next best thing. Also spring cleaning can produce a lot of waste so whether it’s paper, plastic, or glass and it can’t be reused, it might as well be transformed into something else through a local recycling campaign.
4. Lighting: Ceiling light covers often get filled with dust and an assortment of little bugs. When wiping and dusting them off, replace incandescent bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). You’ll be contributing less pollution while saving on the electric bill.
5. Contaminants: Recycling is important, but when it comes to things that contain chemicals that can contaminate the environment, make sure they are disposed of properly. Examples include CFLs, batteries, and non-eco-friendly paint, all of which should not be placed in the regular garbage and have specific recycling centers in most towns and cities.
6. Laundry: Washing a lot of extra laundry? Not only is doing full loads more efficient, but electricians will tell you putting clothing on the line or drying rack instead of using a dryer cuts down on unnecessary power usage. Also, with the sun out more often, clothes should dry quickly.
7. Towels: Using cloth rags and real towels in place of paper towels saves hundreds of thousands of trees each week because they can be washed and reused. It also saves you money since you can cut paper towels from your shopping list.
8. Windows: If you’re concerned about the state of your indoor air, don’t purchase chemical laden air fresheners or scented candles to cleanse your home. Open the windows and let the breeze travel every inch of your humble abode.
9. Vents: After a long winter, your central air system’s vents and filters have collected a lot of filth from re-circulating indoor air over and over. Cleaning them will allow the entire system to work more efficiently when the air conditioning is blasting in the heat of summer.
10. Resolutions: Spring isn’t only a great time to go green while buffing and shining the home, but with newness in the air, it’s perfect for transitioning into a more eco-friendly lifestyle. From here on out, try cutting down on plastic disposables and go with reusables, compost, and conserve water. Do whatever you can to make the world a better place, and in turn, you may find your own life getting easier and more wholesome.

 

Found these tips helpful? If so, which ones? Have some to share? Comment below or offer a guest post by emailing us.

 

Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He blogs for pros across the U.S. like tile instillation in Atlanta, GA and Detroit, MI, flooring contractors.

 

Similar Posts:

• Teaching Your Child About Sustainability
• 10 Tips to Utilize Baskets In Your Home
• Paper for Later: 10 Great Ways to Reuse Newspaper at Home
• Great Games Trade-In Hasbro & Recyclebank Partner Up
• Turbo Tax – Free, Easy, Maximum Refund with Fast Turnaround!

Tags: Green Home, green tips, spring cleaning

Category: Green Home