By Sarah Currie-Halpern
It says it right there in the name: Spring cleaning season is upon us. The annual tradition of airing out our rooms, cleaning out our closets, and finally wiping away the dust and grime hiding in hard-to-reach places is undoubtedly good for our homes, but it could admittedly be better for the earth. Acting on the impulse to pitch things means more waste in incinerators and landfills, and many cleaning products are a toxic cornucopia of chemicals that are bad for our bodies and for the environment.
An eco-conscious spring cleaning can take all sorts of environmental concerns into account, including waste diversion, energy conservation, and even microplastic avoidance. Here are five tips to make your annual degunking and decluttering a little more considerate to the planet:
Think bigger than just donating
The local Goodwill isn’t a bad place to start when offloading things you don’t use or need any longer, but donation-based thrift stores are often overwhelmed and end up sending surplus donations to the landfill. Before you drop off, try offering pieces of your pile to local buy-nothing groups or any of the resale apps that have cropped up in the last few years. Poshmark, Vinted and Depop are great for reselling clothes, especially considering vintage has never been more in demand.
Ditch the paper towels
The cons outweigh the pros when it comes to paper towels. The pros include that paper towels are compostable—except, that is, when saturated with grease or chemicals from cleaning products. As for the cons? Virgin forest clearing, water pollution, toxic chemicals from bleaching, and 3,000 tons of waste every year in the U.S. alone. Invest in good cotton (not microfiber that shed microplastics!) bar towels that can be washed and used again and again, and you’ll lighten the load headed for the landfill.
Be microplastics savvy
Scrubbing and scraping with plastic-based cleaning supplies can inadvertently shed microplastics all over your home. Instead, stock your cleaning closet with good (and often longer-lasting) alternatives, namely wood and metal. These days it’s easy to find wood scrubbers with natural bristles and metal dustpans. Before buying a new stack of rags, tear up old t-shirts or bedding. Even sponges have gotten a microplastic-free makeover in the form of wood pulp, luffa, coconut, and cellulose alternatives. Avoiding plastic altogether isn’t easy, but use this spring to start somewhere.
Try home remedies before hard chemicals
Not everything needs to be doused in the health-disrupting toxic chemicals found in some 2,000 cleaning supplies in order to shine. Try more natural and homemade solutions first. Epsom salt works wonders on tile and doubles as pest control. Diluted vinegar is the all-natural all-star, working like a multi-purpose cleaner that removes limescale, deodorizes laundry machines, and polishes glass. If you dislike the smell, add essential oils or citrus peels. You can also try castile soap, which can work as a multi-purpose cleaner, dish soap, and laundry detergent. Dr. Bronner’s has a free guide to dilution for different homecare applications. Baking soda mixed liquid soap and water makes a great toilet and tile scrub. Hydrogen peroxide works wonders in sanitizing anywhere where germs may be lurking.
Break out the clothesline
Take advantage of warmer temperatures and sunnier days by drying your wet laundry outside. Line drying uses absolutely no electricity, makes clothes last longer, prevents wrinkles, and even kills germs. You don’t even need a backyard to do it. Clothes racks come in all sorts of multi-tiered and easy-to-store configurations that make outdoor drying a breeze.
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