With the pandemic that the entire world is now facing, the need to keep one’s home clean has reached top priority, even for those who are busy. But how exactly can you keep your home clean while going green?
Cleaning your house, regardless of its type, is a continuous process. But sometimes, due to money and time constraints, ensuring your home’s upkeep can be daunting. Add to that the desire to clean green without breaking your budget. So if you have been looking for ways to make your home cleaning regimen a bit more eco-friendly, then you have landed on the right page.
Green Tips to Keep the House Clean
You must keep on top of things if you still want to enjoy the benefits of a clean, attractive, and healthy home. Hence, for you to embrace sustainable living, it is imperative to implement some green tips when doing so.
1. Find a Green Source
Most cleaning supplies contain toxic chemicals that are bad for your loved ones and for mother nature. But as the world has become more conscious about the environment, an increasing number of companies have also come up with non-toxic versions of several go-to cleaners in the market. This somewhat simplifies the transition from traditional to green products.
Greening your purchase of cleaning products can be done in many ways. First, you must examine as many of the product’s “green” claims as possible. Second, you should be wary of vague, if not generic, claims such as “eco-safe” or “environmentally friendly” because not all products containing these labels are true to their words.
Lastly, you can try to ask the manufacturers if they have conducted related life cycle studies on what they are selling in the market. However in the absence of this data, you must come up with a decision about the overall value of whatever cleaning products you are buying, taking into consideration the company’s priorities and policies.
It is best to find a source for bio-friendly, non-toxic cleaners and natural products. Once you make it a habit to make your cleaning routine eco-friendly, you will want to get rid of the products that no longer serve your home. However, if that is the case, make sure that you do not throw them away just for them to end up in the water supply or landfill. Proper disposal of waste should still be implemented.
2. Repurpose Unused Items
Many homes have unused items that can be repurposed so they will not add to the waste that the world is carrying these days. This can be a part of your regular eco-friendly home cleaning. As you declutter, you can recycle these items and use them for new purposes. This will not only help save the environment but also make you save your money.
Another benefit of repurposing is having fewer items for disposal. For example, big cans of milk or plastic bottles of soft drinks can be used as DIY pots for backyard gardening or vases in the living room. This way, you not only reuse them but also keep yourself from shelling out money just to buy plant pots or flower vases.
3. Bring Greens from the Garden
Ever wonder why numerous homeowners prefer to have plants inside the house? For one thing, they provide decorative flair. For another, having some greenery indoors has proven to boost the mood of any person. But cultivating houseplants has many other benefits.
For instance, they have proven to help in improving indoor air quality. Houseplants are known to breathe in and neutralize the toxins lurking around the house which, if not removed as soon as possible, can cause adverse effects to one’s health, especially after prolonged and excessive exposure. These plants, usually used to accent part of a home, also give off fresh oxygen for your loved ones to enjoy and can work to keep everyone cool.
There are many different plants that can remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that vaporize at room temperature and are often found in non-eco friendly cleaning products, thereby causing harm to nature and humans. Since people eat, sleep, and work indoors during these times, it is essential to limit the presence of these harmful chemicals by having VOC-absorbent plants at home to do this job. Plants like Areca Palm, Bamboo tree, rubber plant, and Peace Lily absorb toxins such as formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, trichloroethylene, and benzene, and in doing, so help improve indoor air quality.
Making Homes Clean and Green
While staying safe and at home these days, learn how you can deep clean your indoor space. A bit of thoughtful planning on the things you need to do and use when cleaning your home is imperative to ensure you do not harm the environment or your health in the process.
Feature image: Gustavo Fring; Image 1: Gustavo Fring
