It’s May in New England and spring cleaning is here to stay – for the month at least! Today I’m sharing some Simple Spring Cleaning Switches that we’ve developed in our home, that are simple enough for you to bring into your own home, and that help the environment so much! 

Simple Spring Cleaning Switches

Spring Cleaning – whether you go all out every year or just arrange a few things here and there, I am here today to share right simple things we do in our own home that have direct results in creating less waste, consuming less toxic chemicals, and overall, make your home a more sustainable place!

The Issue: plastic-wrapped toilet paper that is bleached with chlorine and has added toxic fragrances.

The Solution: Elemental Recycled Products plastic-free toilet paper!

Conveniently delivered to your home. Sustainably produced, premium quality at a competitive price. No plastic whatsoever, so you’re reducing your waste in a quick and easy step. I love their quote that says: ” Buying toilet paper is a small choice, but many small choices toward a more sustainable world make a big impact.” And that’s what I’m all about – small steps towards a better home and better world! You can read more about how the toilet paper is made, which gives you a great insight to an industry we just flush down the toilet.

Elemental Toilet Paper-4

The Issue: One billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the United States, creating 50 million pounds of waste annually.

The Solution: The Humble Co.’s bamboo toothbrushes! 

Another simple place in your bathroom that you can reduce your plastic waste is your toothbrush! At a similar price point than their plastic counterparts, these bamboo brushes can be composted in your compost bin in 6 months (as long as the nylon bristles are removed), making it a great way to reduce the plastic going into the world!

Simple Spring Switches-7

The Issue: Toxic hand soaps packed with endocrine-disrupting fragrances.

The Solution: Everyone Hand Soap made with plant extracts and essential oils. 

Before anyone points out that these do come in plastic, they are the same bottles I’ve used for the past two years – we buy the gallon-sized bottles of the soap and refill it. Now that the liquid hand soap gallon is almost over, I am definitely looking at plastic-free soaps for our kitchen and bathroom, but in the meantime, these are great for anyone looking for a non-toxic hand soap. This hand soap is incredibly versatile and we use it as: hand soap, body wash, shampoo, and even dish soap! Having all those uses for one product also reduce our waste because instead of four separate products, we stick to one. If you’re wondering why fragrances are toxic, watch the documentary on Netflix called “Stink”.

Simple Spring Switches-6

The Issue: The shocking fact is that the air inside your home is generally between two and five times more polluted than the air outside, says the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Solution: Fill your house up with air-filtering plants and get yourself a great air filter as well. 

When I heard that the air inside my home can be five times more polluted than the outdoor air, I set myself up to clean up the air! First, I partnered up with Blueair filters and purifiers to get a filter going in our home. Second, I filled my house with plants – not only for the air filtering qualities, but because overall, in my opinion, I think plants make you a happier person! I currently have two snake plants, a split leaf philodendron (pictured below), a fig leaf tree, and a few succulents. Read more about NASA + air filtering plants and get some plants in your home, ASAP.

Simple Spring Switches-3

The Issue: endless plastic bottles of toxic dishwashing detergent.

The Solution: Dropps plastic free dish detergent! 

Our under the kitchen sink cabinets used to be packed to the brim with a variety of dish detergents, toxic sprays, and random bottles of cleaning supplies that we rarely used. Slowly but surely I’ve removed most of it and the one thing I loved discovering were the Dropps Dish Detergent Pods!

Their pod membrane is a biodegradable, water soluble film made of polyvinyl alcohol. When the film dissolves in your washer and enters the water stream in micro-particles, micro-organisms that commonly exist in nature break down the PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) to water and carbon dioxide. There are no fake fragrances, colors, or any junk that will be toxic. They come in small cardboard boxes that you can reuse or recycle. They are what my dish washing dreams are made off – because they also CLEAN my dishes just as well as the toxic detergents, if not better! Here’s my Dropps referral code if you’d like $10 off any subscription: click here.

Simple Spring Switches-2

The Issue: Our obsession with burning toxic fragrance filled candles to make our rooms smell lovely.

The Solution: Burning sage actually smells lovely, is natural, and is proven to cleanse the air of bacteria. 

“Simply put, sage clears bacteria in the air. Sage smoke offers rapid delivery to the brain and efficient absorption to the body. Scientists have observed that sage can clear up to 94 percent of airborne bacteria in a space and disinfect the air. When sage is burned, it releases negative ions, which is linked to putting people into a positive mood.” (source)

Burning sage has been a practice done by healers for thousands of years to cleanse the energy in the room, but with the new studies put forward, the fact that it also actually cleans the air of bacteria is amazing! Great to do if someone is sick at home to cleanse the air.

Simple Spring Switches-5

The Issue: Burning toxic candles or cleaning with toxic chemicals. 

The Solution: Essential oils – whether you’re using them to diffuse and make your homes smell amazing, or using them as a cleaning solution, they are amazing!

Essential oils had to make the list! And disclaimer: I don’t sell oils, but my friend Patti does [Easton Place Designs Essential Oils], so if you need some, check those out! The ones below were sent to me by Simply Earth and I’ve loved them lately. Here’s the thing: there is SO much essential oils can replace, so I’m just sharing the two ways I use them them most:

  • instead of toxic candles burning in my home, I have a diffuser in the living room and one in the bedroom, going most of the day and before bed, to infuse my home with a pleasant scent;
  • instead of harsh kitchen chemicals, I used lemongrass essential oil to clean my sinks, countertops, and stovetop. Lemongrass is a natural deodorizer and sanitizer, as well as a powerful bacteria killer. I just wet a cloth with hot water, drop a few drops of the oil on it, and wipe away!

Simple Spring Switches-4

The Issue: Laundry detergent that gives us allergies, rashes, and more due to the high toxic content of chemicals and fragrances. 

The Solution: Dropps Laundry Detergent Pods! 

Dropps packaging eliminates plastic, and is recyclable and compostable. Just like the dishwashing pods, these laundry pods were even more of a life saver because for the past year or two, I had been getting rashes the moment I put on my clothes or got into bed of a recently washed clothing or bedding item. I had no loyalty to a laundry detergent, I would buy whatever was on sale. Silly me – that was the cause of my skin rashes, which instantly stopped once I started using these Dropps pods. Again – no more plastic bottles of detergent, no more fake fragrances or colors – even those “sensitive” detergents – they are packed with toxic chemicals! It’s all a marketing ploy, believe me. Here’s my Dropps referral code if you’d like $10 off any subscription: click here.

Simple Spring Switches-1

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

One Comment

  1. Michael L Facciola says:

    Consistently one of the best of the food sites. Marnely has a sincere voice that does not venture into the “cute” tone so many others have. This is a delightful place to go for info, recipes and information. Well done!