Green Cleaning Tips for a Healthy Home

By Paige Ahlborg

 

 

Cleaning is a necessary evil. We all need to spend time doing it, but cleaning with toxic chemicals isn’t good for us or the environment! 

If you are like most people, there are at least five different cleaning products under your kitchen sink or in the bathroom right now. Each has a warning label telling you what will happen if you get it on your skin and eyes. These chemicals are also harsh to breathe in, and that is unavoidable when you are disinfecting the kitchen or bathroom. It is almost as if you need to put on a HazMat suit to scrub the toilet. 

 

Choosing green cleaning products will change the way you clean your home while also saving money, our lakes and rivers and the health of you and your family.

 

Below are a few green cleaning tips to help you get your home spotless without breathing toxic air or putting harsh chemicals down the drain. 

 

  

 

 

It's easy to create your own green cleaning supplies.

 

By using items you probably have in your kitchen right now, you can make cleaning supplies of your own that are safe for both you and the environment. 

• A simple solution of vinegar and water can be used in a spray bottle to cut grease on your stove and countertops. It can also be used to clean floors, windows and other appliances.
• Does the air in your house need a little freshening up before guests come over? Mix your own odor eliminator in an empty spray bottle with water, vinegar and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. 
• Baking soda and fine steel wool can remove dirt from the grout in the tub, shower, around the sink fixtures and in other places where crud tends to collect.  
• To clear a clog in the bathroom drain, use a mixture of white vinegar and baking soda to break up whatever might be stuck in your drain.

Not ready to make your own cleaning products? Clean green by using eco-friendly products.

Many companies are creating their own line of cleaning products that are friendlier for the environment and less toxic to you. They are usually affordable and concentrated so they go a long way. Green cleaning products are available in most of the big chain stores or online. Not all green cleaning products are created equally. 

 

Visit Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Guide to Healthy Cleaning to determine the best products to use in every area of your home. 

 

It only takes a few easy steps to get started with a green cleaning routine in your home. Safely get rid of all those chemical-based cleaners and start using something natural for a deep down clean that is safe for both you and the environment.