According to the National Institutes of Health, the average U.S. home contains 63 products with 10 gallons of harmful chemicals, including toxic cleansers. Practitioners of green-planet cleaning keep homes, offices and other facilities clean and smelling fresh with products and techniques that clean without harming the environment. Green-cleaning advocates purchase environmentally friendly green cleansers or mix their own.
Commercial Products
To reduce the need for cleaning products, use microfiber cloths and handheld steam cleaners whenever possible. Both clean effectively with only water. Effective green-cleaning products, such as those from Seventh Generation, are increasing in popularity and appearing in more stores. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment program allows its logo to appear on products that the agency has deemed to be effective and protective of the environment and health. For a list of all the products recognized under the program, visit EPA.gov.
Mix at Home
If you like to do things yourself, and save money, mix your own cleansers. Vinegar and baking soda clean most things. To create your own all-purpose cleaner, mix either with a little warm water. Your cleaning-supply bucket should have castile liquid soap--not detergent--distilled white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, salt, isopropyl alcohol, cornstarch, washing soda, ammonia, borax, hydrogen peroxide, mineral oil, trisodium phosphate and steel wool. To find recipes for mixing your own green-planet cleaners, visit HealthyChild.org.
Wear gloves when working with washing soda, borax or trisodium phosphate. Borax and trisodium phosphate can be toxic if swallowed. Keep them and other cleaning supplies out of the reach of children and pets. Use trisodium phosphate to clean drains and remove paint without fumes. It is less caustic and poisonous than the alternatives.
Indoor Air Quality
In recent years, architects and builders--in an effort to increase energy efficiency--developed residences and other buildings with improved insulation. As a result, however, toxins that entered the home stayed in the home, lowering the air quality. Sometimes the air inside a residence is more toxic than the air outside. Open windows whenever possible to allow fresh air in and toxins out, especially during housecleaning.
Instead of using packaged air fresheners, boil herbs, such as cinnamon and cloves. Although plants may not change the scent of your home, broad green-leaf plants are good for filtering interior air. African violets, aloe vera, hibiscus, spider plants and others detoxify the air and are safe for children and pets.
In addition to removing obnoxious odors from your refrigerator, baking soda removes unpleasant odors from your carpet. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet; give it time to soak up odors and vacuum.
Antibacterial Cleaners
Antibacterial and antimicrobial "cleaners" clean hands no better than soap and water. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends avoiding them for that reason and because they add to the risk of breeding "supergerms," bacteria that survive chemical onslaught and produce resistant offspring.
Considerations
When replacing cleaning products, don't put cleaners with harsh chemicals in the trash or down a toilet or sink. Some of these chemicals are harmful to life and kill the microorganisms used in water-treatment plants. Without these microorganisms, the quality of the water leaving water-recycling plants degenerates. A practical way to dispose of toxic chemicals and unwanted electronics is at free local community recycling events.
Dry Cleaning
Conventional dry cleaners use perchloroethylene, which is toxic. It also creates smog. To find the location of a green dry cleaner that uses nontoxic and environmentally friendly wet, CO2 or silicone-solvent cleaning systems, visit Ecovian.com. To find an affiliate of GreenEarth Cleaning, the company that created the silicone-solvent cleaning system, visit GreenEarthCleaning.com. If you must take clothes to a conventional dry cleaner, expose them, whenever possible, to outside air before wearing them or hanging them in a closet. Safely wash many delicate items labeled "dry clean only." Using cool water and a mild liquid soap, wash by hand. After washing, squeeze the items gently and lay them flat for drying.
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