Spring is in the air. And a great way to kick it off and make our homes feel fresh is by giving them a thorough spring cleaning. It is the perfect time to purge those dusty knick-knacks and winter blues by hitting the reset button on our homes. Spring cleaning is the most necessary, yet dreaded, seasonal task to tackle in our homes. Love it or hate it, it needs to be done, and doing so will only help create positive vibes around us.
So, let’s organize, declutter and clean our homes together, one step at a time, and let’s do it in a planet-friendly manner. In this article, we’ve listed some of our favorite eco-friendly spring cleaning tips and closet organizing ideas to keep our homes clean, green, & organized!
Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Ideas To Refresh Your Home
Here is how you can have fun cleaning your home this season by following these simple, eco-friendly spring cleaning tips and tricks.
1. Ditch The Toxic Cleaning Products
This may seem like one of the obvious spring cleaning tips, but it’s essential! Many household cleaning products contain harmful chemicals, fragrances, and other toxins that can be dangerous if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. So, make sure to check product labels before purchasing.
Do not trust marketing claims like “natural” or “eco-friendly” — the government doesn’t regulate these terms, so they’re often meaningless. Instead, look for products with independent seals of approval from organizations like Green Seal or ECOLOGO. In fact, you can try some of our favorite recipes to make your own cleaning products at home. They’re inexpensive, effective, safe to use around children and pets, and smell great!
2. Skip Paper Entirely
This one is another one of those spring cleaning ideas that we come across often. And it is so because it truly is important. So, instead of using paper towels for things that require cleaning up, try using reusable cloth wipes. Cut your old t-shirts cut into squares to make your own cleaning rags.
They are super absorbent and work great for all kinds of messes around the house. For example, uses them to dry off hands or clean up any spills on the kitchen table or countertops. They are great for dusting the house and mopping the floor as well.
3. Minimize Your Water Use
This is one of the most ignored spring cleaning tips. There are lots of ways to use less water when spring cleaning. For example, instead of running the tap, fill up a bowl or basin with warm soapy water and then use that for washing up your dishes or wiping down surfaces. You can also use the half flush on your toilet, only using the full flush when necessary.
If you’re planning on doing some outdoor cleaning, consider collecting up water in bins/buckets and using that instead of hosing down your patio with fresh water from the hosepipe (you can also do this indoors if you have an indoor plant pot collection).
4. Watch Out For Critter Invasions
Spring is also the season when pests such as ants come to our homes searching for food. Make sure to be ready for them with some non-toxic pest control solutions. If you’re looking for a natural way to rid your home of pests, try Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a fine powder that kills insects by dehydrating them. You can also try these home remedies to keep ants away.
In a spray bottle, mix 1 cup vinegar (white), 1 cup water, and 15 to 20 drops of peppermint essential oil. Spray anywhere you see ants or at the entry points in your home. This will repel and also kill them on contact. To keep ants out of potted plants, sprinkle cayenne pepper or cinnamon around the base of the plant every few days. They dislike both scents.
5. Declutter Things Into Seperate Boxes
Put your piles in order of importance: trash, recycle, donate, and then sell. Start with the trash pile first so that you’re not overcome by the amount of stuff you need to dispose of as you work through the other piles. Recycle or donate whenever possible. You’ll feel better about tossing out that old mattress if you know it will be recycled and made into something new.
Get rid of your old electronics safely and securely because they contain toxic chemicals that shouldn’t end up in landfills (and can harm the environment). Plenty of recycling centers accept electronics and other hazardous waste for free or a small fee.
Donate what you can to the people who need it the most. Many organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, and The Salvation Army have donation drop-offs available. You can leave non-perishable food, toiletries, blankets, clothes, and more, with them.
6. Revisit Every Few Months
When you’re trying to stay organized and on top of things, it’s good to look at your space every few months and see what items have accumulated that are of no use to you anymore. Sometimes, though, it’s easy to let pile up, or you may not have the time or energy to go through a lot of stuff all at once. This is one of the most important spring cleaning ideas that everyone should consider.
If you go through your house systematically, however, you can get rid of a lot of stuff quickly by setting aside different items for different places on different days. Check with the organizations in your area before creating a plan for donating or disposing of the things that are no longer useful to you.
Closet Organizing Ideas To Make Your Wardrobe Clutter-Free
The first and the best way to organize your closet is to take everything out and begin sorting. The easiest way is to start sorting by the four C’s: keep, consign, clean, and donate. This system suggests that you go through each item one by one and ask yourself if you’ll wear it again in the next six months (if it fits well.) If so, then it’s a keeper. If not, then decide if you want to sell it or donate it.
You can quickly sell your gently used items at a consignment shop or an online store like eBay. If you’re short on cash, you can make extra money by selling your old stuff. You can also host a clothing swap party with friends and family. Repurpose old clothes into new things, such as a scarf from an old sweater or pet toys from old t-shirts.
The next step is to organize everything you have in the best way possible. These eco-friendly closet organizing ideas can come in handy to get your things in order:
- Don’t toss old hangers. Instead, upcycle them with a little bit of ribbon or twine.
- Consider switching to slim-line ones to save space if you’re using wooden hangers. Otherwise, metallic hangers will be less costly and more eco-friendly.
- Looking for a new way to hang scarves, ties, and belts? Use shower curtain rings.
- Use an over-the-door hook to hang jewelry or keep necklaces tangle-free.
- Reuse shoe boxes or other containers you already have, instead of buying new ones. Also, as a way to organize shoes, try using magazine holders!
To sum it all up: Spring cleaning doesn’t need to be a chore — it can be fun! You can reap the benefits of a clean & green home, every day. We hope these eco-friendly spring cleaning tips and closet organizing ideas help you declutter and re-energize your home, for the big push into summer and fall.
Happy Spring! 🌻
