Published March 22, 2022
Going Green with Your Spring Cleaning
Are you getting that ITCH to scrub your home from top to bottom? We’ve got eco-friendly tips to help you become a little more “eco-responsible” in your daily habits & reduce your carbon footprint! These tiny tweaks to your routines require little time, money, & effort!
1. Lighten up your use of plastics - get serious about recycling but start small! Start by using recyclable grocery bags and carrying a refillable water bottle… You don’t have to tackle everything at once - ease into it. Also try plastic-free products like shampoo bars - one bar can contain the equivalent number of washes as 3 bottles of shampoo!
2. Shop for sustainable meats - if meat is part of your diet, sustainably raised means the animal had lots of space to roam and access to fresh grass and a healthy diet. There are lots of farms around Orange County that sell direct-to-consumer meats, so making the switch has never been easier!
3. Bring your pets into alignment and shop for pet food that is also sustainably sourced. 80% of pet food packaging is recyclable so remember to toss the empty bag into your “Blue Bin!”
4. Pick a day to go meatless - I read that doing this one thing reduces carbon footprint, water consumption, and ecological footprint!
5. Use natural or plant-based cleaning products - Decode the ingredients here
6. Improve your home’s insulation - save a few hundred bucks on your annual energy bill & add some thermal shades to retain heat in the winter!
7. Donate your gently used clothes - Give your goods a second chance. There’s someone who will really appreciate them!
8. Choose safer pots and pans! I didn’t know “Non-Stick Coating” could scrape off into my food - three safer options are Cast Iron, Enamel-Coated Iron, & Stainless Steel.
9. Use fragrance-free products.
10. Reduce use of pesticides/bug spray - If you need to keep bugs away, caulk areas of your home’s exterior & try this list of greener alternatives.
If you are thinking a Deep Clean is what you need, here’s a checklist for Springtime Cleaning:
Checklist from Taste of Home
Is COVID CLUTTER getting to you? It is at MY home! We had two years to cultivate it & I'm ready for it to be G-O-N-E! It is daunting most of the time, so how about a quick “How to Survive the Purge” followed by a few recommendations on local businesses who will help take the “bite out of your belongings!”
Experts suggest making a list of each room that needs to be de-cluttered and have a bin or bag for trash, a box for “keepers,” one for “repairs,” and a donation bin. You can also call ahead & schedule large item pickup or donations with TROSA, take items to the Durham Habitat for Humanity ReStore, or the Durham & Chapel Hill Rescue Mission to save time & give gently used items to people in need.
If life is demanding too much of you OR you would rather spend time doing anything else, why not let someone else put in the elbow grease for you?! Here are two local companies we love that can remove your ‘accouterments’ for you:
2. Neat NC
Both offer white glove concierge services for your move, tackle decluttering a space, or help with tag sale projects of all sizes. Most importantly, they allow you to keep your focus and plans on creating fun springtime memories with family & friends.
If you are looking for organization inspiration, look no further than Neat NC’s Instagram page or Tobacco Road Downsizing’s blog!
When all is said and done, if you think you have outgrown your space or discover you really don’t need so much, ask yourself this question, “Is it time to Trade Up or Scale Down?” – a chat with Masha will open the door to a world of possibilities!
