On a hot summer day, when the last thing you want to do is venture out of the air-conditioned comfort, tackle the cupboards within your home. It might sound like a big chore at first glance, but the satisfaction of a well organized home is worth the effort. This task grants you the opportunity to green your home as well as organize it. It’s a chore worth doing – especially if you are looking for ways to be green while keeping things in good order. Eco friendly cleaning products can help remove the dust as you reorganize the often-overlooked nooks and crannies of your home’s at-hand storage spots.
Your food pantry is a prime starting point to set the mood for eco-friendly organization. This location houses your dried and packaged foods after all! It should be a clean and healthy spot that discourages pests, as well as an easy-to-check location before grocery trips. First, remove your dried goods one shelf at a time. Check for expiration dates, and dispose of any past-due items in a green way. Don’t just pitch canned goods in the trash! The cans themselves are recyclable even if their contents need to go in the dumpster.
Once you’ve separated the good from the bad, it’s time to use a few eco friendly cleaning products on the pantry shelves. All-purpose eco friendly cleaning products are great for removing the dust from the back shelves. Eco friendly cleaning products are also safe for food storage areas whether your pantry is wood, plastic, or metal. Once the expired goods have been handled and the shelves have been wiped down, a few green organization tips can help prevent future waste. Clearly labeled airtight containers keep the bugs out of your dried goods. They are re-usable after a good washing and can keep for a lifetime. Green storage containers need not be pricey ceramics, either. Re-purposed pickle jars are great for grains, and large coffee tins can be labeled for flour, sugar, and baking powders. A little masking tape and a permanent marker allow you to re-use these tins as you see fit time and time again.
Another cupboard in desperate need of attention is the space you use for food storage containers. These re-usable containers are a staple of every home, and they tend to occupy their own specific ‘nightmare’ cabinet. Nesting always seems like a good idea until you end up with either too many containers or too many mismatched lids. Re-used salsa jars and yogurt cups provide cheap and green food storage solutions, but the cupboard itself needs a little love now and then. Twice a year, give this cupboard the attention it needs to keep your home organized and green. Remove everything from the cupboard, and find the extra containers and lids. Recycle them. Use eco friendly cleaning products to clean out the cupboard or drawer. Eliminate any dusty buildup from the containers themselves with eco-friendly cleaners for doing the dishes. As for organization tips: boxes are best. A few old shipping boxes or show boxes may be used to separate the round containers from the square. An unused napkin holder within a shoebox helps keep lids in order.
As a final step, take a look at your cleaning supplies. As with foodstuffs, check the expiration dates. This is also an amazing opportunity to replace the harmful chemicals in your home with eco friendly cleaning supplies. Separate the good from the bad, and look for safe disposal services in your area to take care of the harsh stuff. Concentrated, eco friendly cleaning supplies take up much less space while reorganizing. Pure & Gentle offers these supplies in bulk for cheaper prices and greater health for the planet and your family. Additionally, most of our cleaners come with spray bottles for easy dilution and use. Store these spray bottles on a towel rod, with labels facing outward, to clear up the clutter in your cleaning supplies space. The large bottles of concentrates can be kept further back in a box of their own.
Cleaner cupboards and eco friendly cleaning supplies help you keep your home in good order while lessening the waste output of your household. Tackle this summer project soon for a sense of accomplishment and a more organized home. Eco friendly cleaning products and organization tips lead to a cleaner, greener home without the clutter!
