At Princeton, we know that making a big difference usually starts with small steps. The journey to an eco-friendly household can seem daunting (and expensive), but it doesn’t have to be! We’ve compiled a list below of our favorite 10 ways to repurpose disposable household items, that would normally be single use.  

1. Mascara Wands: Next time you finish up a tube of mascara, toss the body but keep the wand to help rehabbers care for orphaned wild life! You can find exact directions on how to donate your brushes here. 
2. Wine Bottles: Enjoy your next night cap without the guilt. Wine bottles make excellent décor, from flower vases and center pieces to room lighting that will be the center of your guest’s conversations! La Crema winery has plenty of ideas to help you get creative with your wine bottles. 
3. Tooth Brushes: Dentists suggest throwing your toothbrush away every 3 months. That means the average person uses and replaces 300 toothbrushes in their lifetime. The next time you need to replace yours, clean it off and save it in your cleaning supplies to help scrub those hard to reach or small spaces like around your faucet! 
4. Plastic Bottles: No matter how many reusable water bottles you have, sometimes you’re in a pinch and need the hydration. Not to worry! You can cut the bottles in half and use them as planters for your garden seedlings. As an added bonus, with clear bottles you can see when the roots are set and ready for their permanent home.  
5. News Papers: If you’re like most of us, and just can’t seem to remember to cancel that newspaper subscription, you’re in luck! Newspaper makes great wrapping paper in a pinch, or you could make it a regular habit that sets your gifts apart. Plus, your friends and family will be impressed by your green initiative!  
6. Food Scraps: Composting can be time consuming, and isn’t always renter-friendly, so what should you do with your food scraps? Save your parmesan cheese rinds to use in your next soup or stock to add the Umami flavor that will have everyone asking what your secret is. You can also save money on store-bought stocks and broths by making your own with your veggie scraps and meat bones. Simply freeze them until you’re ready, then add water and seasonings and let it all come together in a pot! 
7. Old Clothing/Bedding: Sometimes, clothes and bedding just can’t be donated, they’ve been too thoroughly loved. Instead of tossing them, cut them into squares and use as cleaning cloths. This is a two-for-one as you’ll reduce your paper towel usage too.
8. Gallon Jugs: It seems that plastic jugs are everywhere, but luckily, the uses for them are just as plentiful. If you cut your jugs in half, you can use the top half for an all-purpose scoop, whether for dog food or soil for your plants, or use it as a large funnel. The bottom half can be painted and repurposed as a cute planter, or used as a rain catcher for water to water your house plants.
9. Packing Peanuts: Once you’re done sweeping them up because they launched out of your new package as soon as you opened it, you can put them aside to use for your next planting project! Packing peanuts can be added to the bottom of a planter to reduce the weight, making it easier to move, while creating more space for additional drainage to keep the roots nice and happy!  
10. Bread Tabs: These single-use, plastic tabs can be turned into one of the most useful life hacks for anyone who works at a desk. Gone are the days of searching for the right wire in your power strip because now, with just a permanent marker and bread tabs, you can neatly label every wire!  

We hope these tips help you on your eco-friendly efforts! For information on how Princeton Properties is caring for our communities and environment, visit our Princeton Cares page. Happy Earth Day!  

Shaking off the winter blues with a thorough spring cleaning is not just a task; it’s a rejuvenation for your living space, and your mindset! Spring is the perfect time to infuse new life and energy into your home, preparing it for the brighter, warmer days ahead. Here’s an in-depth look at how you can effectively and eco-consciously cleanse your home, ensuring it’s as fresh and inviting as the season itself.

Spring Cleaning with Natural Solutions

• Revitalize Your Carpets with Baking Soda – Baking soda isn’t just for baking; it’s a powerhouse for deep cleaning your carpets. Forget the perfume-y sprays and aggressive cleaning products, and embrace a more natural and less intrusive method. Sprinkling baking soda on your carpet and letting it sit for 15-30 minutes before vacuuming can loosen any set-in dust or dirt, while its alkaline nature leaves it smelling brand new! To give a subtle and eco-friendly fragrance, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the baking soda before applying it to your soft surfaces!
• Purge your space – Spring is synonymous with renewal, making it the ideal time to reassess your belongings. Before packing away your winter clothes and décor, take inventory and donate anything that no longer #sparksjoy! (Thanks Marie Kondo).  
• Steam your microwave – Gone are the days of tirelessly scrubbing that left over pasta sauce splatter. Add some water and lemon to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. The steam will loosen stuck on residue and the lemon will leave a fresh scent throughout the whole kitchen!  
• Let spring air do the work – As you take your spring linens, bedding, and décor out, consider hanging them by an open window to let the fresh air breathe new life into them!
• Dryer sheets aren’t just for laundry – A fact of life is that garbage can smell less than pleasant even after the trash has been brought out. Leaving some dryer sheets at the bottom of your trash can will help relieve your kitchen from the takeout leftovers you just remembered to throw out! Here are our favorite eco-friendly dryer sheets!

Creative Spring Cleaning

• Lint roll your lampshades – Lint rollers have become our favorite solution to the dust that seems to permanently settle onto lampshades, fabric window coverings, and really any soft surfaces!  
• Add some innovation to your couch cleaning methods – Rid your couch of its winter fatigue by tying a damp microfiber towel with a small amount of dish or laundry soap to a cooking pot lid and running it over the cushions and backs! This will disinfect and deodorize with minimal effort.
• Swiffer those out of reach spots – Utilize your Swiffer mop to dust your walls and even ceilings!  
• Steam clean your mattress – Your mattress is a crucial yet often overlooked element of your cleaning regimen. There is no shame in spending a snow day (or 5) re-watching Friends, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hide the evidence! An inexpensive steam cleaner will restore that pre-winter clean.  
• Organize with a cleaning schedule and checklist – Spring cleaning is a marathon, not a sprint. Make a schedule and check list for weekly cleaning projects and have your whole space done in no time! Canva has many checklist templates that are so pretty, you’ll want to make one for every project! 

By diving into these cleaning tricks, you’re not just tidying up your place; you’re totally revamping your Princeton Properties apartment home. It’ll go from just clean to absolutely glowing with freshness and chill vibes, all set for the sunny days of spring. So, think of spring cleaning not as a boring duty, but more like a fun kick-off party for the great times ahead. It’s all about getting your space to match your happy, vibrant energy for the year to come! See other ways Princeton is helping care for the environment and simplifying your life!

Princeton continues to grow!

We’ve taken on the management of four unique apartment communities located in Chelsea, MA, Newton, MA, Tewksbury, MA and Londonderry, NH. As we expand and enhance our services, we are excited to welcome these four new properties into our portfolio. This expansion is a testament to our commitment to delivering outstanding living experiences.

We would like to welcome the following properties:

Atlas Lofts in Chelsea, MA – Modern loft living in the historic Box District.

Newton Gardens Apartments in Newton, MA – Garden style apartment homes within one of New England’s most sought-after cities.

Village Green Apartments in Tewksbury, MA- Apartment homes where modern meets comfort and convenience in a centralized location.

Woodmont Commons Apartments in Londonderry, NH – Quaint, small town New England living with modern amenities.

Princeton Properties focuses on applying best practices to every management relationship. Our approach involves careful consideration of assignment types and locations, ensuring that our teams can provide our signature exceptional customer service.

Our pledge extends to the valued residents who call our communities home. Our guiding light at Princeton is, “do the right thing, not just do things right,” which is echoed throughout the Princeton Properties’ living experience. Inspired by our ‘Princeton Cares‘ and ‘Princeton Living Made Simple‘ philosophies, we strive to create communities that are not only comfortable and convenient but also enriched with care and simplicity. From our dedicated onsite management and maintenance teams to our unwavering commitment to continually upgrading living spaces to improve the residential experience, our mission is clear.

With every assignment we take on, we work to continually increase the value of our properties. This is achieved through strong hands-on management, innovative marketing strategies, and sound financial planning. Our approach is not just about managing properties; it’s about upholding the values and standards that define Princeton Properties.

During the fifty years that we’ve been providing quality housing, we’ve not only grown in size, but our commitment to excellence has also continued to crystallize. We are thrilled to welcome these four properties and their residents into the Princeton family. There are more exciting additions to our portfolio on the horizon, The James (coming soon), is under construction in Haverhill, MA. We will be welcoming our first residents in Summer, 2024. Check out any of our many offerings to see why Princeton provides the best of apartment home living experiences.