Decluttering and cleaning your home after a long period of procrastination and incessant planning can feel like a heavy weight lifted off your back. A clean and organized home is a haven for relaxation, peace, and productivity, and every homeowner needs such a space all year round. However, the process by which a clean and organized home is achieved can sometimes cause significant harm to the environment.
To achieve a sustainable cleaning and decluttering procedure, you need to plan effectively for the process and ensure all the necessary procedures are followed. Below, we’ll look at some of the most practical and sustainable decluttering and cleaning tips that will leave your home organized and ecologically safe.
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Declutter More Regularly
Decluttering only when your home is already in bad shape can mean piling too much work that you might not handle in one cleaning and decluttering operation. By consistently decluttering, you reduce the amount of stuff that can interfere with your home organization goals. It’s also a way to embrace a mindful living philosophy and the principles of minimalism. You can opt for consistent decluttering sessions after a few months every year or declutter as you go about your daily activities.
If you’re organizing a larger cleanout, especially the first one in many years, you might want to rent a dumpster for effective decluttering. When choosing a dumpster to rent, going for local options can be more rewarding than choosing companies far away from home. For instance, opting for a dumpster rental in Texas, if you live there, can save you time and money compared to choosing any other company you bump into online. Depending on the rental agreement, the dumpster can stay in your home for as long as you need it there, enabling effective, ecological, and regular decluttering.
Donate or Sell Unwanted Stuff
A great way to achieve zero waste management and declutter your space is to sell or donate items you no longer use. It’s also a perfect way to ensure responsible consumer behavior while offering assistance to persons in need. You can achieve a successful donation or sales through any of these options:
- Donate the items to any local charitable organizations or thrift stores to ensure they’re repurposed and fully benefit the community in the process.
- Sell the items through online platforms, or organize a garage sale for quick financial gain and the promotion of waste reduction and reuse principles.
- Intentionally select the destination and process for selling or donating your items to yield positive outcomes for your environment and the recipient’s overall welfare.
A successful, sustainable donation or sales project should leave both parties satisfied and the environment barely disrupted.
Embrace Sustainable Storage Solutions
Since you’ll be disposing of your items ecologically when you no longer need them, it’s also important to think about what happens to your storage solutions when they get old. Storage solutions made from materials that aren’t environmentally friendly can compromise your sustainability goals when decluttering and cleaning. Replacing these storage solutions with those crafted from sustainable, eco-friendly materials can achieve double benefits; they enhance home organization while decreasing the environmental footprint.
Common material options to consider include bamboo, reclaimed wood, and recycled plastic. They are ideal for ecological, long-lasting storage performance, guaranteeing you that your storage solutions will endure wear and tear for an extended period.
Let the New in and the Old Out
Whenever you buy something new, it takes up space that was initially held by something else. To ensure efficient storage, it’s best to take out the old items you no longer use to minimize the accumulation of clutter. This is important for maintaining organized spaces in your home following a successful decluttering and cleaning exercise you held. Know when to let go, even of the things you’re emotionally attached to, so you can maintain a well-organized space throughout the year.
You can use the sticker system to tell if an item is still as useful to you as it used to be. Attach a sticker to the items you want to track and remove the sticker the next time you use the specific item. If, after a few months, you check the items and find some with their stickers intact, it’s an indication you no longer need those items as you used to. Toss or donate them to create room for new ones and maintain a clean, organized space for the long run.
Clean With Natural Cleaning Products
Natural cleaning products like white vinegar, essential oils, and baking soda offer several benefits, such as reduced environmental impact, safer cleaning procedures, and improved health. Cleaning with natural cleaning solutions reduces your exposure to harsh chemicals found in processed cleaning products, enhancing individual and family safety.
Homemade natural cleaning solutions like vinegar and baking soda can be used for multiple cleaning purposes, while their commercially produced, eco-friendly counterparts like biodegradable soaps offer sustainable solutions. Since these products enhance indoor air quality, they’re more likely to reduce the effects of allergies and respiratory problems than the chemical-rich processed cleaning products.
Minimize Plastic and Paper Usage
By minimizing plastic and paper usage at home, you actively move bigger strides towards the adoption of reusable products and reducing your environmental footprint. Replace your normal plastic bags, bottles, and containers with woven or cloth shopping bags, glass water bottles, and stainless steel food containers. With these substitutions, you can minimize the spread of plastic waste and reduce the reliance on disposable items.
Involve the Kids
If you have kids, you’d be doing yourself a great disservice by leaving them out of the decluttering and cleaning exercise. Kids contribute largely to the clutter and disorganization that goes on every day in your home. They can easily help with the restoration of orderly arrangements of items when guided, and can learn to keep their toys and personal stuff in their rightful places.
You can also consult them to know the items they want discarded, so you don’t just haul away toys or items they are still attached to. Additionally, when they see your habits change toward clutter, they’ll adopt the new trends and help keep your home clutter-free.
If your home hasn’t been organized or effectively cleaned in a long time, it’s time to start planning for a deep cleaning and decluttering exercise. By implementing these tips, you can easily achieve a sustainable home that will improve the overall quality of life. You don’t have to get everything going at once; focus on one decluttering and cleaning goal at a time until you’re able to achieve the overall sustainability goal.