Today’s guest author, Brittany Smith, tells you how you can do a little good by doing a little spring cleaning.

It’s that time of year again. Time to de-clutter the lingering remnants of winter and let fresh air back into your home with some spring cleaning. But where do you put everything you remove from your home? In the trash? What you do with all these unwanted items is just as important as removing them from your home, and this spring you can donate them to a good cause.

We here at Live Green have teamed up with Repax for Fwd: Your Fashion, DC’s largest clothing drive. Our goal is to collect a record breaking amount of clothes to benefit Goodwill and help fund over 400 hours of their employment programs for the DC community, while diverting several thousand pounds of waste from landfills.

Live Green is a social enterprise dedicated to growing the green economy and making green living easy, fun, and accessible for all. To us, this means everything from helping businesses chose sustainable sourcing for their menu, to helping consumers make smart and eco-friendly choices in their everyday lives.

By participating in Fwd: Your Fashion, not only are you removing clutter from your life, but you are giving your clothes a second life, which is one of the greenest things you can do.

How can you help?

First, go through all your clothes and start a pile of unworn and unwanted garments. This includes that expensive shirt you never wear.

Next, donate your clothes at the closest Fwd: Your Fashion drop-off location.

Finally, celebrate with us as we tally the total amount of clothes before we kick-off Green Rush, our city-wide scavenger hunt on April 21st.

Ready. Set. De-clutter.

About The Author

Brittany is the Operations Manager for Live Green. As a vegetarian, she enjoys getting the inside scoop on the best eco-friendly restaurants around DC. She loves soy chai lattes, experimenting with vegan baking, reading, and watching entire TV series all at once.

Connect With Live Green: Fwd: Your Fashion Facebook App | Web

So, you know I’ve been on the green bandwagon, or at least, I’ve been trying to get on board.  I mentioned to another organizer on Twitter that I was having a bit of trouble finding green products that cleaned as well as the harsh chemical stuff.   It turns out that not only does she know a thing or two about green cleaning, but she’s also written a book about it.  Of course, what was I to do but ask her to share, share, share!  I hope you’ll enjoy the green tid bits from our guest blogger, Candita Clayton.  Check it out…

Unlike like my blog hostess Deb, cleaning is not really one of my favorite things to do. So you may be wondering why  I would write a book about green cleaning.  Well, I wrote Clean Your Home Healthy: Green Cleaning Made Easy (Morgan James Publishing, April 2008) to help people make educated decisions about the cleaning products they use in their homes.   I am truly a green loving girl and my quest to support eco-conscious companies who use naturally derived ingredients and safe manufacturing practices is a personal passion.   In my career as a professional home organizer, I have discovered time and time again that an organized and clean living space can reduce stress, and help every daily routine run smoothly.   So with spring cleaning on everyone’s mind, let’s consider greening  up your cleaning routine.

Some things you need in your green cleaning arsenal:

•  All Purpose Cleaner – I love a product from Better Life called “What-ever!” It works on every surface and really works! Find it at www.cleanhappens.com.

•  You can whip up your own all purpose cleaner by filling a spray bottle 1/2 white vinegar, ½  with water and  a few drops of nice smelling essential oil like Lemongrass and Tea Tree (found in natural food stores).

•  Hydrostatic and Microfiber Cleaning Cloths – These babies are a god send! They can be used to dust with no chemicals at all, and can also be used over and over for surface cleaning. They can be found in Target and other big box stores.

•   Bonami – This natural cleanser contains no harsh chemicals and has been around for years! Works like a charm when you need to clean your sink, tile and anything that requires a little abrasive action.

If you are having trouble letting go of your traditional cleaners…baby steps! You can start by implementing some green cleaning products and slowly let go of your traditional cleaners.

Why do it?

You will feel better.  Harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia which are found in most traditional cleaning products can cause respiratory distress and pollute your indoor air.  Protect  yourself, your family and your pets by making the switch.

For a complete list of companies, products and ideas about cleaning your home healthy, check out www.cleanyourhomehealthy.com and www.yourlifeorganized.com/blog for monthly giveaways.

About the Author

Candita Clayton founded her company, Your Life Organized LLC, in 2001, after the birth of her second child. Since then, she has been dedicated to helping people improve their home environments and their lives through the power of organization.

Connect With Candita: Web | Twitter

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