Sustainable Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning is a long-standing tradition in which people freshen up and de-clutter their home at the beginning of the spring season. There are many benefits to giving your living space a deep clean and de-clutter around this time of year, these include but are not limited to. Reducing dust and other allergens, improving air quality, reduced stress and anxiety from a cleaner and tidier environment, and a general sense of a fresh start at the beginning of a new season. In addition to this, spring cleaning can also have positive effects on the environment. Donating and up-cycling un-used belongings, finding old belongings you had forgotten you had instead of purchasing new, and generally keeping a clean, tidy space and looking after your possessions all lead to less waste.  

If you are thinking of deep cleaning your home soon here are some tips and tricks on how you can do it in a sustainable way, maximising the benefits for both you and the environment.  

Avoid Harmful Chemicals  

Yes, for certain cleaning jobs you may feel as if you need to bust out the bleach to accomplish your goal, but not every surface of your home needs to be covered in chemicals for it to be clean. Especially if you have young children or pets, filling the air in your home with chlorine, ammonia, triclosan and phthalates (all commonly found in cleaning products) isn’t a very healthy idea, plus using too many harmful substances can damage sea life and local wildlife when released into the water and air.  

There are many ways to clean without using harsh chemicals, A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water is a great natural alternative to most cleaning sprays, and if you don’t like the smell of white vinegar then adding some scented essential oils to the mixture can help cover it.  

Freshen Up 

Getting that fresh and clean feeling throughout your home can do wonders for your mental and physical health. Turn off your heating and air conditioning and open all of your windows for a few hours for air flow.   

Try out this recipe for an eco-friendly fabric freshener form The Independent "Half fill a bottle with water, add 20ml of bicarbonate of soda and your favourite essential oils for fragrance". to get bad smells out of soft furniture and carpets.  

Keeping fresh flowers and potted plants in your home is a great way to keep your air fresh and clean without any of the harsh chemicals that come in a lot of air fresheners.

When the weather allows it, air drying your clothes as apposed to washing them in a dryer can leave them smelling fresh and clean without using any electricity!

Sustainable Supplies  

It may not be something you think about often, but there are actually a lot of decisions to be made when picking out your cleaning supplies. Take a look in your local supermarket and see if you can opt for the sponges, scrubbing brushes, feather dusters and binbags ect that come in recyclable packaging, or that claim to be recyclable themselves. Opting for re-usable cloths that can be washed and used again and again over paper towels and disposable wipes is an obvious but effective way to keep you spring clean sustainable.  

If you are lucky enough to live near a zero-waste shop (one of those trendy new places now popping up around the country that allows you to bring your own container and buy loose products by weight), they are great places to buy soap, laundry detergent and other consumable items you might need to clean your home!  

Get Rid Of The Clutter  

A clean and tidy living space means a clean and tidy mind. However, this doesn't at all mean you need to resort to minimalism if that isn’t your style. In the immortal words of professional organizer Marie Kondo “keep what sparks joy” and there are many benefits to getting rid of items that don’t spark joy. Give unwanted and unused items to people who may need them, by gifting them, selling them or donating them. Even up-cycling old items, such as turning old clothes into cleaning rags is a much eco-friendlier alternative to having them sit in your wardrobe or throwing them in the bin.  

When throwing away old items, it may be tempting to instantly replace them, after all, you did just make a lot of room in your wardrobe or on your bookshelf, that’s the perfect excuse for a shopping spree, right? - Well yes and no, do not try and instantly buy as many items as you threw away, this will put you back in the same place you were before you started your spring clean! However- post clear out is the perfect time to think about what you buy and what purpose it serves. If you find yourself frequently buying and then throwing away certain items, then you should think about why this item didn’t serve you for as long as it could have. For example, if you buy fast fashion clothes and throw them away after a few months, maybe you need you buy more neutral items that will stay in style for longer, or higher quality Items that will stay looking smart and feeling comfortable for longer. Spending the extra money for higher quality products that last longer is proven to be better for both the environment and your wallet in the long run!  

In Conclusion  

In conclusion, there are a lot of benefits to doing a spring clean, both yourself and to the environment, so let's go over the key points again.