The first hint of warmth in the air is always
welcomed with anticipation of sunny days, clear skies, and a burst of new life
and greenery after the long, cold winter. Traditionally, housewives would get
ready to clean the house from top to bottom to get rid of the accumulated soot
and grime. These black remnants typically came from the wood fires burning to
keep the house warm and settled on every surface. In present times, even though
technology has eliminated the soot (Thank Goodness for gas heating!), people
still like to welcome the change of season with a thorough spring cleaning.

Spring Cleaning Usually Means
Getting Rid of Clutter

While dusting, vacuuming, and washing is, of
course, the point behind the while exercise, many people like to take this time
to get rid of clutter. During the customary spring cleaning, you can rid the
house of the old, worn, broken, and useless stuff that you haven’t used in
ages. Not only can you seize the perfect opportunity to go shopping, but quite
a few still usable items can find new homes if donated to charity.

This spring, we have a new theme - to rid
your home of the toxic plastic and chemical-laden items that you use on a daily
basis. How about replacing them with green and organic products that will
likely cause far less damage to your family’s health, pets included. Let’s take
a quick look at some of the plastic clutter that can make its way to the
recycling pile for disposing of safely.

How About We Begin with the
Kitchen

Given that the kitchen is the heart of your home, you’ll want to begin by checking the utensils your family uses along with the cooking pots and pans. Eating and drinking off plastic is, no doubt, highly-convenient, but it exposes your family to the chemicals in the containers. Each time your pour a hot drink into a plastic glass or serve a piping hot portion of food onto a plastic plate, some of the bisphenol A and a class of chemicals called phthalates leaches into the food. Should you check the One Green Planet website, you’ll be shocked to learn about how these toxins affect your health.

A safer alternative is to switch to reusable
ceramic plates, glass and stainless steel containers for drinking beverages,
and for storing and cooking meals. Even if you must cook by microwaving or
store leftover food, you may want to choose glass jars and bowls that will not
release chemicals into their contents. And, when it comes to silverware, get
rid of the plastic and always opt for food-grade stainless steel. So, this
season, when you begin spring cleaning, clean up the toxins in your kitchen by
phasing out all that plastic.

Let’s Talk About Going
Shopping

Shopping is another of the favorite activities that everyone loves. But, have you given a second thought to the plastic bags you bring home from the stores? Even if you religiously reuse them until they’re torn, remember that they will end up polluting the earth at the end of their lifecycle. This spring, think about how you can clean up the earth by opting for reusable cotton and burlap shopping bags. Yes, they have a fixed lifespan too. But, when they reach landfills, they’ll disintegrate over time without leaving behind pollutants.

Aside from shopping bags, you can easily choose reusable tote bags, boutique bags, grocery bags, beach bags, and various others that look utterly trendy and show off your commitment to the environment. Use the bags to carry wine or bring presents to loved ones. And, each time you load up a cotton grocery tote and decline a paper bag, you’ll prevent a tree from getting cut down. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

So, when you get home from the stores, you’ll
have more than retail therapy to make you happy. Revel in the fact that you did
your bit for the environment today!

How About Inculcating Green
Habits in Your Kids

When initiating the spring cleaning in your
home, get your kids to join in the fun. Grab this time to teach them more about
saving the planet by switching to green backpacks and school supplies.
Eco-friendly school bags make for great displays at show-and-tell as do
refillable steel bottles that kids can carry for beverages - not just to
school, but any other place. You can also encourage them to carry folders and
journals with fabric binding in place of plastic. The small switches and
lessons you inculcate in them today can make a world of difference in their
lives as adults.

Consider Adopting Green
Fabrics for Use Around the House

If your spring cleaning this season involves
getting new cushions, runners, and towels for the house, you could consider
opting for cotton in place of synthetics. Whether you need to buy towels for
that upcoming beach vacation or smaller ones for your workout or sports
sessions, go for pure, biodegradable cotton instead of mixed fibers.

Did you know that every time you wash clothing,
the tiny microfibers that are released make their way through the drains to the
rivers and then, the seas? Here they cause serious harm to the tiny plankton
and other sea creatures that ingest them. Each time you dine on seafood, you
could be consuming those fibers with your food? Scary, isn’t it? So, maybe, you
could do your part for spring cleaning the oceans and environment by choosing
natural fibers that will simply degrade in a few months.

Begin a Spring Cleaning of the
Earth!

This season, focus your spring cleaning
efforts on not just your home, but the home we all live in - Planet Earth! For
more information about how you can switch to greener products and make a
difference for the future residents of your home, check out our collection at www.carrygreen.com
We also welcome queries at this number: 888-743-3129. Our consultants are
standing by to assist you.