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It’s that time of the year again – the spring is blooming, and that can mean many things, including that spring cleaning is due. After the long period of cold weather spent mostly indoors, our homes are in dire need of thorough cleaning and refreshment. That usually means using a lot of cleaning products, paper towels and similar things, which are not always so good for our health in the first place, and also for the environment in general.
So here are a few suggestions from professionals at Eco Mama Green Clean how to make your spring cleaning session much more eco-friendly, yet equally efficient.
Get Rid of Toxic Cleaning Products
There is absolutely no reason to stick to the non-biodegradable toxic products which can be harmful for your health, and also for the environment. When shopping for spring cleaning, make sure you read the labels and choose products which do not contain toxic chemicals. Some of them are already marked as non-toxic and are easy to recognize so you don’t always have to read all the ingredients.
Also, there are so many natural products such as vinegar, salt or lemon juice which can be used for very efficient, yet completely eco-friendly and organic cleaning.
No Need to Waste So Much Paper
Instead of using the paper towels, try switching to the reusable cloth ones. You can buy them, or you can simply repurpose some old towels or other adequate textiles and reduce the amount of waste you create, also sending a message that it’s not necessary to cut that many trees. If you really can’t live without the paper towels, at least try using those which are biodegradable and made from recycled paper.
Additionally, if you are getting rid of a lot of old papers, see if you can somehow reuse them for something else, and ideally, if possible, reduce the number of printed documents you need and use and go completely electronic.
Ration Your Water Usage
Saving water as much as possible is quite an important element if you wish to go eco-friendly. So while doing the spring cleaning, make sure you ration your water usage. To do so, do not leave the water running if you’re not using it at that moment. To that end, whenever it’s appropriate, try to replace mopping with sweeping, which requires much less (to none) water. On top of that, you can also think of the ways which would contribute to you having less mopping to.
Mange the Food Waste
Cleaning the cupboard and the fridge is certainly a very important part of the spring cleaning, so it needs to be addressed properly. First, try planning ahead and avoiding wasting food, but we all know this is not so easy, so it’s good to know what to do with extra food. Any food that is past expiration date or has simply gone bad should ideally be composted.
We tend to make unnecessary supplies, so if spring makes you think your cupboard is too full, donate the food which you find extra at this point, but which is still good to eat to the local charity organization or shelter.
Use the Energy Efficiently
Spring cleaning requires a lot of electricity as well, but you can be mindful of the energy usage and make sure it is used in the most efficient way. Plug out all the devices which are not being used at the moment. Also, you can use electronic strips which have switches and can be simply turned off and on.
There are a few more things which can help save some energy, such as cleaning your fridge coils, or using the LED and CFL light bulbs instead of the incandescent ones. Cleaning air ducts can also be very useful in increasing your home’s energy efficiency.
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