4 Green Spring Cleaning Tips

Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 5:58 PM

Happy Spring!  I’ve heard that it’s snowing on the east coast, and probably doesn’t feel all that spring-like yet in other parts of the country, but the new season is officially here, which means that the urge to spring clean can’t be far behind.

There’s a new study out that underscores why keeping up the battle against household dust is oh-so-important. It found that a certain type of chemical flame retardant that’s really common in household dust (because electronics and upholstered furniture are coated in these chems to prevent fires) causes hyperactive behavior and changes brain development in mice. In the past these same chems, called PBDEs, have been linked with cancer, lowered immunity and thyroid problems too.

And this relates to spring cleaning because? Although it’s pretty impossible to eliminate PBDEs from your home entirely, your single best way to reduce your exposure to them is by eliminating dust, because PBDEs (as well as many other indoor pollutants) attach to it.  A few tips on beating dust in an eco-friendly fashion:

Dust with a wet cloth—dry cloths just stir up dust without eliminating it.  Use water, a vinegar solution or an eco-friendly cleaner (think Method, Ecover, Seventh Generation—I’ve heard that Shaklee is excellent though haven’t ever tried it).

Vacuum using a vacuum with a HEPA filter.  These don’t have to be expensive!  Consumer Reports gives the Hoover WindTunnel Bagless great ratings and it costs just $230 on Amazon.  Old vacuums can just stir up dust, but a newer model with a HEPA filter will trap it.

De-clutter as much as you can.  Clutter (um, like the piles of papers on my desk, the piles of magazines in the corner of my office, the gift-wrapping paraphrenelia under my bed . . ) collects dust like crazy, so I am really, really going to try to cut down on it, and you should too.  Maybe this weekend?

Finally, as soon as it’s warm enough, throw open multiple windows whenever you’re home. It’s the easiest and cheapest way to improve the quality of the air you breathe, and as a bonus you might even smell some spring flowers.

Oh, and another little nagging reminder, in case you've forgotten: When you do your spring cleaning this year, remember to avoid any cleaners, air fresheners, etc. containing artificial fragrance!  There’s nothin’ “clean” about having toxic chemicals wafting through your home.