It’s Spring. Mother Nature is going green. You can, too.

1) Reduce. Get rid of all that stuff you never use. We’re not suggesting that you live an uber-minimalist lifestyle, but the quickest way to cut your cleaning time is to simply have less stuff to clean.

2) Reuse. Before you trash any of those things in your “reduce” pile, see if it can be re-purposed to use in a different way. Please note, this does not grant you licence to be the next star of Hoarders.

3) Donate. Your trash could be someone else’s treasure! Dishes, clothes, books, toys, etc. – all could find a second life – give them away or sell on Craigslist. House less cluttered. Landfills less full.

4) Recycle. Newspapers, magazines, glass, plastics, compost, and electronics (www.era.ca OR www.encorp.ca/electronics).

5) O rganization at its best. Create your own storage containers. Wrap cardboard boxes in attractive paper, make cloth bags from old t-shirts (or any old fabric garment).

6) Homemade cleaning supplies. Hot water + vinegar + baking soda + essential oils = zero toxins and better than commercial products! Put this in an old jam jar (See? You’re reusing, too) and you’ve avoided buying plastics.

7) Make it a no-waste clean. Forget paper towels – choose the re-useable microfiber cloths or sponges, and ditch the sweeper with disposable pads for a broom or mop!

8) Choose natural cleaning for big projects. Focus on the places that you gloss over – refrigerator, drapes, carpet. Deep-clean the carpet, wash your drapes with an eco-friendly detergent. You can make your fridge operate more efficiently by vacuuming the dust and detritus from the refrigeration coils.

9) Plan Ahead. Start thinking ‘green’ throughout all areas of your life – from office, to wardrobe, to home electronics. If you don’t buy things you don’t need, it won’t be necessary to recycle or reuse them.

For more great ideas, visit: treehugger.com