We all want to be better for the environment. One of the best ways to be greener is to be more careful when it comes to decluttering and cleaning our homes. Household waste and products contribute to so much of the pollution that is impacting our entire world, but here are some small ways you can reduce your own impact.
Be More Responsible When Discarding Large Items
When you begin decluttering and cleaning your home, you are likely to end up with some larger items that you are not quite sure what to do with. If you have old or outdated furniture in your home, one eco-friendly option is to find ways to upcycle pieces that you are not ready to part with. You can turn shutters into a decorative table or use trash cans to plant container gardens outside of your home. Upcycling also prevents you from buying additional items that will add to the clutter in your home and contribute to pollution in the environment.
Another smart way to keep big items out of landfills is to sell them using the second-hand economy. Sites like Gumtree make it easy to sell your used appliances, furniture and electronics, which helps produce better effects for the environment. If you find yourself with some appliances you cannot sell or upcycle, then make sure you get rid of them in an environmentally responsible way. Research proper appliance recycling online so that you can be sure that your throwaways do not leave a lasting mark on the ecosystem.
Get Rid of All Paper Clutter and Waste
For many people, the source of their clutter is all the paper stored around their home. Paper clutter can come in the form of photos, personal documents and assorted mailings that have been collected over time. For photos and essential documents, you may want to consider switching to digital storage to reduce physical clutter. You can easily scan and archive photographs using an inexpensive scanner or even your phone. It is also possible to have a professional take care of this task, which can be helpful if you have a lot of old photos.
If you are worried about security for your photos and sensitive documents, you should know that digital storage is safe and secure. Cloud storage services use multi-layer encryption and security processes to maintain your privacy while ensuring your scans are never lost. This is a much safer storage solution than keeping paper documents, which can be destroyed by moisture, fire, or time. Cutting down on paper is such a great move for the environment, so consider other ways to lessen your paper waste, such as cutting out junk mail.
Clean Up Your Household Cleaning Routine
The products you use to clean your home could actually be polluting the environment. Many popular household cleaners contain dangerous chemicals that can find their way into the soil, water and air in the environment. These toxins can have serious impacts on the health of wildlife, as well as other humans, so think about using greener ways to tidy up your home. You can still get quality cleaning using safer, natural cleaners to clean up your home. Most are available at local supermarkets and retailers and contain minimal ingredients, with none of them being toxic for the environment. Since so many cleaning tools and products contain plastic, you should also look for ways to reduce plastic use when cleaning. Reusable cotton cloths, for example, are a good replacement for plastic sponges and brushes, and lemons can cut down on the number of plastic bottles you buy to clean your home.
Saving our world comes down to the choices we make every day. Staying thoughtful as you declutter and clean your home can make a major difference for the environment, so consider using greener ways to keep your home tidy. The world will thank you for it.