5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Get Clutter Out of Your Home
Did you know that clutter in your home can cause you stress? Getting rid of clutter and organizing your home can definitely make your life easier and less stressful, but if you do it the wrong way, you could be causing more stress for the environment. If you want to tidy up your home without negatively impacting the planet, try following these tips:
Get into Green Cleaning
Before you declutter, you may want to stock up on some eco-friendly cleaning supplies. You’ll want to clean and maintain your home after all of your hard work, but traditional cleaners contain toxins. You can use this list of green cleaning resources to make safe choices for your home, or try making some of your own. Another way to motivate yourself to maintain a tidy, organized home is to invest in a high-quality upright vacuum. Many upright vacuums feature adjustments for heights, which makes them perfect for keeping a variety of hardwood and carpeted floors clean.
Practice Responsible Recycling
When you sort through your home, you are likely to end up with a lot of items you need to get rid of. While it may be tempting to toss all of your unwanted items into the garbage, there are much more responsible ways to get junk out of your home. If you have clothing or furniture that is still functional, consider donating to a local shelter. For items that do need to be thrown away, check local recycling rules to see what you can put into your recycling bins. Many people are surprised to know that even larger items, such as electronics, bedding and appliances, can be recycled or even repurposed in your home instead of ending up in landfills.
Rid Yourself of Paper Clutter
Paper is another big source of clutter around our homes. From junk mail to old photos, there tends to be a stack or box of papers taking up space in storage areas. For paper documents or photos that you’re not sure what to do with, you can think about embracing the cloud and scanning those items into digital storage. It’s a safer way to store important documents as well. If you find yourself on the receiving end of unwanted advertisements, catalogs or other junk mail, you can take steps to stop that too. Spend some time online opting out of receiving these offers and even think about signing up for paperless billing for your utilities and bills that are still sending mail to you.
Use Sustainable Storage Products
Organizing your home typically means using bins and containers, but you should think twice about using plastic ones. Plastic harms the environment in a few different ways. It’s everywhere, and those plastic containers and drawers may just end up polluting a landfill or even our oceans in the future. Many plastics are also impossible to recycle and will not naturally decompose, meaning that a few plastic purchases now could still be a source of pollution centuries from now. Instead of plastic, opt for sustainable storage products. You can also check out some other ideas for storage where plastic is minimal. Baskets, crates and jars can all be eco-friendly, not to mention stylish, tools for organizing your home.
Make Simple Changes to Save Energy
As you go through and declutter your home, you can also make some other changes to help you live greener. Try changing all your standard light bulbs and opting for CFL bulbs throughout your home. If you need to replace any appliances, look for Energy Star options that require less energy and water to operate, which can also save you a little money on your bills each month. Purchasing energy-efficient appliances may also qualify you for rebates. Finally, if you have any leaky faucets, get them fixed. Drips can waste thousands of gallons of water in homes each year.
Going green as you go through and declutter your home can have such a positive effect on the environment. Use these eco-friendly organizing tips to clean up your home and keep the environment clean too.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Guest blogger is Alice Robertson. Reach her at alice@tidyhome.info
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