The Spring Clean

I’ve slowly started scrolling through the feeds again after taking a break from social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. I especially like how Snap-chat’s recent update allows you to watch all the stories in one long feed. Since I don’t have TV, there is now a two-to-three-hour story of everyone I enjoy following with no breaks. It’s wonderful.

Someone recently posted on Facebook that they had some unexpected free time, and my fellow Metro columnist Anton Glamb made the first, most clever response: “Deep clean your house.” I smiled to myself as I read it, reminding me why I enjoy social media.

It also made me think. I’m very curious to know who really does a thorough and serious spring cleaning. You are out there, I’m sure.

Like exercise and meditating, cleaning is one of those things that feels so amazing once you can find the time to do it. But it’s also the easiest thing to put off for other, seemingly more important life situations. Washing the sheets, beating down the rugs and couch cushions, running a damp cloth along the tops of all the jealousies, replacing the dead plants with new ones, and clearing out the excess cartons, and plastic bags ( I must look at services similar to Rubbish Removals Oakleigh or somewhere in the vicinity) and organizing everything are very admirable activities to move into the new season. It’s on my to-do list. Which reminds me, I must also look for a company that does carpet cleaning near me.

Also, I know that spring cleaning allows you to find more serious issues that might be missed otherwise. The last time I did a big clean, I found some mold in my bathroom and a leaky pipe under my sink that could have been there for months otherwise! It also increased your chances of finding pests before they infest too much of your house. If you’re changing your bedding and notice bedbugs or find mice droppings while cleaning behind the sofa, you know you’ve got to contact a pest control company to deal with the issue. If this is ever the case for you, visit https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/florida/kendall/ and see if they’ll be able to help get rid of your pests.

While I’m still warming up to the idea of a legitimate spring cleaning, detoxing has become a way of life. I’ve made very conscious efforts to be careful of what I choose to allow in my body. There are chemicals everywhere, but doing things like switching out my laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, deodorant and toothpaste make great strides to prevent known carcinogens from making contact. For everything I drink or eat, I’m aware of where it was grown, what kind of ingredients are in it, or how it was filtered. This is, of course, not going to happen 100 percent of the time, but being aware of it has been a great start to staying healthy.

A great friend of mine recently told me about an app that has helped a lot in my new regular detox regimen. Detox Me by Silent Spring Institute helps those of us who need on-the-fly information about toxic chemicals. The app identifies consumer products, home-building supplies and more that contain pollutants. Plus, it provides recommendations like choosing chunk light over albacore tuna, or using cotton tablecloths instead of vinyl and plastics. These are small things that add up to big things to change your lifestyle for the better.

Who has the time to Google all of this? Detox Me has everything broken down into categories – personal care, home, cleaning, food and drink, children and clothing – with new tips added regularly. There also is a way to track your progress and receive badges for my more competitive friends. Although there are great suggestions via Detox Me, there is still so much out there. There are so many detox supplements out there, such as the best liposomal glutathione supplement you can find to the best CBD product. Detoxing has become such a trend that there has been a boom in products, advice and schedules to follow – make sure you research.

Silent Spring believes “knowledge is not just power, but a prescription for prevention.” But these are exactly the kind of things that pushed aside in the busy-ness of life. It’s much better to have all of this at the tip of your fingers.

Detox Me is available for free for iOS and Andriod. For more information, visit silentspring.org/detoxme.

@SUPERCW

CHRISTA WITTMIER IS “SUPERCW” ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA. FIND HER ON SNAPCHAT, SOUNDCLOUD, TWITTER, VINE AND INSTAGRAM. BY NIGHT, SHE IS KNOWN AS DJ SUPERCW. BY DAY, SHE IS KNOWN AS SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR YOUNG’S MARKET COMPANY OF HAWAII. HER NIGHTLIFE BLOG SUPERCITY RUNS EVERY WEDNESDAY ON HONOLULUPULSE.COM