spring cleaningWell, it’s that time of the year.  Some of you have already started your spring cleaning, or as I like to call it, green cleaning.  Others like myself wait for the kids to be out of school so you have a little help.  This is a perfect time to take stock of what you are using to clean your home. 

 

Many of our standard cleaners have so many toxins and irritants that are not only harmful for your health but strain your municipality’s wastewater treatment system.  The EPA has long been concerned about chemicals in cleaning products and is actively promoting green cleaning supplies in it’s own Federal Purchasing Program.  Adverse affects from these chemicals can include reproductive disorders, organ damage, eye damage, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.  As a matter of fact, children inhale 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults, which makes them more sensitive to air quality problems, including chemicals from household cleaners that might be in the air (off-gassing). Additionally, babies and toddlers discover the world largely by touching and tasting so they are more vulnerable to toxic  residue from household cleanings.  Have you ever tried licking your plates after they have been ‘cleaned’ in the dishwasher?  ’No worries’ the chemical residue usually mixes with your food so you really can’t taste it.

 

Here are 3 tips to get you started towards greening your clean:

 

Check the labels.  This shouldn’t take long.  Pick some ingredients on your favorite products and google them or google ‘toxins in cleaning products’.   Also, read the warnings.  If a fabric softening sheet says ‘avoid direct contact with fabric’ then obviously the manufacturer knows something we don’t.  That is enough to make me stay away.  If an air freshener says ‘spray in one room and wait 24 hrs to see if there are any adverse effects’ I would also question what happens after 48 hrs , a week or repeated exposure over time?  Am I dying a slow death?  When I decided to rid my home of  toxic products I was informed by my refuse department (after they left them on the curb and looked at me as if I had actually inhaled some of the products) that I can NOT just set them out to be picked up.  These are hazardous chemicals and I needed to dispose of them as as such (duh!)  They suggested I contact the hazardous waste department of my local municipality.  That really put things in perspective for me.

 

 Stock up on healthier cleaning supplies.  You can  either  make your own or if your family doesn’t want to choose between your making dinner or your making cleaning supplies  there are many companies out there that offer greener cleaning solutions.  If you opt to make your your own, you will find plenty of recipes for cleaning products on the web, in the bookstore or at your local library.  Many of your everyday household ingredients, when combined make excellent cleaners.  These include, baking soda, distilled white vinegar, lemon juice, washing soda and plain water.  If purchasing from a company, check the companies credentials and their dedication to true eco friendly cleaning products, check their ingredient list and find out if they have or are actively seeking meaningful green seal certification (Green Seal, EcoLogo and Design for the Environment seal by EPA).  There are a lot of bogus green certifications so you have to be careful here. I need to devote a full blog to this topic but the three above are some of the highly recommended certifications that have been found to be more credible and legit.

 

 Wash in Cold Water.  According to the U. S. Department of Energy, About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes in a conventional top-load washer is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes—use less water and use cooler water. Unless you’re dealing with oily stains, the warm or cold water setting on your machine will generally do a good job of cleaning your clothes. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load’s energy use in half.  Use cold water to pretreat or soak stained items.  If your current detergent isn’t properly dissolving or cleaning well in cold water, look for another eco-friendly options that is specifically formulated for cold water.

 

For more information on this topic or other ‘green topics’ contact me robinlcash@gmail.com or check out my website www.economeconsulting.com