Spring Into More Sustainable Cleaning Habits

This spring, leave behind nasty cleaning chemicals and harmful household products along with winter’s cool and rainy weather. Follow these tips to make this year’s spring cleaning more environmentally friendly:

Use all-natural cleaners whenever possible. Most of your home can be cleaned with water, soap, vinegar and baking soda. Search online for recipes to create homemade cleaning supplies. When buying cleaners, look for the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice label.

Use old rags and cloths for cleaning whenever possible instead of paper towels. Toss them into your next load of laundry or simply rinse them out by hand.

Take this time to rid your home of things you no longer need. Donate clothes, books and gently used household items. Recycle old magazines and papers. Wash reusable shopping bags. Most bags can be washed on the gentle cycle or by hand with warm soapy water and then air dried.

Clean out your indoor and outdoor recycling, organics and trash pails, cans and carts. Spray water into empty containers, soak, dump the dirty water onto a landscaped area, rinse, empty again and then air dry.

Republic Services collects recycling, organics (food and yard waste), and house- hold trash weekly from all residents in Alhambra. Be sure to put the proper items into each cart. Not sure what goes where? Learn more at RepublicServices.com/municipality/alhambra-ca or CityofAlhambra. org/279/Solid-Waste-Recycling.

Beginning April 1, 2023, residents and businesses will also be allowed to discard bulk items on regular collection days with no prior scheduling required. Simply place large items on the curb beside your solid waste carts on your regular collection day and Republic will handle the rest!

Do not place items on the curb before noon on the day preceding your regularly scheduled collection day, or you may receive a notice from the City's Code Enforcement Division to remove the items immediately. Bulky items must also be placed curbside and not obstruct public right-of-way. Do not place items on the street or block sidewalks or driveways.

Learn more about the reinstatement of the sweep service for bulk items at Bit.ly/3mQvtZH.

Republic Services also offers temporary rental dumpsters in various sizes for larger cleanouts or remodeling jobs.

With everything clean and in its place, you’ll be ready to enjoy spring and summer activities!