Greener Spring Cleaning
By Wesley Joseph • May 8th, 2008 • Category: Household
It’s springtime, so if you have not had a chance to do some spring cleaning, make an appointment with your broom and mop today! Spring cleaning can also be a great chance to make your home a little greener.
There is great benefit to reducing the amount of dust, dirt, and (perhaps) pet dander in our lives. If you have allergies to dust (most of us do, but you know if your reaction is extreme or not) consider donning a dust mask while you tackle the dustiest jobs.
Remember to:
- Select greener cleaning products, first and foremost. Try Seventh Generation, Dr. Bronner, Method, or other green-branded (and truly green, read your labels) items for the task.
- Using paper towels? Switch over to a brand with at least a majority of recycled content as well as ones that were not produced with the use of chlorine. Consider using old rags where possible, as they can be washed with greener laundry detergent and hung to dry.
- Start at the top, work your way down (ceiling fans and the tops of cabinets before floors).
- Try to do the task in one day or one weekend, because the fan you put off until next weekend will spread its dust to the floor you just swept and mopped (among other dust collectors, like shelves) in the meantime.
After you finish cleaning your windows (we suggest you try white vinegar and newspaper), if you have older windows be sure you have plans to seal them very well. It is important to have well-sealed windows year-round to make sure that air conditioning or heat do not escape. Purchase some felt weather stripping and tacks for this task. Caulk around the outside if necessary.
Consider putting your air conditioner in now (if you use a window unit), but wait to turn it on until it is truly too hot for just the fan. For most of spring weather, the fan and open windows will suffice in many climates.
If you find clothing or electronics items you no longer use, consider donating them somewhere or selling them if they are of high value.
Soon, we’ll talk about outdoor spring cleaning. Stay tuned…
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Wesley Joseph is the primary editor for EHI. He comes from a strong political science background and is interested in the effect humans' actions have on the environment, how in turn the environment effects humans, and how environmental policy at large and personal actions can change into positive envirohuman impacts.
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