Sustainability is becoming more relevant in people’s households now more than ever.
People have begun to realise the impact of their actions on the public, themselves, and the environment that they inhabit. With that said, practising a sustainable lifestyle can start at home.
Slowly but surely, there are different ways in which you can shift your home to become more sustainable. It can even begin with one person. And then you can influence your family to adopt.
On that note, one of the household activities that you can shift towards sustainability with ease is how you clean and maintain your home. Here are ten green cleaning tips that you can do to make your home more sustainable:
Put those lemons to use
If you have some lemons, you can use this excellent fruit as a way to clean your home in different ways.
The reason why lemons are great for cleaning is that they have relatively powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties to them. Aside from that, they can also be a natural deodoriser because of the acidity in the fruit.
You can use half a lemon and embed salt in it and use it to scrub your bathtubs. It will help clean away the dirt while also deodorising the tub. You can also use this method to bring back the shine in any copper pans that you might have at home.
Utilise baking soda
If you often bake at home, then you probably have baking soda hidden away somewhere.
Much like lemon, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is another natural cleaner that you can use everywhere in your home. It can also serve as a natural deodorant and has an exfoliating ability given its abrasive nature.
You can combine this with lemon and use both of them as a scrub for your bathroom. You can also create a paste made out of the water and baking soda, which will help remove the tougher stains in your homes, like wine or rust.
Get rid of stains using white vinegar
One of the best ways you can incorporate green cleaning practices is simply by replacing your cleaning solutions with a lot of natural and everyday household items.
An example of that household item would be white vinegar. Its mild acidity has antibacterial properties that will help you remove any stain from a variety of surfaces.
All you need to do is dilute it with water in equal parts vinegar to have an all-natural stain remover in a spray bottle.
Keep in mind the acidity of white vinegar because it can remove colour in cloth.
Ditch air fresheners
Instead of having air fresheners in your home, having a potpourri is a better alternative.
You can make a stovetop potpourri yourself at home. All you need are aromatic fruit cut into chunks, add spices like cinnamon or cloves, then add water. Leaving it simmering on the stove is going to make it release the aroma all over your home.
On the other hand, you can ask your professional cleaner if they have Eco-friendly cleaning products ‒ just like what Cleaning Exec House Cleaning NYC provides their clients.
Turn to green cleaning products
If you don’t want to make your cleaning products, there are still many commercial green cleaning products available.
You have to do your research, though, because you want to support the right company who isn’t just trying to make money off of people wanting to be more sustainable.
Read the labels to ensure that you are actually using green cleaning products and look for reviews online.
Repurpose your old towels
If you have any spare or old towels lying around in your home, don’t throw them away. You can instead use them as cleaning rags.
It’s a lot more productive to cut these used bigger towels into smaller pieces than it is to buy cleaning rags.
Use newspapers to polish windows and mirrors
You don’t need to get yourself a window cleaner if you have water, white vinegar, and a few pieces of newspaper lying around.
All you need to do is crumple up the paper and dip them in the vinegar and water solution. You can then use that to rub it away in a circular motion at the dirt spots on your windows and mirrors.
After you rub the dirt spots, you can then use a new sheet of newspaper to rub vertically. After that, rub again with a dry layer of newspaper horizontally.
Try cellulose sponges
If you’re going to use sponges in your home, then you should look for cellulose sponges instead. These sponges are available in natural stores, biodegradable, and don’t end up in landfills.
Air dry your clothes
Instead of using dry cleaning or dryers to dry your clothes, you should try and air dry your clothes instead. The sun itself can get rid of bacteria in your clothes and dry it out at the same time.
Ventilate your home
There are many things that you can do to clean out sustainably when it comes to indoor air quality. And keeping the home well ventilated is perhaps one of the simplest things that you can do to clean your indoor air.
All you need to do is pop open some windows in your house regularly. It allows the wind to come into your home and blow away stagnant indoor air.
Letting airflow into and out of your home will help you during the summer months. Aside from that, it can help get rid of the smell when you’re cooking at home.
Over to You
Having a more sustainable home is a lot easier than people would think.
You can start and pace yourself, and soon you will find that you have created a viable home for you and your family.
Starting with the ten smart green cleaning tips we have listed above will get you on the right path towards sustainability. So try them out when you can.
Featured Image |Crema Joe on Unsplash
