Lean & green spring clean: here are 18 ways to clear the cobwebs, cut the clutter, and enjoy a naturally healthy home

Natural Health, April, 2005 by Dorothy Foltz-Gray

THERE'S A DELICIOUS SYMBOLISM to an annual spring cleaning. We're mimicking nature's grand reopening, unfurling what's been shut tight into something bright and invigorating. It's a welcome purge of cobwebs, confusion, and our own dusty souls.

But can a house spruced up with chemicals deliver the freshness we're after? And does it really help to toss out those paisley capri pants and that slightly broken VCR? (What if we need them someday?)

The answers become easier when we understand how everything in our house affects how we feel. Losing the toxic cleaners and the cubic yards of clutter lets us breathe easier, literally and figuratively.

"The piles are alive," cautions Terah Collins, author of The Western Guide to Feng Shui for Romance. "There's 'chatter' coming from every single thing we live with; it says you're a slob, you can't take care of me, etc. When people understand this, it's an 'aha!' moment, because all of us want a house that cheers us."

Follow the three tenets of a green spring clean--purge, purify, and energize--and you'll soon achieve the nurturing environment you deserve. Cheers are sure to follow.

purge

Now is the time to be ruthless: If you don't love it or use it, give it to someone who will--or just lose it. Start by eliminating cleaning products that may do more harm than good.

* Cleaners The average household harbors 3 to 25 gallons of toxic materials, mostly in the form of cleaning supplies. Some have been linked to cancer, asthma, and liver and brain damage. Bring products with labels reading "warning," "danger," or "poison" to a hazardous waste facility. Next, divorce yourself of anything containing alcohol, ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, acids, lye, or propellants. That includes powder cleanser and all-purpose spray cleaner, both of which usually contain bleach, and ammonia-based glass cleaner. (Even in small amounts, bleach and ammonia can irritate your eyes, skin, nose, and throat.) Substitute plant-based products such as those made by Ecover and Mrs. Meyer's, says Kim Carlson, owner of Earth Smart, a green-media company in Minneapolis. Natural disinfectants and cleaners like borax and vinegar also do the trick.

* Pesticides Studies have linked pesticides to cancer, birth defects, infertility, and damage to the central nervous system. To kill cockroaches, ants, and termites, sprinkle borax in suspect areas. For major ant infestations, mix borax and water with a little sugar (for sugar ants) or grease (for grease ants). Safety note: Though it's natural and relatively safe, borax is not entirely nontoxic, so keep it away from food, children, and pets. Vacuuming regularly also holds down the critter population.

* Chemical leftovers Another name for old paint and stains, motor oil, batteries, thinners, and solvents is toxic trash. These have chemicals that, when disposed of unsafely, can injure sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems, and pollute ground and surface water. Deliver them to a hazardous-waste drop-off center. Call your city's sanitation department for the location of your nearest site. The EPA also offers information about disposal and recycling on its Web site (epa.gov). If you have enough paints or stains left over, see if you can give them to a neighbor, charity, or business who will use them.

* Dead technology Just one computer contains 5 to 8 pounds of lead, which can pollute the groundwater if you toss it in the garbage. Instead, turn to the people who made it or sold it. Office Depot (officedepot.com) allows customers to bring one item per visit for recycling--a monitor, printer, or cellphone, for example. Dell (dell.com), Epson (fundingfactory.com), and Hewlett-Packard (hp.com) also offer recycling programs.

* Paper piles Recycle the stuff you're never going to read. To stop next year's pileup, remove your name from junk mail lists by contacting the Mail Preference Service (the-dma.org). Also, cancel catalogs and magazines you never look at, and sign up to pay bills online.

* The tired, the irreparable, the unloved Wherever you look with your fresh spring eye, you'll see things that are long past their viability: the broken toaster, the tom pillows, the 1952 world atlas. The best, give to a friend, resell, or donate to a charity; the worst, toss in the dumpster. The same goes for anything that accumulates dust, suggests Paula Jhung, author of Cleaning and the Meaning of Life: Simple Solutions to Declutter Your Home and Beautify Your Life: "Dust shows you're not using it, and why keep something you never use?" Also, take a last look around for any objects that annoy you--let them go, and revel in the release. That includes leggy, forlorn plants (return them to the earth) and those hated gifts you've felt too guilty to unload.

purify

Before you clean, remind yourself why you do it. It's not so you can eat off the floor, says Elizabeth Sword, former executive director of the Children's Health Environmental Coalition in Princeton, N.J. Most of us simply want our houses to look better and provide a healthy environment Here's a list of top spots to tackle.