In one of my earlier blog posts I discussed the miracle cleaner electrolyzed water, but for now we will have to get by with other products. Matt Metzgar has discussed using Green Works and Ecover products. (Green Works – Matt Metzgar and Going Green – Matt Metzgar) (Although, for a critical review of Green Works products you can read, “The Four Biggest Enviro-Scams: Green claims that make us see red” By Amy Tennery, who recommends Seventh Generation products as superior. (But be sure to also read the rebuttal to this.)) Another such product line is EnviroRite’s. And online, Greenhome.com sells a number of such products.
For those who want to go a step further, and live as safe and green as possible, you can make your own products. I won’t try to reproduce the vast lists of specific formulas people recommend for doing home chores, but only try to hit a few of the highlights. If you wish to pursue this, the links provided below should more than get you going. (Also, for a whimsical perspective on replacing products with substitutes – which aren’t necessarily green – you can take a look at Joey Green’s Wacky’s Uses for Brand Name Products site.)
There are a few ingredients common to many of the recommendations people make. (From Non-Toxic Home Cleaning - Eartheasy):
Baking Soda – cleans, deodorizes, softens water, scours.
Soap – will clean most things. (unscented, phosphate free, and doesn’t contain petroleum distillates)
Lemon (juice) – a strong acid that is effective against most bacteria.
White Vinegar – cuts grease, removes mildew, odors, some stains and wax build-up.
Washing Soda – is sodium carbonate decahydrate. It will cut grease, remove stains, soften water, clean walls, tiles, sinks and tubs. Do not use on aluminum.
Ethanol Alcohol – is an excellent disinfectant.
Corn Starch – can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, and shampoo carpets and rugs.
Hydrogen Peroxide - used as a disinfectant.
You can find suggestions for just about every conceivable purpose: air fresheners and deodorizers, fabric softeners, furniture polish, stain removers, pesticides (ants, fleas, flies, mice, mites, mosquitoes, moths, roaches, wasps, etc. ), windshield washer fluid, shoe polish, rust removers, disinfectants, cleaners for glass, your hands, the oven, vinyl, wood, drains, mildew, toilets, paintbrushes, floors, tub and tile, aluminum, copper, brass, silver, porcelain, etc.
On a related issue, there are sites online that focus on cosmetics safety. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Here is an article that discusses this issue: Safe Cosmetics by Christina Hartje-Dunn,
Here is a somewhat random selection of books on safe and green cleaning: Clean Your House Safely and Effectively without Harmful Chemicals by Randy Dunford, Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home (Paperback) by Linda Mason Hunter, Green Clean by Linda Mason Hunter, Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living (Paperback) by Annie Berthold-Bond, and Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home (Paperback) by Renee Loux.
Here are a number of online articles dealing with green living and safe cleaning: Safer Alternatives To Common Household Products - Barlow Scientific, Hazardous products and healthy alternatives – King County, A Consumer Guide To Safer Alternatives To Hazardous Household Products, Part 2; The only 18 things you need for a clean house by Valerie Rains, Shine staff, Cleaning the House Safely by Elizabeth Hughes, Alternative Cleaners - Howare County Recycling District, Natural Insect Pest Control – Eartheasy, Non-Toxic Home Cleaning – Eartheasy, Alternative Cleaning Recipes – Ecology Center, Non-Toxic Household Cleaners by Kendra Cecil, Less Toxic Alternatives – Clean Community System, Hazardous Household Substances: Alternatives That Are Relatively Free of Toxic Effects by Marie Hammer, Tips on finding the safest household products – King County, Safer Alternatives to Hazardous Household Products – State of Nevada Bureau of Water Pollution Control, Home and Garden Tips – Natural Resources Conservation Service: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Safe Alternatives to Household Hazardous Products – Sierra Club of Canada, Safe Alternatives to Hazardous Household Products – King County Kid’s Page, Household Hazardous Products - Univ. of Missouri Extension, Green-Clean Your Home By Amy Roffman New, From Natural Health, September/October, 1994; and How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit by Annie B. Bond,
