Most cleaners available at the store these days rely heavily on toxic chemicals that seriously damage the environment. They often aren’t great for your health either. If you’re thinking about not using these harsh chemicals, you could use an equivalent but more environmentally friendly cleaner, and this is an important contributor to the green home.
There are various eco-friendly ways of cleaning your home while being gentler on the environment. Here are some ideas to consider:
Simple Green. Simple Green is an excellent industrial strength cleaner that happens to carry the Green Seal certification for environmental responsibility. The Green Seal guarantees that a product meets strict standards of environmental stewardship in the way it is manufactured and used. It also indicates a product that is easily biodegradable. Simple Green is versatile, extremely effective and will clean the toughest jobs. It’s very strong in its original concentrated form, so you may want to dilute it in water. This has the positive benefit of allowing you to control its strength when cleaning more delicate objects. Use it to clean your bathroom, kitchen, car, or just about anything else - while being confident you’re not harming the environment.
Baking Soda. Baking soda is great for cleaning, scrubbing and deodorizing. It’s also environmentally friendly. It has a large number of uses, including many you may not have thought about. In addition to its popular use for removing unpleasant odors from the refrigerator, it can be sprinkled on carpets and rugs to deodorize them. You can sprinkle it on a sponge and clean your worktops without scratching them. You can dilute it in water and use it for anything from washing your vegetables to cleaning your mop. It’s a wonderfully versatile product.
Tea Tree Oil. If you’re attacking mold, there are several natural ways to get rid of it. One of the best is to use tea tree oil, which has great antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Mix a teaspoon of it with two cups of water, spray it on the affected area and allow to dry. You may find the scent to be strong, but it will dissipate in a day or two.
Going green often requires sacrifice, but not when it comes to cleaning. You shouldn’t have to put up with harsh chemicals while cleaning your home. You can do a great job with a green cleaner that will spare the environment and won’t put your family’s health at risk. You might even find that green cleaners are a cheaper way to go.