Green Cleaning

Here it is March and although some folks are still experiencing winter’s wrath, most of us are happily anticipating the arrival of spring. This is a busy month that includes Easter and St. Patrick’s Day, along with preparations for spring cleaning. And speaking of spring cleaning, have you thought about doing it in “green?” No, this is not in honor of cute little leprechauns; what I’m referring to is creating an eco-friendly home environment.

“Going green” is on everyone’s minds these days as more people are realizing the impact this has on our surroundings and our future. And it’s not nearly as daunting as you may think. You can easily improve your home environment by implementing simple strategies such as:

• Replacing incandescent lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs;
• Using recyclable canvas shopping bags when buying groceries instead of paper or plastic;
• Improving the quality of indoor air with real houseplants;
• Walking or running outside instead of using an energy powered treadmill, or opt for another non-electric type of exercise like pilates or yoga;
• Receiving and paying bills online;
• Recycling paper, plastic, and aluminum;
• Using cold water when doing laundry;
• Don’t let the water run while brushing your teeth;
• Putting a filter on your faucet and reducing bottled water consumption.

These are just a few suggestions to help save our environment, while saving money at the same time. Stay tuned next week to find some eco-friendly cleaning solutions to use in your home!

Copyright 2008 Charlene Davis