Having a home that is free from clutter is important. However, having an environment that is free from pollution is even more important. So, if you have plans to declutter and tidy up your home in the future, make sure the methods you use are as good for you as they are for the planet. To help you stay green, here are a few earth-friendly cleaning and tidying tips.
Clean With the Right Supplies
Decluttering can be a chore. So, once you’re finished, you will definitely want to have some eco-friendly cleaning supplies to help keep your home sparkling. You can use green cleaning products that won’t harm the environment, or you can use DIY cleaners made from simple ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda. You should also aim to buy reusable cleaning supplies. For instance, investing in a top-rated vacuum can make your cleaning efforts less wasteful than using disposable sweeper pads. A quality vacuum is useful if you have pets because certain vacuums do especially well at removing pet hair from furniture and hard-to-reach places.
Recycle or Sell What You Can
As an eco-conscious consumer, you may already be recycling cans, bottles, and plastics. But if you are decluttering your home, you will need to take care when handling larger items. If you set furniture or large appliances on your curb, chances are they will end up being picked up and disposed of in already harmful landfills. These trash collectives not only create an environment eyesore, but they also pollute our air and water resources with large amounts of plastic and potentially harmful chemicals. Look for eco-friendlier appliance recycling options instead. Many local retailers offer recycling services free with an appliance purchase, or you may need to arrange a recycling pickup with a utility provider. You can also sell your used items, which as Gumtree notes not only earns you some money, but also helps reduce landfill waste. Selling unwanted items means you take part in the second-hand economy, and you can choose to sell online, at a garage sale, or donate the items.
Cut Out Your Paper Waste
Appliances are not the only clutter that can end up in landfills. If you have tons of paper documents and photos around your home, and you want to get rid of them, you may have a hard time recycling responsibly. Chances are, you will want to shred these papers before you put them in your recycling bin, but many municipal recycling centers cannot accept shredded mixed-use paper. A better option is to put a stop to your paper waste. Give any old photos away and discard documents as needed. Then, make a commitment to using cloud storage solutions for your future photo and document needs. Cloud storage has less of an impact on the environment and is a much safer method for preserving your memories.
Reduce Your Reliance on Plastics
Once you have your photos sorted out and scanned into a cloud, you may wonder what to do with the extras you want to keep. Well, before you go out and purchase those popular plastic storage bins, you should know how much of an impact they can have on the environment. Our planet is being suffocated by plastic, and purchasing plastic products is contributing to the problem. Even using plastic garbage bags for your decluttering trash can be severely damaging to the environment. So, as you clean up and organize your home, consider cleaning up your plastic habits in the process. Opt for metal or glass storage solutions as you tidy up your cabinets, rather than plastic. You can also just leave the bag out of your garbage bin for a small way to make a major difference in your plastic consumption.
Decluttering your home can be good for your soul. However, it doesn’t have to be bad for the environment. With a few small tweaks, you can make your cleaning routine easier for you and more eco-friendly for the world around you.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Author: Alice Robertson
Nice.
However, I’m fairly sure our garbage collector requires us to put garbage in plastic bags. Eatonville, I think, contracts with LeMay.