7) Cleaning Green
Cleaning with green, natural products is so important, for many reasons. For one, I personally don't want those chemicals (like bleach, and sodium lauryl sulfate) getting into my body. For two, everything that we clean with, ends up in our water systems, affecting so many aspects of life.
All those household chemicals that you have to lock up from children, you lock up because they are hazardous to your health. If you wouldn't want your child getting into it, then you probably shouldn't be cleaning with it either! If you clean your floors with a cleaner containing sodium lauryl sulfate, and then your baby crawls across it, you are putting your child at risk for serious health problems and skin irritations.
When you use a cleaner in your tub, toilet, sinks, laundry, even your floors, it eventually will make it's way back to our water system. When it goes down the drain, it goes to the water filtration system, and then right back into the water system that you use to shower with and brush your teeth. Now you wouldn't want to be soaking those chemicals up into your pores that you used to unclog your drain, would you? I know I don't! Also think about how that same water supply will makes its way into our streams and oceans. So many of our plant and animal life has disappeared from our eco-systems because of chemicals.
Collectively, we dump 32 million lbs. of toxic chemistry down our drains each day, just from household cleaning chemicals. That doesn't count what goes into our indoor air. Switching to green alternatives keeps those chemicals out of our bodies and out of our water supply.
So go through your cabinets and check the labeling. A good rule of thumb that I like to go by is, if you can't pronounce it, don't use or eat it!
Some natural cleaners I enjoy are:
Ms. Meyers
Seventh Generation
Dr. Bronners
Green Works
What you can do:
Some natural alternatives to chemical household cleaners are:
BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate): An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.
BORAX (sodium borate): A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.
CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS: Cleans everything
CORNSTARCH: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease
HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: For disinfecting and fragrance
LEMON JUICE: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing.A bleach alternative.
SALT (sodium chloride): An abrasive
NON-FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE: A mild abrasive
VINEGAR (acetic acid): Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.
WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate): Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.
ISOPROPYL RUBBING ALCOHOL: is an alternative to harsh cleaners with bleach.
Homemade cleaning recipes
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Info
All those household chemicals that you have to lock up from children, you lock up because they are hazardous to your health. If you wouldn't want your child getting into it, then you probably shouldn't be cleaning with it either! If you clean your floors with a cleaner containing sodium lauryl sulfate, and then your baby crawls across it, you are putting your child at risk for serious health problems and skin irritations.
When you use a cleaner in your tub, toilet, sinks, laundry, even your floors, it eventually will make it's way back to our water system. When it goes down the drain, it goes to the water filtration system, and then right back into the water system that you use to shower with and brush your teeth. Now you wouldn't want to be soaking those chemicals up into your pores that you used to unclog your drain, would you? I know I don't! Also think about how that same water supply will makes its way into our streams and oceans. So many of our plant and animal life has disappeared from our eco-systems because of chemicals.Collectively, we dump 32 million lbs. of toxic chemistry down our drains each day, just from household cleaning chemicals. That doesn't count what goes into our indoor air. Switching to green alternatives keeps those chemicals out of our bodies and out of our water supply.
So go through your cabinets and check the labeling. A good rule of thumb that I like to go by is, if you can't pronounce it, don't use or eat it!
Some natural cleaners I enjoy are:
Ms. Meyers
Seventh Generation
Dr. Bronners
Green Works
What you can do:
Some natural alternatives to chemical household cleaners are:
BAKING SODA (sodium bicarbonate): An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.
BORAX (sodium borate): A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. Please note safety precautions at the bottom of this page.
CASTILE and VEGETABLE OIL BASED SOAPS: Cleans everything
CORNSTARCH: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease
HERBS and ESSENTIAL OILS: For disinfecting and fragrance
LEMON JUICE: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing.A bleach alternative.
SALT (sodium chloride): An abrasive
NON-FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE: A mild abrasive
VINEGAR (acetic acid): Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.
WASHING SODA (sodium carbonate): Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.
ISOPROPYL RUBBING ALCOHOL: is an alternative to harsh cleaners with bleach.
Homemade cleaning recipes
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Info
