Green Household Cleaning

Alok Agrawal

May 29, 2010

Effective Ways of “Green” Household Cleaning

The first step to “green” cleaning is to open the windows of your house or apartment while you are cleaning.  If it is winter, have the Housekeeper wear warm clothes before starting to clean. Ask your Nanny to take the kids to the park on the cleaning day. It is reported that the level of pollutants in indoor air is generally a lot higher than outdoor conditions.  Furthermore, those toxic elements in the air can cause severe headaches, depression, and ear infections for you or the other members of your household.  It is also recommended that you avoid all synthetic air fresheners and other fragranced cleaning products; simply stick to natural scented items like fresh flowers to revive your living space. 

Another important fact from Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation is that “just because a product says it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s nontoxic.”   Seventh Generation is one of the leading companies supplying truly eco-friendly cleaning supplies and household products.  He goes on to note that “natural” is a term that is generally poorly defined and can include many items that are completely synthetic and harmful to our planet.

Some of the main chemicals to avoid if you are really interested in eliminating harmful toxins are: butyl cellosolve, petroleum in some detergents, and triclosan.  The respective green versions of these chemicals are grain alcohol, coconut or plant oils, and disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary, and sage.  Annie Berthold-Bond goes as far as to state that plain soap, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), and lemon juice can effectively disinfect and clean most living situations.

Many people believe that the disinfecting they are doing in their homes is helping to sanitize and get rid of germs.  Though this may be partially correct in certain situations; toxic household chemical cleaners are responsible for ten percent of all toxic exposures reported to the United States poison control centers.  According to a study by Philip Dickey, the most hazardous cleaners are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, acidic toilet bowl cleaners, and anything containing chlorine or ammonia.  These cleaners may be causing your household more harm; clearly outweighing the benefits of their anti-germ properties. Ask the Housekeeper to use the least amount that can get the job done, and a good rule of thumb is to use one third of what you believe is needed.

Some of the products that are considered “green” household cleaners are made by Ecover, Seventh Generation, Aubrey Organics, Vermont Soapworks, Bioshield, and Naturally Yours.  These companies make high quality non-toxic laundry soaps, dish soaps, all-purpose household cleaners, and dishwasher detergent.  These products can be found in supermarkets, natural food, hardware, and home-improvement stores.

Another important advantage to note about “green” cleaning is that by eliminating the harmful chemicals and solvents, you are not only protecting your household, but helping to save the environment as well.  Many conventional dish and laundry detergents contain ingredients that are not easily biodegradable and can severely harm the environment after they go down the drain.  These substances pose a significant threat to wildlife and our ecosystem as a whole.  Some of the most harmful chemicals to look for are phosphates and phthalates, which block waterways and can still be found in some dishwasher detergents.  Even though these chemicals are no longer found in the majority of dish and laundry soaps, they are truly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. They can be fatal if swallowed and have been a known link to cancer and reproductive-system harm. 

When it comes to using fabric softeners while washing and drying one’s clothes, experts have found that clothing can generally be softened by using one-quarter cup of baking soda in the wash cycle.  Another solution is to use a quarter cup of white vinegar, which will additionally eliminate cling as well.

The final product that can complete your environmentally friendly makeover is antibacterial soap.  Many people fail to realize that these kinds of soap have been fundamental in the development of resistant bacteria.  A World Health Organization report has confirmed this to be true.  As a solution to the usage of these detrimental products, it is recommended that one thoroughly wash one’s hands with plain soap and water for approximately two minutes.  This is just as effective as using antibacterial soap, and a far more safe and healthy solution.