Planet Stewards: Green Cleaning

It’s almost spring, Planet Stewards, and our thoughts turn to SPRING CLEANING! Well, perhaps this is an outdated thought but the concept of “greening” our cleaning methods, is very current. Have you looked recently under your kitchen sink, in your laundry area, in the bathroom, and out in the garage at the number of cleaning products you have purchased? Some may be your regular products, some purchased for a one time use, and a few bought due to an ad or coupon offer that appealed to your desire to have the cleanest, brightest or most germ-free home. My home was no different, until I began to learn more about the impact of some of these products not only on the health of our environment, but also on our own health and that of our families.

First, please keep reading. I know it can be overwhelming to consider “greening” your cleaning routine and you may have concerns about expense. When you consider both the long and short term benefits to your family and the planet, the small amount of time involved in making a gradual shift should seem negligible.

Second, it’s not necessary to discard your current cleaners. Use them up as you normally would and recycle the containers if appropriate. If you no longer have use for an item, you can consult the following Fairfax County website regarding the disposal of cleaning and other household products to be sure that they don’t require special handling: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/disphhw.htm.

Third, it’s not necessary to make the switch all at once. As you use up each product, for example, your laundry detergent, consult one of the many websites that can advise you as to a healthy choice for your family. One of my favorites is www.goodguide.com, a well-organized site that rates personal-care and household products. Seventh Generation’s laundry detergent, a top rated choice, is available at our local Giant Food stores. It is important to note that just because a product lists “green” or “natural” in its product name or description, does not automatically mean it is a good choice. I discovered that a “greenworks” product I had purchased without taking the time to do my five minutes of research was actually rated as “terrible” from a health perspective due to a known carcinogen among its ingredients. As you use up each of your current cleaning products, also consider whether it is truly necessary to replace it. In our “fear” of household odors, we purchase air fresheners and deodorizers that introduce chemicals, including possible carcinogens, to our household air unnecessarily. Use of fans, better air circulation or homemade options such as a box of baking soda are usually sufficient to solve the problem. We have also gone through a period of obsession with anti-bacterial cleansers, only to discover that we are breeding super germs by our excessive use of these products. Most experts seem to be recommending that use of these products should be limited to hospitals and similar environments.

Fourth, consider saving money on some of your household products by making your own. A huge bottle of distilled white vinegar, an enormous box of Arm and Hammer baking soda (much bigger than what’s needed for my homemade chocolate chip cookie habit), an old fashioned looking box of 20 Mule Team borax/washing soda, all from my local big box store (for me, Costco or Wal-mart) go a long way for kitchen and bathroom cleaning, window washing and laundry stains and they are very very cheap. Most of the time you don’t need the added chemicals and fragrances in more expensive products. A great website for DIY recipes and other information is www.biggreenpurse.com; you can find many other websites through your search engine. If you get into this is a big way, Green Clean, the Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home is an excellent reference available through Amazon and elsewhere. A chart entitled “Your Under-sink Makeover” from the excellent book, Healthy Child, Healthy World, compares the contents of a cabinet full of conventional cleaners with a greener, healthier cabinet. The cost of the latter much shorter list of cleaning ingredients was only one-fourth as large. The website for the national non-profit Healthy Child, Healthy World is www.healthychild.org.

Fifth, now that you are slowly replacing your more toxic cleaning products with more family friendly alternatives, it may be safe to get the kids involved in more of the household cleaning routines. Tell them about the changes you are making. You may be able to enlist their help with internet research or mixing the vinegar and water for window washing. We know that when our children go out in the world, they often maintain many of the same household routines they learned growing up. While the products may change, an alertness to choices that are healthy for their bodies and their planet will be a great legacy from you. Happy cleaning!