If one of the visions dancing in your head this holiday season is to “go green,” then you are in luck! Here are some eco-friendly ideas to prep your house for entertaining and fill it with seasonal spirit and natural scents.
Green Clean Your Home
The holiday season is a time of cozying up in the house, so this is the perfect time to clear the air inside of toxins as well as dirt and dust. Use mild, biodegradable natural and non-toxic cleaning products. Look for ones that don’t contain harsh chemical solvents, chlorine, ammonia, or synthetic fragrances. Baking soda or vinegar mixed with a little water make excellent all-purpose cleaners. If possible, try and open the windows a little while cleaning to let toxins out and fresh air in.
Buy A “Green” Christmas Tree
Avoid artificial trees that are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Choose a fresh tree instead. Live, potted trees are reusable. After the holidays, you can plant your tree or leave it potted in your yard and use it again next year. Or, recycle your fresh cut tree. Look for a lot (or an organic tree farm) that sells trees grown locally and without pesticides.
When the holidays are over, don’t put your tree out with the trash. Instead, see if your community has a tree-recycling pick-up day. Recycling services turn trees into compost or mulch for community parks and other public areas. Log on to earth911.com to find a tree recycler in your area.
Seasonal Fragrances and Decorations
This year, find your decorations in your backyard instead of heading to the store. Berries, flowers, and evergreen branches are beautiful decorations and fill the house with seasonal aromas.
Make holiday potpourri by simmering ingredients such as lemon or orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Add to your seasonal scents by baking gingerbread cookies.
Instead of buying new decorations, use family vintage ornaments, or buy some from a thrift store. Have your children make ornaments from homemade clay, scraps of fabric, old holiday cards, and nontoxic paints and glue.
Children can also help make snow globes in watertight recycled jars. Several snow globes displayed together on a table or mantel make a beautiful winter wonderland!
Eco-Friendly Lighting
Candles and holiday lights are a big part of the holiday season, but electric holiday lights consume a lot of energy and standard paraffin candles are made from petroleum products.
If you are stringing up lights, conserve energy by turning the lights on only at night. Make sure to use LED lights because they are brighter than standard mini-bulbs and use one-tenth the energy, which can help you save on your energy bill.
When it comes to lighting a menorah or a tabletop, buy candles made with natural ingredients such as palm oil, soy, or beeswax. Electric menorahs are another option.
Maid Brigade House Cleaning Services cares about the health of you and your family. For more information on healthy green living and green cleaning, please log on to greencleancertified.com or maidbrigade.com. For more information on “Household Cleaning Products and Breast Cancer”, please watch our video at www.greencleancertified.com/greentv.
