Spring…it’s the perfect time to de-clutter, disinfect, and freshen up your home. Go green and save some green with these easy eco-friendly – and money-saving – spring cleaning tips and tricks.
7 Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks
- Make your own cleaning rags – Instead of buying expensive cleaning cloths and paper towels, use what you already have in your home. Old socks, t-shirts, and towels are great for dusting and cleaning up spills. Throw them in the wash when they are dirty and you can use them again and again. You’ll save money while repurposing items you were probably going to just throw away.
- Recycle – If you aren’t recycling, now is a great time to start. Get into the habit of separating paper, glass, cans, and plastics and put them out on your town’s recycling day, or bring them to your local recycling center. If you paid a deposit for some cans and plastic bottles be sure to redeem them so you can be reimbursed for your deposit. Why throw away cash?
- Stock up on baking soda – Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is a wonderful non-toxic product that has a multitude of uses around the home. Place an open box in your fridge to help fight odors, or mix baking soda with simple ingredients such as water or vinegar to make a solution that will clean and deodorize. Reader’s Digest has some really great ideas for cleaning with baking soda and vinegar. Homemade baking soda-based cleaners are so much cheaper than the premade cleaners you can purchase in a store and don’t contain harsh or toxic chemicals.
- Properly dispose of electronic waste – If you’re ready to ditch that old computer, it is important to do it in a responsible manner. Old computers and hardware, phones, and other electronic devices that end up in landfills can be very harmful to the environment. Many towns and municipalities have programs that will take your discarded electronics and dispose of them in an eco-friendly way. Staples also has a recycling program where you can bring any of your old technology to them and they will recycle it at no cost to you.
- Dry outside – Now that the weather is getting warmer, you can reduce energy consumption by hanging your laundry outside to dry instead of using a dryer. You’ll save costs and sunlight is a free and natural bleach that can help lighten stains.
- Scent your home naturally – Instead of store bought air fresheners that typically contain a lot chemicals, try scenting your home naturally. Boil a pot of water and add in a few drops of essential oils such as lavender, orange, or lemon. Here are some other tips for making your own natural room scents.
De-clutter – Do you know that there are studies that have shown that too much clutter in the home can lead to stress and depression? If you are storing a large amount of items you don’t need, have a garage sale and get rid of your excess belongings while making some money. You can also donate your items to an organization such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You’ll be helping people in need and supporting a worthy cause. Also consider checking out Freecycle, a grassroots non-profit organization that is dedicated to keeping good things out of landfills by connecting people who want to donate things to others in their community.
