Ten tips for a Cleaner, Greener Home!

1. Homemade Laundry Detergent -You can easily make your own laundry detergent from home which will not only save you money but will be much better for the environment as well. There are tons of recipes available online and I just got into doing this one myself to use with my cloth diapers!

2. Re-use old clothing as rags – My mom ALWAYS reused our old clothing that had holes or tears and cut them up into rags to use for cleaning up around the house. We had a big stash in the laundry room, kitchen, and the garage as well.

3. Homemade Cleaning Agents – I’ve also heard of making homemade cleaning agents with simple ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda which can just be bought at your local grocery store. I haven’t had the chance to actually try this one yet, but I really want to soon!

4. Hang Drying Clothing – I love hang drying clothing as it keeps the dryer free for other loads as well as saving me a ton on energy costs. It also makes the whites much cleaner then the dryer and even can remove old stains from your cloth diapers!

5. Dust Often – A simple thing as dusting often can keep your home way cleaner over all as the dust won’t pile up and make the job twice as hard! This is a great way to use your homemade rags!

6. Energy Efficient Lightbulbs -Energy efficient lightbulbs actually offer way brighter light output per watt and need to be changed way less frequently making home maintenance easier as well as keeping your home bright and beautiful! They will also save you a bundle on your energy usage and will help you keep your home cleaner by being able to see really well in the rooms.

7. Solar Energy – Living in Phoenix Solar energy is an awesome option and can be used for your Water heater or your electricity. Though there is quite an upfront cost it certainly a greener option and will be worth the investment in the long run. The solar water heaters will help keep your water nice and hot without the high energy costs and repay for themselves quite quickly.

8. Recycling – My city unfortunately doesn’t offer recycling pick-up to the neighborhood but I have recently started to recycle and break down all my boxes anyways and have found it to be so much more efficient for my garbage can space! I drive the boxes to the local recycling drop box when I’m already out and about and no long have my garbage can filled up by big empty boxes that fit awkwardly in the garbage can. It has really helped me keep my house cleaner to as I don’t have the pile up of trash or boxes while the can is full!

9. Cloth Diapers – Cloth diapering is an awesome alternative to disposables that are WAY cheaper and way, way better for the environment. They are also super easy to line dry which helps save on my energy costs and I feel like my home is honestly much cleaner when cloth diapering as I don’t have piles of disposables waiting for trash day.

10. Reuse – Getting more use out of the things you already have including passing on clothing or sticking to the same dishes you’ve had for ages really is much more environment friendly. It also helps keep your home cleaner as you avoid filling your home with lots of extras you really didn’t need.

What are some of your great tips for keeping your home cleaner and greener? Do you do any of the things above?