There’s still plenty of time to get some spring cleaning in before summer comes, and you can freshen up your home by giving it a top-to-bottom buffing. For the environmentally conscious, our residential property management company would like to share several ways to go green with spring cleaning:
- Make your own green cleaning products.
If you’re up to the challenge, you can make your own green-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products. Many of the ingredients that you’ll need to make these concoctions are already in your pantry, including distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and olive oil. Spark People offers some useful recipes for DIY green cleaning products.
For those that would prefer to purchase green-friendly cleaning products off the shelf, you can find a wide selection at your local grocery store or home improvement store. Take note of the ingredients and watch out for harmful toxins like ammonia, bleach, triclosan, and petroleum solvents. Just because a product’s label says “natural” doesn’t mean that it is.
Add some greenery to your living space.
Nothing freshens up your living space like adding some houseplants. Think of houseplants as your own living air filters. Incorporating air-cleaning houseplants like spider plants, English Ivy, and rubber plants will create an inviting space and purify your air.
- De-clutter your wardrobe.
Looking for a way to maximize your closet space? An easy fix is to de-clutter your wardrobe. The average person only wears 20 percent of his or her wardrobe. Considering this, you can skim down your wardrobe by donating items with holes or articles of clothing that don’t fit. If you’re reluctant to toss out items, take advantage of under-the-bed storage by packing up out-of-season clothing. To prevent the musty mothball smell in your stored clothing, stuff a pair of socks with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and whole cloves.
- Eliminate paper towels.
Think about how many rolls of paper towels you go through in any given week. By ditching paper towels and opting for washable cleaning cloths, you’ll save trees and cash. You can even give your old shirts new life by turning them into cleaning and dusting cloths. After a thorough cleaning, simply toss the rags into the washing machine and use them again and again.
- Air dry your clothes.
Tossing your clothes into the dryer is hard on your clothes. Extend their useful life and help the environment by line-drying your clothes. If space is an issue, you can invest in a two-tier drying rack that can easily be folded up when not being used. If you’re interested in air drying your clothes outdoors with a retractable clothing line, be sure to talk with your residential property management company first to confirm that it’s allowed.
The good news is that giving your home a good spring cleaning does not have to be dirty work. Implement these green-friendly cleaning practices to freshen up your home this spring.
Our residential property management company is happy to offer additional solutions for going green at home. Please contact us at Vesta Property Services to learn more!
