What is Green Cleaning?

Cleaning, to some degree, is a fact of life. The place we call home needs cleaning on a somewhat regular basis, which necessitates purchasing products that do the job. So what is green cleaning and why should we care about it, particularly in the face of what seems like daunting environmental issues such as climate change and a diminishing global supply of fresh water?

Green cleaning means cleaning to protect health without harming the environment. And we should care about it because many conventional cleaning products pollute the air in our homes, and contain chemicals linked to adverse health effects.

• There are roughly 80,000 chemicals used in commerce today. Of those, only 2 percent have been tested and found to be safe for human exposure. To put it another way, 78,000 synthetic chemicals have not been tested for safety. (Also worth noting is that most exposure standards are based on a 180-pound male.)
• Manufacturers of cleaning products are not required to list all product ingredients on the label, and most manufacturers don’t. Consequently, it becomes impossible to make informed decisions about a given product’s safety or lack there of.
• A few common ingredients in conventional household cleaning products include chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), artificial fragrance, and phthalates. Exposure to these ingredients is associated with respiratory and skin irritation, organ damage, endocrine, immune and reproductive system disorders, and cancer.

 

Indoor Air Quality

• Numerous air-quality studies have confirmed that indoor air quality is two to five times worse than the quality of the air outdoors
• One effective way to improve the quality of the air in our home is through the use of houseplants. A study conducted by NASA in the late 1980’s concluded that the plants shown in the table below are effective at removing common indoor pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene.
• For a 2,000-square-foot home, fifteen plants, grown in at least six-inch containers, should be present to yield a detectable improvement in air quality.

Recommended Safer Brands

The products below do not contain ingredients known to pose health problems. Generally speaking, these products are plant based, biodegradable, and use essential oils for fragrance.

• Better Life
  
• Biokleen
• Bon Ami
• Citr-Solv
• Earth Friendly Products
• Ecover
• Method
• Planet
• Seventh Generation
• Shaklee

DIY Cleaning Product Recipes

It turns out that making your own cleaning products is both easy and economical. In fact, it’s down right cheap. If you’re looking to green your household and you’re on a budget, making your own cleaning products is the best place to start. The money you save by making your own cleaning products, can be put towards organic apples!

Vinegar, baking soda, club soda, Borax, hydrogen peroxide, castile soap, and essential oils are great at accomplishing most of the cleaning tasks required in a house. More important, they pose no risk to the people using them, nor do they pollute the air with nasty fumes.

In the Kitchen

All-Purpose Cleaners

• Combine 2 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar and 1 teaspoon of Borax in a 16 ounce spray bottle. Fill with hot water and shake to dissolve the Borax. Add ¼ cup of liquid castile soap and you’re good to go. Add a dozen or so drops of essential oil if you want to scent the cleaner.
• Use straight baking soda or Borax as an all-purpose scouring powder.
• For acidic stains pour straight club soda into a spray bottle, then spray on the affected area.
• White distilled vinegar is an excellent antibacterial and antifungal agent. It combats bacteria and germs. Yes, it stinks a bit initially, but after the vinegar has dried, the smell is gone. This is a great way to disinfect countertops and sinks. Try adding a few drops of an aromatic essential oil to the white vinegar to combat the smell.
• Replace the cap of a hydrogen peroxide bottle with a spray nozzle and use for general cleaning and stain removal. When attempting to remove a stain, let the hydrogen peroxide sit on the surface for a few minutes before wiping clean.

Stainless-Steel-Appliance Cleaner

• Use a rag with olive oil on it for a safe and excellent stainless-steel cleaner.
• Mix ½ cup of baking soda with enough liquid dish soap to make a paste. Apply with a sponge, then rinse with warm water.
• For light cleaning, spritz with white distilled vinegar, then wipe dry.

Window and Glass Cleaner

• Use a lint free cloth and club soda in a spray bottle to clean windows, mirrors, and other glass.
• Mix 2 ounces of water with 10 drops of lavender or lemongrass oil to remove dirt from windows.
• Put 2 teaspoons of white distilled vinegar into a quart of warm water, then spray on windows or glass.

Floor Cleaner

• Mix 2 gallons of warm water, ½ cup of white distilled vinegar (or lemon juice), then ¼ cup of liquid castile soap in a bucket (any type).
• Combine a few drops of liquid dish soap with warm water in a bucket (any type).
• Use straight club soda to clean a floor (any type).
• For vinyl floors mix ½ gallon of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide with ½ gallon of water and mop. There is no need to rinse.

Miscellaneous Tips

• Add a cup of distilled white vinegar to the dishwasher once in a while to clean and deodorize it
• Put 3 cups of water and ½ cup of distilled white vinegar into to your automatic coffeemaker to deodorize and clean it. Run through one cycle, then run through one or two more with tap water only.
• To polish sterling silver, use a bit of toothpaste on a rag.
• Move any cleaners with known harmful chemicals that you need/want to keep into a shed or garage to minimize indoor air pollution.
• Because shoes track in everything from pesticides to pet feces, use a doormat or have a shoes-off policy in your house.

Additional recipes, including those for cleaning in the bathroom and laundry room, can be found in Greening Your Family.