Spring is finally at our doorstep! And while the urge to fling open our windows and clean the whole house is strong, it's important that we stop and think about whether what we are using to clean is actually cleaning or making our homes dirtier. Scroll down to see some simple sustainability swaps!

Keeping your home and the planet clean

Did you know conventional cleaning products emit dangerous VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into our homes, which have been shown to cause childhood asthma? The EPA has created a "Safer Choice Standard" to help consumers choose products that are less harmful to their health and the health of their loved ones, pets, or employees. It's at least a place to start when you are buying cleaning products for your spring cleaning!

There are also a number of companies now who are making zero-waste tablets that you can just drop into a spray bottle you already have, instead of buying another plastic bottle full of dangerous VOCs. You can find them for multi-surface cleaners, window cleaners, bathroom cleaners...anything you can think of now!

Worried that safer products won't get your house as clean or disinfect as well as traditional disinfectants? Check out this list for dozens of choices that disinfect without damaging your septic system (don't forget, you can't use bleach if you are on septic!), the groundwater (where lots of cleaning chemicals end up), or getting into our drinking water.

It can be intimidating to think about how to lessen our impact while keeping our families safe. But we can do this. And Sweet Farm is here to help you on that journey!

These tea towels are proof that living sustainably can also be super cute!

Let's talk about plastic cleaning supplies

Plastic scrub brushes, mops, and sponges release tiny particles of plastic (micro and even tinier nanoplastic particles) every time they are used. These particles go right down the drain and are not caught by municipal waste treatment facilities, so they end up in our waterways and oceans (where they are eaten by wildlife), in our drinking water, and even in the air all around us. The average adult brain currently holds about a plastic spoon worth of microplastics.

So what can we do? Well, plastic cleaning products aren't the only ones out there! We love our Swedish sponge cloths and bamboo & sisal cleaning brushes! In fact, we love them so much that we recently launched our own one-stop shop for all your sustainable home needs! Sweet Farm Provisions now proudly carries everything you need to swap out your plastic products for sustainable ones. And remember, the best way to make your life more sustainable is NOT to just throw out everything you already have! Use the things you have, and when it is time for new ones, that's when you switch to an eco-friendly option.

REMEMBER: The greenest option is almost always to just use what you already have.