Even with the first day of spring just a scant 11 days behind us, some people’s thoughts have almost certainly turned to spring cleaning.
There are 4 very important things that should be on your springtime to-do list.
These items will help protect your family from dangerous toxins and get your home in tip-top shape and ready for spring.
Spring Green To Do List
#1 – Take Your Shoes Off
Taking off your shoes before you enter your house will not only help keep your house clean, but it can also stop lead-heavy dirt from entering your home.
Although the federal government banned lead-based paint from being used on houses in 1978, among the most common sources of lead poisoning is from lead contaminated residential soil.
Lead contaminated soil and pesticides can be tracked inside your home on the soles of your shoes and stay there for extended periods of time.
#2 Check The Ingredients On Your Cleaning Products
Many cleaning supplies contain environmental toxins and even carcinogens that can seep into the sewage lines or groundwater. Ethoxylated nonyl phenols, a toxic chemical found in most floor cleaners, has been proven to disrupt the endocrine system and interfere with hormonal processes.
Luckily, there’s an easy and green solution to get cleaning solutions… make your own.
You can clean most of your home using a combination of hot water, baking soda, and vinegar. It’s cheap, completely green, and you won’t have to worry about what kind of toxins you might be putting in your home.
#3 – Replace Your Light Bulbs
One of the easiest things that you can do to go green is replacing your incandescent light bulbs with far more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
On average Americans currently spend 20% of their electricity budget on lighting, and it’s estimated that energy-efficient light bulbs can save you about $110 per year.
However, if you do replace your light bulbs be careful fluorescent light bulbs often contain mercury, a hazardous toxin. Don’t worry too much though, it’s not a big deal unless a bulb breaks.
#4 – Make Sure Your House Is Properly Insulated
Finally, with the summer coming, up check and make sure that your home’s cooling system is working properly.
Many houses are not properly insulated and use far more air conditioning than needed, which in turn is far more taxing on our limited resources than they need to be.
Many energy companies will examine your house for insulation problems for free as a part of their service, and making sure that your house is properly insulated can save you thousands over the long haul.
However, if you do decide to check your insulation, especially in an older house, take caution as your house may have originally been insulated with asbestos. Asbestos, which was banned in the 1970’s but still exists in many older homes, has been known to lead to the cancer mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is among the deadliest cancers, as the mesothelioma life expectancy is only a little over a year.
It’s not tough to turn your spring cleaning into a spring greening as well. Follow these 4 tips and not only will your house be cleaner, it will be safer and greener as well!
As a Health and Safety Advocate, Krista Peterson shares a strong passion for the wellness of others in her community and for the environment. Krista utilizes her writings to spread awareness of such issues to help encourage others to live the healthiest and most eco-friendly lifestyles possible.
My experience with living green consists of taking baby steps (like making one big change each year as my New Year's resolution) — because I've seen too many people burn out on trying to 'Save the Planet'. I share a lot of Simple Ways To Go Green, as I find new and successful strategies that have worked for me. While I'm baby-stepping my ecofriendly habits in life, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
