Hello neighbors! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the trash has been piling up all winter long. April is here! That means we get to fling open our windows, turn down our thermostats, and figure out how to purge boxes full of junk that’s been hibernating in the garage since the holidays. But where do we start? In 2017, 54 percent of Americans surveyed said the biggest Spring Cleaning challenge is finding the right motivation to begin, followed by finding enough time to do it.

Don’t worry. Just take a deep breath of that springtime air and check out these helpful cleaning tips to save both time and money.

Here are 3 fresh ideas to dust away waste while cleaning this spring:

1. Reuse your old clothes as cleaning rags

When it comes to cleaning, even the simplest tools can generate mountains full of waste. Take paper towels for example, a cleaning staple in almost every room of the house. About 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used per year, a full 45 pounds per person! When going through your old boxes of clothes, or that garbage bag full of mismatched socks, consider reusing them as dedicated wash rags instead of tossing them. Wiping your counters and windowsills with that old t-shift full of holes will not only save you some paper towel cash, but it will also reduce the impact of clothes clogging up your local landfill.

2. Choose environmentally-friendly cleaning products or create your own

Commercial detergents and cleaning products are filled to the brim with harsh chemicals that can pollute our local waterways if not disposed of correctly, not to mention the pollutants that get released into the air. This spring, consider using biodegradable or plant-based cleaning products to have a toxic-free cleaning experience. And if you want to use a little creativity to save a bucket full of cash, there are plenty of natural cleaning recipes you can mix together yourself. Check the web and you’ll find plenty of useful tips and tricks to make the most of your cleaning closet without putting yourself in harm’s way. Also, look into investing in a washable, reusable mop and get rid of those single-use mop pads.

3. Recycle, donate, or sell old items instead of throwing them away.

One of the most satisfying results of spring cleaning is being able to get rid of all that unwanted clutter. But just tossing stuff isn’t your only option. As the old saying goes, one person’s trash can be another’s treasure. So think twice about what goes into your One Big Bin and consider donating or hosting a yard sale instead. Do a little research online to find places that will happily take your gently used, old items. And for the junk that can be just too cumbersome to take to your local donation center, like old TVs, computer monitors, and other broken electronics, you can use One Big Bin’s free curbside pick-up.

Follow our tips above or surf the web to find more awesome ways to reduce waste while reducing your clutter. Happy spring cleaning!