Office Sustainability Tip of the Week

Even though Fredericksburg saw light snowfall earlier this week, and with it still a possibility in the upcoming forecast, Spring officially arrived on March 20th.  While it may be a little early to toss your winter jacket to the back of the closet, it’s not too early to start thinking about Spring Cleaning.  This week’s tip focuses on considering a more sustainable approach to this seasonal cleaning pastime.

One important thing to remember when cleaning your office or your home is many popular cleaning detergents contain chemicals that are toxic to the environment.  When it comes down to it, we’re more or less just talking about cleaning normal surfaces.  You’ll find that there are many alternatives to the cleaning detergents that you may normally use.  Moreover, they will probably wind up being less expensive than what you spend on name brand products.  A great site that contains recipes for making your own cleaning detergents can be found at The Sustainable Solution.  Check out how with just some vinegar and water you can clean your windows and floors.  Also, you may want to consider also using natural fiber sponges or an old t-shirt or piece of cloth as opposed to paper towels.

Some other sustainable spring cleaning tips for your home or office:

• Use fresh flowers or an open box of baking soda as opposed to chemical air fresheners
• Hang a clothesline to dry clothes naturally
• Replace old bulbs with energy efficient LEDs or Energy Star bulbs
• Always recycle
• Donate instead of throwing away!

And when the warmer weather does finally arrive, remember at home to try and open windows and save air conditioning for those truly hot unbearable days.

If you have any suggestions for things we can all do differently each day to create more sustainable environments, please feel free to leave a comment or email me the idea to be featured in a future Tip of the Week.  The PCS Action Group members for the “Office Sustainability Tip of the Week” are Kevin Caffrey, Elizabeth Sanders, Robert Louzek, and Dre Anthes.

Last Week’s Tip: Meatless Mondays.