subject: Implementation Of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle While Cleaning House [print this page] House cleaning isn't only about getting the house cleaned. Sometimes we feel the need to reduce the amount of clutter, reuse or recycle old items. Many items sit dormant in the attic or basement for years before we touch them. Take a look at your storage area and make notes of the items you can sell, trash or recycle in some way.
Reduce while Cleaning
We know to turn the water off while brushing our teeth or hand washing dishes and we understand the importance of water conservation. Water and energy are the two primary resources we all strive to conserve while performing everyday activities. Cleaning house takes a lot of energy from us physically as well as the resources we use, like water and energy.
Reduce the amount of water you use while cleaning house by using a 5-gallon bucket instead of continually running water to clean surfaces. Use cold water to reduce strain on your water heater and conserve energy. Use a second bucket for clean rinse water and replace the water in each as needed.
Pick up all items on the floor before you begin to vacuum. Make sure to get everything near the edges of furniture so you don't have to switch the vacuum cleaner off and on unnecessarily.
Make Money Cleaning Your Own House
We all collect stuff over the years. We tend to put things in boxes "just in case" it comes in handy later. Some items eventually become collector items, while others simply become trash. Still, we collect those items and store them in boxes for months or even years.
Go through boxes carefully and only when you have time to dedicate to looking up items of potential worth. Old Barbie dolls or Hot Wheels that you or your children had when you were younger could be worth a small fortune. Look for model numbers or dates to let you know the potential worth of an item then do a search on your favorite search engine.
Most of us have boxes or shelves full of old video games and consoles. They brought us a lot of happiness in their day, but they've been sitting in a box for years. Maybe it's time to sell them and get some money out of them. Rare video games from the 80s and early 90s often fetch a pretty penny at consignment shops or auctions.
Old clothing is something else we all collect. It may be those skinny jeans that we've kept "just in case" we lose weight and need them; or "just in case" they come back in style. We all know styles return, usually updated, every 5 to 15 years. Styles update, fabrics and materials change each time a fashion trend reemerges. It's time to get rid of that old stuff.
Whether you decide to sell, trash or reuse your old items, keep the 3 R's in mind. Each time you pick an item out of a box, ask yourself if you should reduce, reuse or recycle that particular item. Reduce meaning trash it in this case. Reduce the clutter, reuse the item or recycle it in some way.
