Spring Cleaning

Eco-tips for freshening up your space

Springtime

With temperatures rising and buds blooming, it’s high time to open those windows and invite the great outdoors into your day spa. But before you do… your facility’s likely in need of some freshening. This year, give your business its greatest and greenest spring cleaning yet, by avoiding dangerous chemicals and harsh cleaners. The following tips will help you get sparkling in the healthiest way possible for your staff, your clients and the environment.

1. Open windows and doors. It’s the best way to get dirty air moving out, and fresh air circulating in. Savor the breeze.

2. Skip the air fresheners. Chemical spritzers can cause eye, skin and respiratory irritation. Even worse, aerosol air fresheners emit airborne particles that can damage nerves and lodge in guests’ lungs. Consider displaying fresh or dried flowers, lighting candles, using cedar blocks or opening a box of baking soda to add natural fragrance to treatment rooms.

3. Use vegetable-based cleaning products. Trade harsh chemical cleansers for those made with coconut or herbs and you’ll conserve petroleum while introducing far fewer impurities to your day spa’s atmosphere.

4. Embrace vinegar. Nature’s cleaning miracle can make just about anything shine. Use it straight to wash windows and floors, and blend it with baking soda and essential oils to clean sinks and toilets.

5. Avoid bleach and chlorine. You’re probably well aware that neither agent is kind to the skin. And when they go down the drain, they become highly toxic to the natural world, too. Luckily, there are plenty of herbal substitutes on the market from which to choose.

6. Use natural-fiber sponges and rags. Avoid paper towels and one-time tools, and your spa’s carbon footprint instantly shrinks.

7. Skip the antibacterial soap. Experts agree: This is one trend that’s gone too far. Widespread use has led to antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

8. Dispose responsibly. As you shift to natural cleaning products, don’t pour your old chemical formulas down the drain, on the ground or in the trash. Read labels and check with your waste management provider for the safest options.

Is your spa as clean as it is green? We’d like to hear your best spa-keeping tips! Write to me at [email protected].

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