3 Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean Your Home While Protecting Our Waterways | Bham now

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Turkey Creek is just one of the most beautiful waterways in our area. (bam now)

It's spring cleaning time, but did you know that how you do it makes all the difference when it comes to keeping our local waterways as clean as your home? We turned to the experts in Jefferson County to learn about the top three household water contaminants and what each of us can do about it. Read on for all the details.

3 quick and dirty tips to make sure your spring cleaning is really clean

Let's get down to business. Here it is:

1. When you wash your car, drain the soapy water down your lawn, not down the drain.
2. Speaking of the garden, don't over-fertilize. The resulting algae in streams and streams are harmful to aquatic plants and species.
3. Put your pet's poop in the trash, not in your yard or anywhere else.

Need more spring cleaning tips? Jefferson County is here for you .

1. Take good care of your car

Make sure your car is in good condition. (bam now)

Did you know that a single drop of oil leaking from each of Jefferson County's 740,000 registered vehicles has the potential to contaminate 16 million gallons of water in our streams, creeks, rivers and lakes every day?

It's unconditional. So when you take care of your car, you should be aware that you are helping more than yourself. Here are some tips :

DO: Keep an eye on your car for leaks and drips, use drip trays and absorbent pads, then have your car serviced as soon as possible. If you have a large leak or drip on a paved area, soak it up with something like kitty litter, then sweep up the spill and throw it away.

WHY: A drop really matters. Studies show that four liters can contaminate 1 million gallons of surface water.

So many creatures live near our waters. (bam now)

DO: Be aware when washing your car at home . Wash it on a permeable surface like grass or gravel that can filter water. If you're washing over concrete or asphalt, divert the wastewater onto a patio so it doesn't enter the street or stormwater system.

WHY: All the dirt you wash in your car gets mixed with detergent and then runs down your driveway onto the street. As soon as it goes down the gully, it ends up in the nearest stream, stream, river or lake. There it pollutes our drinking water and kills fish and other aquatic life. We're pretty sure that wasn't what you intended on that sunny day when you decided to wash your car.

DO: Go to your local commercial car wash. WHY: They have equipment that reuses the wash water and then filters the oil and grease for proper disposal. The fish and our drinking water will thank you.

2. Don't over-fertilize your garden

how is your garden (Jacob Blankenship/Bham Now)

Of course you want a beautiful garden and a thriving garden. You may not have realized that the bag of weed and groceries you picked up last weekend could be damaging our local waterways. It turns out that the extra fertilizer washing away lawns and gardens is actually a major source of stormwater pollution.  

"It's much easier and more profitable for the owner and for us if he spreads less fertilizer. It costs us tens of millions of dollars in equipment and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to remove on-site phosphorus, which is required of us by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

David Denard, Director of the Jefferson County Department of Environmental Protection

DO: Make good landscaping decisions.

DO: Make good chemical choices.

• Choose the least toxic chemicals and spot treatments to protect waterways. Apply the products when no rain is forecast and avoid application on windy days.
• Be sure to calibrate your spreader to the correct settings before applying fertilizer; Read and follow label directions.
• Store chemicals in sealed containers in an area that is not exposed to rain.

YES: dispose of extras safely.

• Get rid of leftover food on household waste days. The next will be on April 9, 2022 from 8:00am to 11:30am (or until capacity is reached) at locations in Gardendale, Irondale and Bessemer.

WHY: Fertilizers cause excessive algae growth in waterways, reducing oxygen in the water and killing fish. Pesticides and herbicides kill insects and other aquatic life, as well as plants that are necessary for the food chain in waterways.

3. Pick up your pet's poop

Never forget a bag again. (Ocean Vets)

DYK: We have 150,000 pet dogs that live in Jefferson County and together they produce 38 tons of waste per day . That's a lot of poo.

If you have a pet, do the right thing and collect your pet's waste, whether it's on the street, sidewalk, or even in your own backyard.

Always make sure to pick up after your pet. (bam now)

WHY: Feces carry bacteria, viruses, and parasites that infest aquatic creatures, make people sick, and impair our drinking water. Raw.

What you need to do:

1. always pick it up
2. Wrap it up.
3. Throw it away.

Wondering what to do with the other things you're cleaning this spring? Visit Jefferson County's new Keep it Clean page for many more pro tips .

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