Contributed by Gabriela Pino
A few years ago when I started school at NYU one of the hardest transitions for me was residence hall living. Faced with strange faces, new freedoms, balancing life and academic responsibilities; the adjustment was a challenge. Once I settled into my new environment I began the see my residence hall as my home. I enjoyed personalizing my space with photos and decorations and strove to keep my new oasis tidy and clean.
Around this time I also started to become curious about eco-conscious living and the zero waste lifestyle. It was clear that many of the products that I was using to clean my room came in plastic containers and were contributing to our landfills and also the toxic cleaning chemicals that I was buying were hazardous to myself and the environment. After spending many nights researching the environmental impact of cleansers and cleaning products I decided that I had to ditch the toxic chemicals and adapt to more sustainable cleaning habits.
Here are some ways that I was able to Green my cleaning routine:
Make your own Products
It was amazing to learn that I could make my own natural cleaning solutions from typical household products that I already had handy. The resources for recipes are endless and using only a few ingredients I created laundry detergent, surface cleaner, air fresheners (a must to combat your roommate’s smelly shoe problem) and more! Vinegar, baking soda and Castile soap are the VIPs in DIY cleaning solutions. Add in some custom essential oil blends and you will never want go back to buying toxic cleansers.
Shop for Cleansers at Package Free & Bulk Shops
Of course, as busy college students, not all of us will have the time or dedication to formulate our own products. The recent openings of two New York based retail shops Package Free Shop and The Fillery, have made low waste, non-toxic living more accessible. These shops offer bulk food, home goods, and cleaning products that are package-free and offer refillable glass containers which can be refilled in person or via mail.
Support new business models that make sustainability their mission
Ecopod is a new initiative to bring environmentally friendly house cleaning solutions directly to you. EcoPod has introduced refilling stations that offer a variety of cleaning products and containers to be reused and refilled whenever someone needs them. The kiosks are compact and intended to fit in dormitories, condos, supermarkets, and laundromats and could save millions of plastic containers from ending up in the landfill.
Hire a green cleaning service
It’s possible that you are interested in green cleaning but since there’s no “me” in clean you are more inclined to let someone else handle the elbow grease. If you live off campus, services such as Greenhouse Cleaning will send cleaners to your home and exclusively use products that are eco-friendly, organic, natural, 100% chemical-free, and 100% biodegradable “for a clean home and a clean planet.”
Regardless of your budget, schedule, cleaning habits (or lack thereof), these green home cleaning solutions can be easily incorporated into your lifestyle. Not only will you be part of the growing trend to adapt greener habits but you will also be investing in your own personal health and making contributions that will impact the wellbeing of the planet.
Gabriela Pino is a graduate student in NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate pursuing an MS in Real Estate Development. Sustainability has been a personal mission of Gabriela’s from a young age and started when she learned about ocean pollution at school. While participating in a beach cleanup along the shorelines of NYC, Gabriela witnessed the devastating effects of microplastic pollution firsthand and realized that the need to do more was urgent. This led Gabriela to co-found EcoPod Kiosks. She is fully committed to creating a better world through offsetting environmental footprints and being an innovator in sustainable urban development.
The toxic cleaning chemicals are is most important material to cleaning. In your article you describe some cleaning routine which i like most and i believe that these habits are helping for sustainable cleaning habits. Professional cleaners are using many products for cleaning but when we clean without cleaners we can easily use your formula. Thanks for sharing your lovely writing.
Cleaning Your Green Routine is a major part of Your Cleaning Service. Thanks for making the points clear. For More Details Visit Facilities Management and Janitorial Services in Connecticut.
Well, share! Thanks, author.
Nowadays education institutes are provoking and raising awareness about the cleaning to their students. In extracurricular activates and hobbies they teach how to do cleaning and use tools by homemade equipment’s which are relatively safe for the beginner. Also it influences a person to have good etiquette and manners.
It is great how many young people promote the “Green way” of cleaning. The majority of the biggest cleaning companies in the US and UK are starting to offer their customers a less invasive and chemical-free way of cleansing their properties. One of the easiest and most effective non-chemical methods of disinfection is the steam cleaning. You basically use only hot water. Usually, the simplest solutions are the best!