Have you considered going green in your cleaning methods? Even in small ways?
It’s been quite a few years now since we’ve seen “green” cleaning solutions on store shelves. Non-toxic and biodegradeable, they are made from ingredients that promise to help us clean our world without hurting our planet.
One of the best reasons, however, to switch from traditional products to green cleaning products is the benefits to your health and the health of your family and pets. By eliminating old products, which are often solvent-, chemical- or petroleum-based and use artificial dyes or scents, you can decrease the amount of possibly harmful toxins in your home and in your body.
Today, there are bunches of green cleaning products on the market that make cleaning green as easy as cleaning with traditional products. They come in the same packages and spray bottles that other products do, and fit nicely into your shopping list, grocery cart, and under your sink. Newest products come in variations for indoor and outdoor cleaning, and offer such things as all-purpose wipes and hand gel.
While many companies, including Simple Green, Seventh Generation and Method, have offered green products for years, one of the biggest signs of its growing acceptance is the fact that earlier this year, Clorox announced that it had developed GreenWorks, a line of green cleaning products that would be marketed to major retailers.
Here’s an article on healthier home cleaning by National Geographic’s Green Guide:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/98/clean
There are even simpler ways to clean some things at home. The Seattle & King County Asthma Resources page gives us the following:
"Green Cleaning is using cleaning products that don't endanger you, children or the environment. This is especially important for people who have asthma. Commercial cleaning products often contain irritants that can trigger an asthma episode. The Green Cleaning products recommended here are effective, inexpensive, safe for you and the environment.
"Green cleaning items include baking soda, white vinegar, liquid castile soap (a mild soap made of olive oil and sodium hydroxide), scouring pads, cotton washcloths or sponges, cotton rags without much lint, and a 16 oz. spray bottle.”
Their cleaning recipes for everything from tubs and sinks to ovens and clogged drains are at
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/asthma/facts/greencleaning.htm
And they even do windows!
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Good grief, there are so many toxins in our homes! This great book, "Green Goes with Everything, talks about how to get our homes green. Our laundry detergent, our lipstick, our toothpaste, all those cleaning supplies -- there are greener, healthier alternatives to all of them. The book presents them, and outlines the little steps we can all make to improve not only our homes but our world.
October 1, 2008 - 5:22pmThis Comment
In my laundry room cabinet is a plastic storage box with all my essential oils, castile soap and various other supplies that I use to create my eco-friendly cleansers and pantry pest prevention. My grandmother and mother taught me the joys and wonders of lemon juice, coarse salt, baking soda, vinegar, borax powder and having a healthy supply of cotton bar towels - lol!
October 1, 2008 - 4:51pmThis Comment