Spring has sprung and some people are itching for change. Now is the perfect time to incorporate sustainability into your cleaning routine. It is important to declutter your life and the best way to do that is to make donations, shop sustainably, recycle correctly, and reduce the amount of waste in the process of cleaning. Taking the time to clean now can be a positive break needed for midterms and doing so sets up your future self to do less cleaning. Cleaning now also alleviates stress when moving out of the dorms on top of finals.
Decluttering
Do you ever find something and wonder, “Why do I even have this?” Going through your things and separating them into three categories: Keep, Get Rid Of, and Maybe. If you have items that are essential to your daily life and the joy they bring outweighs the space it takes up then you should most likely keep that. If the item is not of value to you anymore, separate it into a pile of things you are going to get rid of. This can be something like a shirt you never wear, gadget you never use, or something you no longer need for whatever reason. A “Maybe” is something you have to debate on throwing away or keeping. When you look at your maybe pile, look at things that give you instant rational joy. If you are still stuck, ask a friend or roommate who can help you navigate its importance.
What To Do With Your “Get Rid Of” Pile
Now that you have items that you have decided you no longer need, now you have to figure out what to do with them. For clothing items, try donating them to thrift stores nearby. Here is a link to thrift stores in Boulder. For other items that could be reused, here is a link for local places to donate. Ask your friends if they would like some of your items as well.
How To Clean Your New Decluttered Space
Now that your space is decluttered, it's time to clean the area. Start by dusting your area, it makes a big difference in the way your space looks and reduces the amount of allergens, germs, and bacteria hiding in your space. Be sure to use a renewable cloth (cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc.) rather than a microfiber or fleece cloth because microfiber and fleece are not biodegradable. Here is an article detailing sustainable cleaners. This article looks at products eco friendly practices regarding shipping, microplastic shedding, packaging, recyclability, chemical composition, and their price points. Sustainable shipping is seen with products that are compact, lightweight, local and will not take a large amount of energy to transport. Microplastic shedding is when items made of plastic (polyester for example) shed small pieces of plastic and enter the water way. Because the microplastic is so small, it makes it extremely hard to capture and clean from the environment. A decluttered space allows you to find order and a stress free environment.