No Waste Cleaning Hacks for Spring

Start with a sustainable closet cleanout

By beginning with a closet cleanout, you can get your wardrobe ready for the spring season while tackling any dust bunnies that might be lurking in closet corners. It can also help you confront any items you may have forgotten about, ensuring you get the most use out of your clothing.

Make sure any bulky winter clothes you’ll be cycling out for the season are clean and dry before you put them away. Apply our stain & odor spray if needed and allow garments to air out fully. Your clothes want to breathe, so try to store them outside of stuffy plastic zip bags if possible.

If there are certain clothes you know you just aren’t going to wear anymore, let them start their next life by using our Take Back Bag to help curb textile waste.

Reorganize your kitchen pantry to help reduce food waste for the season ahead, and while you’re at it, wipe up any sticky spills and cobwebs.

Next, clean out your fridge, cabinets and pantry

Reorganizing your bathroom cabinets and kitchen spaces can create a mess, so it’s best to do this before the rest of your deep clean. Reorganize your kitchen pantry to help reduce food waste for the season ahead, and while you’re at it, wipe up any sticky spills and cobwebs.

Spring is a good time to reassess the food that’s been lurking in the back of your fridge and freezer. Check what’s no longer viable and compost any spoiled items.

Once these spaces are wiped clean and organized, you’re ready to start cleaning the rest of your place, top to bottom.

Reorganizing your bathroom cabinets and kitchen spaces can create a mess, so it’s best to do this before the rest of your deep clean

Use reusable cloths and dusters

Old rags and reusable cloths are handy for dusting, wiping, or even attaching to your Swiffer-style mop. Starting with your ceiling fans and vents, dust off any grime that may have accumulated over the last months, and work your way down to counters and surfaces.

We love Swedish dish cloths in place of paper towels for wiping countertops and spills. Each strong, biodegradable sheet absorbs up to 20x its weight in liquids and can be reused over 200 times. They also dry more quickly than sponges and cloths, preventing bacteria from forming.

We love Swedish dish cloths in place of paper towels for wiping countertops and spills.

After using, we like to give our Swedish dish cloths a quick rinse and squeeze before letting them dry. First thing each morning, you can throw yesterday’s dried dish cloth in the laundry machine for later and start with a clean one.

For serious grime, try cleaning with a tree-free paper towel made from FSC Certified bamboo.

First thing each morning, you can throw yesterday’s dried dish cloth in the laundry machine for later and start with a clean one

Clean using nontoxic pantry staples

Did you know most things in your home can be cleaned using a few staples you might already have? White vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, and lemons can tackle cleaning from countertop spray to bathroom tile paste to mild mold and pest control spray.

Our 5% white vinegar is the perfect acidity for cleaning glass, cutting boards and other smooth surfaces, while baking soda is a natural abrasive.

For a easy, sustainable countertop cleaning spray → Use our multi-surface cleaning solution. For a DIY spray, Combine ½ cup white vinegar with ½ cup vodka and 20 drops lemon essential oil in a sprayer bottle and fill to the top with distilled water.

For an easy, DIY bathroom scrub → Combine 2 tablespoons of distilled water with 1 cup baking soda, 4 tablespoons castile soap, and several drops of lemon essential oil. Scour sinks, tubs and tiles using this paste and our compostable luffa sponge.

For mirrors and windows → We recommend this glass cleaner spray made without ammonia or phosphates for a squeaky sustainable clean.

Keep the clean vibes going in your kitchen by washing dishes without plastic and toxins in your routine.

Use the whole lemon

Naturally antibacterial and antiseptic, lemon juice is also great for removing stains. Not only can you use lemon juice in a variety of cleaning applications, you can use the actual lemon itself. Any time you have half a lemon that’s all squeezed out, turn it inside out and use it as a scrubber to deep clean your sinks, cutting boards, and more.

You can also use leftover lemon peel and other citrus or herbs to make an infusion for your homemade cleaning spray using a simple 1:1 recipe of white vinegar to distilled water. Let sit for a week or so and compost the peels when finished!

Naturally antibacterial and antiseptic, lemon juice is also great for removing stains.

Ditch the plastic dish brush

Keep the clean vibes going in your kitchen by washing dishes without plastic and toxins in your routine. When hand washing dishes, opt for natural dish brushes, bottle brushes and sponges. Soak all dishes in the largest bowl or container in order to save water.

Swap out disposable dish soap containers for a foaming vegan dish block or natural dish soap and enjoy the sparkling sustainable clean.

Use a nontoxic fruit and vegetable wash

With the spring season comes a bounty of fresh produce. Check out our farmer’s market picks in our produce section at all re_ locations, and keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer by giving them a good clean with our natural fruit & veg wash. Not only does a produce rinse help prepare your food to be eaten, it helps you prevent food waste as well.

Swap out disposable dish soap containers for a foaming vegan dish block or natural dish soap and enjoy the sparkling sustainable clean.

Freshen up your laundry routine

There’s nothing better than a clean laundry routine to make your home feel wholesome and cozy. To spring clean your towels and linens, give them a boost in a hot water cycle with some vinegar and baking soda to strip them of any old, funky smells.

Not only does a produce rinse help prepare your food to be eaten, it helps you prevent food waste as well

As you use up old laundry supplies, swap out empties for sustainable alternatives like our clean eco-friendly laundry detergent pods, laundry detergent sheets, laundry powder or laundry liquid in the scent of your choice. Dry using wool dryer balls with a few drops of your favorite essential oil, or air dry outside in the spring breeze.

We hope you found these sustainable cleaning hacks helpful. For more low-waste lifestyle tips and tricks, be sure to follow us on social. Want to get started on your spring clean? Check out our nontoxic, reusable, and compostable household essentials for all your deep cleaning to daily cleaning needs.