Is it time to go Green with Spring Cleaning?

As the focus continues to move toward ‘green’ living and the environmentally friendly lifestyle, maybe it’s time to reduce waste, tidy up, and deep clean the ‘green’ way. Spring cleaning time is here and there are a number of great ways you can go green. Whether you want to de-clutter and go more minimalist, get organized, or simply want to have a sparkling clean home, here are some great ‘green’ tips to help you clean up, clean out, or both.

Decluttering

Let’s start small, in the bathroom, where storage is often at a minimum. Start with expired medications or vitamins and move on from there. Remember while vitamins and over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be safely tossed, expired prescriptions should be disposed of properly via National Prescription Drug Take Back Day or a DEA authorized collector (many pharmacies). With OTC medications and supplements, consider emptying the expired contents and recycling the containers for a green solution.

In the bedroom, consider upcycling, donating, or swapping clothes and linens you no longer use. While you are there, get rid of those stacks of magazines you’ve been meaning to read, or that pile of mail which continues to stack up.

If you have a multitude of books taking up much needed space, maybe this is the year to donate them to schools or libraries, have a book swap, recycling, or even upcycling them into unique décor for your home. Along that same line, do you have shelves which continue to store VHS tapes or CDs? This year could be the year you let go of your outdated technology by donating, recycling, or even selling them for a little extra cash.

The one final stop on the decluttering journey is the kitchen. Like the bathroom, it often becomes cluttered unsuspectingly as items get shoved to the back of cabinets and pantries. Take the time to go through each cabinet, tossing broken items, donated unused items, and reusing items like mugs, teacups, and graters into jewelry holders and old utensils make great coat hooks.

Cleaning

Now that the decluttering is complete, you can easily clean your home. A good ‘green’ place to begin is adding sponges and reusable cloths and dusters to replace disposable paper towels. Sponges and cloths are more resilient and reusable than paper towels and get the household cleaning done better while saving you money.

When it comes to cleaning, a good multipurpose cleaner may be just the solution you’ve been seeking.  Multipurpose cleaners allow you to clean almost every surface with a single cleaner. Most can be diluted with water to clean windows, floors, and even your dishes.  Imagine a single cleaner safe for multiple surfaces, and a completely uncluttered cleaning closet or cabinet. By choosing a green cleaning multipurpose product for your single cleaning solution and avoid toxic chemical and harmful hazardous waste (bottles with harmful cleaning solutions can contaminate other recyclables in your bin). Green cleaning products’ packaging can be recycled along with the rest of your plastic recyclables.

Whatever route you choose decluttering, cleaning up, or both, you can go ‘green’ little by little or all at once and make a big difference. And remember, the professional cleaning team at Signature Maids is ready to help you get the job done perfectly, from weekly cleaning to spring cleaning and everything in between!