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Featured Article: Greener Cleaning

Kindness to the Earth is a 365-day affair. Start by assessing toxicity in your home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, levels of pollutants in indoor air can be up to 100 times higher than outdoors as a result of toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that evaporate from household cleaning products. Inappropriate use, storage and disposal of these hazardous substances can impact your personal health and the health of our environment, threatening air, soil and drinking water.

Clean with products that are healthy for you and the planet. Examine your tried-and-true cleaners and toss those with toxic pollutants. Safer household products featuring gentle yet effective ingredients are readily available. Choose those with grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve as a solvent; detergents based on coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum; and plant-oil disinfectants like eucalyptus, rosemary or sage rather than triclosan. To avoid creating un-recyclable waste, find products bottled in high-density polyethylene (denoted by a #2 inside the recycling triangle) or polyethylene terephthalate (#1).
Want to be certain your cleaning products are toxin-free? Mix them yourself. A few safe, simple (and cheap!) ingredients will satisfy most household cleaning needs.

  • Vinegar: Use like an all-purpose cleaner. A solution of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar mixed in a store bought spray bottle is perfect for use in the bathroom and kitchen or as a natural fabric softener.
  • Lemon juice: Use to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits and to clean and shine brass and copper. Mix with olive oil for a safe furniture polish. Send a lemon peel down the garbage disposal to make lingering kitchen odors disappear.
  • Baking soda: Use in place of a commercial abrasive cleanser to scrub surfaces, and place in the refrigerator or freezer to absorb odors