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Healthier Cleaning Products: Help Yourself and the Planet
As interest grows in improving indoor air quality, there is also increased interest in
household products to help our health and the environment. Among these products,
from recycled paper to solar outdoor lights, are less-toxic cleaning products.
Chain health food stores across the country, such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's
feature a less-toxic cleaning section. The popularity of health food, organic food,
nutritional supplements and less-toxic cleaning products as well as an awareness
of indoor air quality is largely a result of much greater awareness of holistic living
and complementary health.
Furthermore, numerous books and articles are available on indoor air quality and
"green" cleaning products. Such books as Clean and Green (Berthold-Bond, 1994),
Home Safe Home (Dadd, 1997), The Healthy Household (Bower, 1995), Less-Toxic
Alternatives (Gorman, 1997), and Better Basics for the Home (Berthold-Bond, 1999)
all discuss recipes and/or sources for greener cleaning products.
You can easily and inexpensively begin to incorporate less-toxic products into your
cleaning routine. Here are some of our favorite green cleaning tips:
1. Use vinegar and water(about 50-50) to clean windows and mirrors.
2.Use "Bon Ami" to scrub countertops, stainless steel, and bathroom fixtures. It is
phosphate-free, chlorine-free, perfume- free, and dye-free.
3. Use more earth friendly laundry detergents, such as Seventh Generation or
Ecover, instead of other commercial products. Also, a 50-50(1/8 cup each)
combination of washing soda and borax is a good fragrance-free, natural whitener.
You can purchase Seventh Generation Products in bulk at Gaiam.
4. Use plant enzymes, such as Natural Chemistry's "Smells and
Stains"(http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/Default.asp), to clean up animal urine
and other biological cleaning challenges.
5. Seventh Generation's
Automatic Dishwashing Detergent is phosphate-free, fragrance-free, and
biodegradable. You can buy this from Gaiam.
6. Baking soda is also a good all-purpose deodorizer and cleaner for light jobs.
If you have any further questions about cleaning products, consult the books found
in the "Resources--Bibiography" or e-mail us.
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