Cleaning Green -Top Tips for Eco-Friendly Cleaning

A few tips will keep your doormat from saying Home Toxic Home by Laura Meyer


If you had a grandmother like mine, you likely have memories of visiting her perfectly neat, everything-in-its place home.  One that perpetually smelled 'Lysol fresh.' Today as an eco-conscious adult, conjuring that olfactory memory gives me the chills.  With two children who as babies were asthmatic, I cringe at the thought of the chemicals I was exposed to as a child.

Admittedly, we all like the "clean" or "fresh" scented products on the market. Those childhood products, the ones that evoke memories of grandma, should however, be high on our lists of eco and health concerns.

Many of those products contain chlorine, solvents, ammonia and various chemicals that are petroleum-based. These chemicals are implicated in asthma, allergies, heart conditions, cancer, and other common ailments. Some have even been identified as hormone disrupters, which are particularly dangerous for children.  This is not to mention the damage that these chemicals do to our eco-systems. 


In fact, because of all of the chemicals we use, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say the air in our homes may be more polluted than the air outside. Now that’s scary. 

Take a look inside your cabinets and under your sink because you can make a big difference by simply adjusting how you clean your house and care for your clothes. Here are some essential tips:

Buy green cleaning products:  Read the labels. Look for products that say they are non-toxic and biodegradable and are free of phosphates, chlorine and bleach. Some green cleaners contain plant-derived essential oils, which are natural, can add a great smell to the product and can even help with efficacy. This is in contrast to the synthetically derived scents most often used in traditional cleaners which are harmful to people and pets alike (sure, they’ll call it lemon, pine or lavender but don’t be fooled.)

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day (www.mrsmeyers.com) has a wonderful line of aroma therapeutic household cleaners that come in amazing scents. My favorite is the lemon verbena but they also have basil, lavender, geranium, baby blossom and a pet line with sage and chamomile.  Method (www.methodproducts.com) also has an extensive line of household cleaners, which are non-toxic. Method makes everything from all-purpose and glass cleaners to laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and specialty cleaners for wood floors and wood furniture. And, not only is their packaging very hip, but the bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic and are themselves recyclable.  If anyone in your family has plant allergies, "scent-free" or "free and clear" may be your best alternative. Seventh Generation (www.seventhgeneration.com) has a fantastic line of hypoallergenic eco-friendly cleaning products.
 
Abandon Aerosol Sprays and Traditional Air Fresheners: Aerosol sprays are a recipe for toxic indoor air. They contain propellants that are toxic and petroleum-based. Traditional air fresheners are also petroleum based and release harmful chemicals into the air no matter how good you may think they smell. If you like to use store-bought air fresheners, turn to alternatives that are natural and plant-based (but, again, beware of allergic reactions).  Mrs. Meyers and Method offer air fresheners and scent diffusers in addition to cleaning products.
 
Don’t Dry Clean or Turn to Green Alternatives: The traditional dry cleaning process involves the use of very toxic chemicals which don’t leave the dry-cleaning plant when the clothes are packed in that plastic. In fact, there is a harmful residue left on the clothes (think of that dry-cleaning smell we have become used to). If there are items which need to be dry cleaned, there are alternative green dry cleaning companies emerging all over the country (If you get a notice that your dry cleaners have gone green, make sure you ask them about the chemicals they are using and whether they have made any changes in the process. Using less plastic does not address the chemical problem). The EPA has a state-by-state list of green dry cleaners.
 
Dust with a Damp Cloth: Many of the chemicals listed above are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are released into the air and can bind to dust. If you dust with a dry cloth you will be disturbing the dust particles which have settled and release them into the air you breathe. Instead, always dampen the cloths with which you dust.

Go DIY: Try using one part water to one part distilled white vinegar to wash windows or as a disinfectant, baking soda as a stand in for abrasive scrubbers (mix with lemon or vinegar for a faster effect), hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant cleaner or to remove laundry stains.
 
Finally, when you consider your cleaning products, don’t just think about your health. According to Seventh Generation, if every household in the U.S. replaced just one 32 ounce bottle of petroleum based cleaner with vegetable based products, we could save 7,100 barrels of oil - enough to heat and cool 400 U.S. homes per year! That’s pretty compelling!

 

Laura Meyer is a former attorney and published author (Remodel This!), a columnist and green lifestyles expert. She is combining her love of shopping with her passion for going green in launching her new venture, The Ultimate Green Store (coming soon).
 

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