subject: Home Cleaning: It's Great to Be Green [print this page] Home Cleaning: It's Great to Be Green Home Cleaning: It's Great to Be Green
Among all the things going green, cleaning is definitely one of the best for you and the environment. There are a number of clean cleaning steps that you can take that are easy. Here are just a few ideas that you could implement in your home. Buy environmentally-friendly cleaners. Many cleaners are petroleum-based, but a healthy alternative is to find chemical-free cleaners made from renewable resources like plants. Most eco-friendly cleaners contain one or more plant-based essential oils. Cleaners that are pH-neutral are just some of the many other options. You know that these natural cleaners won't harm you or damage your home's surfaces. It's also important to have good quality air. The substances in many standard cleaners can linger in the air and irritate you for hours. In addition, every home has many microscopic pollutants that can aggravate allergies and more. In many cases, when you add the spray of an air freshener, for example, you're only making the problem worse. A good solution is to use natural air sprays or boil a pot of cinnamon or herbs to spread a healthy, fresh aroma. Baking soda is also an effective odor-eliminator for refrigerators as well as on carpets when vacuuming. If you want to filter your air, you can buy a machine or consider growing a broad green leaf plant inside. Clean floors mean less harmful chemicals indoors. Heavy foot traffic can make it difficult to get clean floors. Shoes can can so many nasty and toxic substances and carry them into every room in your home. Sturdy doormats can help scrub away the worst offenders. Having a no-shoe indoor policy is a good way to help the situation. There are numerous other ways that you can go green at home. You can also use less antibacterial cleaners or none at all. Warm water and soap often work just as well. There is an abundance of eco-friendly information out there if you want to learn and do more. It's your choice of how eco-friendly you want to live, but it's all beneficial and easy to find and understand. The key to green cleaning is to know what substances are coming into your home. If you want to clean and be green, it's a good way to start.
