With today being the first of March (already?), many people are starting to get into spring cleaning mode. Spring cleaning is a great time to get rid of some of the clutter you’ve accumulated over the winter, as well as a good time to give your home a good wipe down. Here are a few tips on how t reduce the clutter and mess, without harming the environment.
“Homemade Cleaning Alternatives”- Instead of going to the store and purchasing a plethora of chemical-laden cleaning products, you can actually take care of almost all household chores. White vinegar, baking soda, salt, lemon and plain old hot water can all be used to clean a number of things. From countertops and tables to windows and floors, all without using harmful chemicals.
“Closet Clutter”- Go through your closet and figure out what clothes you actually still wear. Grab the rest and either donate the unwanted clothes or use them as rags when cleaning. Which brings us to our next tip…
“Go Paper Towel-less”- Instead of using a bunch of rolls of paper towels for cleaning, just use some old clothes for rags. By using rags which can be washed and reused, you will be saving paper, creating less trash and saving money.
“Use Plants As a Natural Air Filter”- By decorating your home with a few plants such as; English ivy, spider plants and rubber plants, you can actually help improve your indoor air.
Use these tips to help usher in a cleaner, greener Spring.
No matter how clean you may keep your home, the air inside your home may not be as clean. Poor indoor air quality can lead to allergies, nausea and even asthma. According to the EPA, indoor air is often worse than outdoor air, which is pretty shocking if you think about it, (it’s not like you have factory smokestacks or semi-trucks in your living room pumping pollutants into the air) but it’s true. The air inside your home can contain a number of pollutants from a number of things. Dust, mold, lead-based paint, and aerosol sprays can all be blamed for indoor air pollution. Here are a few ways to reduce pollutants and improve the quality of the air inside your home.
“Open Windows”- Sometimes it is as easy as it sounds. By opening a window everyday for even as little as five minutes, can help improve your indoor air quality significantly.
“Houseplants”- Besides their decorative purposes, houseplants are great for improving the quality of your indoor air. The plants basically soak up the toxins indoors as they do outdoors, the process of photosynthesis. They absorb toxins and release oxygen.
“Air purifier”- If you want to go the extra mile for cleaner air in your home, then an air purifier should do the trick. These devices remove dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, etc.. If you happen to smoke tobacco inside your home, then an air purifier may be a smart purchase because some can even reduce or eliminate second hand smoke.
No matter which method you decide to use, any improvement of the air inside your home will greatly benefit you and your family.
Valentine’s Day is only one week away, do you have a creative, green gift for your special someone? No? Well there’s no need to worry! Check out our last minute green Valentine’s Day gift ideas below.
1. Organic and Fair Trade Chocolates
Sweet Earth Organic Chocolates
Chocolate that is grown, produced and marketed in a way that isn’t harmful to the planet or the farmer. Plus they taste great!
It doesn’t get much greener than an actual plant. Just to be safe, I wouldn’t get a potted plant as a replacement for roses, but it would go great in addition to some lovely organic roses (see below).
There are lots of online flower retailers that now offer Eco-friendly and even USDA Organic certified roses and other ornamental flowers. Organic Bouquet offers Veriflora certified organic roses that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.
You could also check with your local Denver or Boulder florist to see if they have any organic roses available.
4. (non-toxic) Scented candles to set the romantic mood
Medium Romance Gift Basket
Way Out Wax has an extensive line of hand made, all natural soy candles scented with non-toxic essential oils. No harmful additives or dyes are used.
Everyone loves the gift of free time and everyone loves a nice clean home. Why not offer to clean up the house this weekend and let your special someone kick their feet up and relax. You could also buy a Clean Conscience gift card and give the gift of green cleaning and then spend the free time on a romantic picnic. Contact us to purchase a gift card for Valentine’s Day (picnic not included with gift card…).
Did you know that indoor air can be contaminated with industrial chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene? These chemicals are used extensively in building materials, furniture materials, paints, inks, varnishes and adhesives. Over time, these chemicals are emitted into the air. Benzene and formaldehyde are known carcinogens and continued research indicates that trichloroethylene is carcinogenic in many animals.
At Clean Conscience, indoor air quality is an important aspect of our green cleaning process. That’s why we use ProTeam vacuums. All ProTeam vacuum models collect at least 99.9% of indoor air pollutants. Between green cleanings, you can keep your indoor air free of toxic pollutants with certain house plants. The following is a list of plants that will capture at least two of the three indoor air pollutants mentioned above. To see a more extensive list of air filtering plants, see this table.
English Ivy
Hedera helix (Common Ivy, English Ivy) is a species of ivy native to most of Europe and western Asia. It is labeled as an invasive species in many parts of the United States, and its sale or import is banned in the state of Oregon.
English Ivy removes benzene and formaldehyde but not trichloroethylene.
Peace Lily
Spathiphyllum is a genus of about 40 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia. Certain species of Spathiphyllum are commonly known as Spath or Peace Lilies. The plant does not need excessive light or water to survive.
Peace Lilies remove benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Chinese Evergreen
Aglaonema is a genus of about 40 species of foliage plants in the family Araceae, native to the tropical swamps and rainforests of southeastern Asia, from Bangladesh east to the Philippines, and north to southern China. No common name is widely used, though they are sometimes called “Chinese Evergreens”. Please note: The sap of this plant is poisonous to health. It causes skin irritation. If ingested, the sap causes irritation of the mouth, lips, throat and tongue.
Chinese Evergreens are popular houseplants and ornamental plants for offices and shopping malls because they are among the easiest houseplants to grow. They tolerate a wide range of light, as well as neglect, and are relatively resistant to pests. Chinese Evergreen removes benzene and formaldehyde but not trichloroethylene.
Song of India Plant
Dracaena reflexa, commonly called Pleomele or the Song of India, is a species of Dracaena which is a tropical tree native to Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant and houseplant, valued for its richly coloured, evergreen leaves, and thick, irregular stems.
Pleomele removes benzene and formaldehyde but not trichloroethylene.
Cornstalk Dracaena
Dracaena fragrans (Cornstalk Dracaena) is a flowering plant species that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d’Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 m (2,000–7,380 ft) altitude. It is a popular as a houseplant, valued for its tolerance of a wide range of indoor conditions from full sun to low light conditions.
Cornstalk Dracaena removes benzene and formaldehyde but not trichloroethylene.
Gerbera Daisy
Gerberadaisy is a genus of ornamental plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae). There are approximately 30 species in the wild, extending to South America, Africa and tropical Asia. Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers because of it’s bright and varied flower colors.
Gerbera daisy removes benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Red Pot Mum
Chrysantheium morifolium (Chrysanthemums), often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus (Chrysanthemum) constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Chrysantheium morifolium is commonly called Florist’s Chrysanthemum or Pot Mum.
Chrysantheium morifolium removes benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.
Your local plant nursery will likely have many of these plants on hand.
With today being the first of March (already?), many people are starting to get into spring cleaning mode. Spring cleaning is a great time to get rid of some of the clutter you’ve accumulated over the winter, as well as a good time to give your home a good wipe down. Here are a few tips on how t reduce the clutter and mess, without harming the environment.
There are lots of online flower retailers that now offer Eco-friendly and even USDA Organic certified roses and other ornamental flowers. 
