Published January 23, 2020
Top-Notch Tips for Creating a Clean, Green, and Tidy Home
Top-Notch Tips for Creating a Clean,
Green, and Tidy Home
Clutter not only makes your home look bad, but
it can also result in a bevy of mental and emotional health consequences, like more stress and anxiety,
and less efficiency, energy, and confidence. Decluttering, therefore, can be an
act of self-care, but did you know that decluttering can also promote a healthy
planet? Here is how to incorporate eco-friendly decluttering into your everyday
life.
Going Room
by Room
It can be overwhelming to think of
decluttering your entire home, which can keep you from getting started!
Instead, resolve to conquer one room at a time and do a little each day.
If that’s still too overwhelming, start by decluttering a corner of the room, a
closet, or a cabinet. Accomplishing small goals can help you stay motivated to
complete the overarching task of decluttering your house as a whole.
Recycling
You can recycle almost anything, and the more
you recycle, the less that goes to the landfill. For instance, many people
throw away their used clothing simply because they don't know what else to do
with it. But you can easily donate clothing, blankets, and other types of
textiles to a local nonprofit organization, where they will be provided to
someone who needs them. If the textiles aren’t wearable or usable in their
current condition, they might still be used for rags or another type of
salvage.
You can also donate toys to a local nonprofit, or you could hold a
garage sale and bring in a few bucks. If you
have large items that you aren’t using, such as mattresses, appliances, or electronics, there are even places that will
accept these items as donations.
Sometimes, time is a factor when you’re
decluttering your home. If you have belongings that you don’t want to keep, but
you can’t donate or sell them at the moment, put them in self-storage for the
time-being. This buys you time to throw a garage sale or sort out where to
donate the items, all while circumventing the landfill. It’s even a reasonably
cost-effective solution; for example in Erie, the overall average cost of a
self-storage unit is currently $89.00.
Cleaning
Many home cleaning products can be harmful to
the environment, not to mention your household. With your surplus items out of
the way, it’s time to give your home a stem-to-stern scrub. With an eye to our
planet’s future, opt for green cleaning methods and products when possible.
Many people are new to the concept of green
cleaning. As HomeAdvisor explains, “When people clean using products
and methods that are free of toxic or unsafe materials, and that are safe for
the environment and human health, it is called green cleaning.”
You can purchase off-the-shelf green cleaning products, or for
a more budget-savvy solution, consider DIYing your cleansers. The nice thing
about that option is you not only save money, you can personally tailor your recipes.
Digitizing
Lastly, if you have multiple photo albums and
paper mementos at home, you can digitize and upload them to the cloud. This
will not only reduce the clutter in your home, but you will also be able to
access your memories at any time from wherever you are.
The same goes for music albums and DVDs. Get rid of those
binders and large storage bins, and put all your media on the cloud! No time to
mess with it? There are services you can pay to do it for you for under
70 cents per CD.
Decluttering can have a significant, positive impact on your overall health and well-being. Remember to tackle one small area at a time if you become overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering your entire home. And adopt recycling, green cleaning, and digitizing to minimize your carbon footprint and promote a healthy planet. Remember that the smallest of changes in our routines can collectively have a big impact!
