Green Your Routine

Spring is here, and it’s the perfect time to "green” your spring-cleaning routine. Note: When sanitizing or disinfecting your home, follow guidance from the CDC. When and How to Clean and Disinfect Your Home | Water, Sanitation, and Environmentally Related Hygiene (WASH) | CDC

1. Switch to Green Products

Today, there's a wealth of high-quality, effective cleaning products that will get the job done without potentially adding harmful chemicals to your home environment. Look for products that are verified by the Environmental Working Group (or a similar organization). Bonus points if the packaging is recycled or biodegradable.

2. Ditch Single-Use Products

Single-use products like bleach wipes, paper towels, plastic trash bags, and disposable gloves have a significant environmental waste footprint. Consider switching to alternatives like glass spray bottles, microfiber cloths, brown bags, and reusable cleaning gloves

3. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

Mix up your own cleaning solutions, tailoring them with ingredients like lemon, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, essential oils, and other fresh scents to suit the surfaces in your home. Invest in a few reusable glass spray and pump bottles to store your blends, and you'll be on your way to eco-friendly cleaning in no time! (Note: There are some products, such as bleach and vinegar, that should not be mixed as they could create dangerous chemicals.)

Here's a simple recipe from Melissa Maker of Clean My Space, which can be used on quartz, granite, and marble counters, plus appliances and sinks:

What you need:

• 3/4 cup water

• 3/4 cup rubbing alcohol

• 5 to 10 drops of peppermint, lemon, or orange essential oil

• 1 squirt of natural dish soap

How to make an all-natural cleaner:

• Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well.

• Spray onto the surface and wipe with a clean cloth.

For additional information, please visit please visit EPA’s Identifying Greener Cleaning Products. 

4. Line Dry Your Clothes

You can cut down on your energy use simply by air drying your clothes. When the sun is shining and a gentle breeze is in the air, hang your laundry on a line stretched across a porch or between two trees to soak up that fresh, outdoor-dried goodness. No yard or porch? No problem! Use an indoor drying rack in a well-ventilated space. Plus, air drying helps preserve your fabrics, keeping your clothes looking great for longer.

5. Refresh Your Recycling Habits

Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be just about cleaning, it’s also a great opportunity to set better habits. Improper recycling can cause entire batches of recyclable goods to get dumped into landfills. Read more on how to recycle properly. And double check your local waste treatment facility's guidelines to ensure your recyclables will be sorted properly.

6. Reuse Old Clothing

Turn old, unwearable clothes into cloth rags and use them instead of paper towels for heavy-duty cleaning around the house. If you need more than your wardrobe can supply, visit a local thrift store—some even sell bulk rags made from unsellable donations. It’s an easy way to save money, cut down on waste, and give old fabrics a second life!

7. Purify Your Air with Plants

Houseplants like spider plants and aloe vera can improve indoor air quality and even remove air pollutants.

Houseplants have long been a favorite way to bring the beauty and tranquility of nature indoors.

But beyond adding a touch of greenery, your desk plant is likely working to purify the air around you! Inspired by early NASA research on air-cleaning plants, we now know that many common houseplants can help filter indoor toxins. And it’s not just the plants, microorganisms in the potting soil also play a role in freshening up your space!

While native plants are best for outdoor plantings, they don't fare well indoors, so consider these plants that do adapt well to indoor environments and improve indoor air quality.

Houseplants that improve indoor air quality:

• Spider plant

• Philodendrons

• Boston fern

• English ivy

• Snake Plant

• Gerbera daisy

• Snake plant

• Peace Lily

• Holy Basil