A Greener Kind Of Clean

The environment and the economy are high on everyone's list of priorities these days. We all want to save money, and we all want to do what's best for the planet. Fortunately, these two goals are not mutually exclusive! As a matter of fact, cleaning 'green' can actually save you a quite a bit of cash in the long run while at the same time drastically lessening the amount of toxins you release into the environment.

Let's start with laundry detergent. Traditional commercial laundry detergents are made from synthetic petrochemicals that are very hard on the environment. Furthermore, they tend to leave a residue on your clothing so that you skin is in contact with the residue. If you've ever experienced a rash of mysterious origin, it may be due to the laundry detergent you're using. Environmentally friendly laundry detergents are made without phosphates, without sodium laurel sulphate, without optical brighteners, and without perfumes, dyes and enzymes. Read the label to find out exactly what's in the detergent you're buying. If it's touted as environmentally friendly, chances are the company that made it will make full disclosure of the ingredients. If there is no list of ingredients, don't hesitate to call the company and let them know that if they want you to buy their product, you need to know what's in it first!

Stop using chlorine bleach and switch to a powder non-chlorine oxygen bleach as a whitening alternative. They're made by treating natural soda ash or natural borax with hydrogen peroxide . When they're dissolved in water, they release oxygen. They work really well and there's really no reason not to use them for stubborn stains.

On to the kitchen. If you're anything like me you probably had a scouring powder, a bottle of bleach, and a grease remover stashed under the kitchen sink or in your cleaning cupboard. I got rid of all of it, and bought a couple of bars of pure soap and a box of baking soda. To clean my sink and my counter, I just rub the bar soap over the surfaces and scour them lightly with a scouring pad. For really stubborn stains like tea, I make a paste of baking soda and water. That with a bit of elbow grease takes care of even the most stubborn stains. If you're concerned about disinfecting your sink and countertops, put a couple of drops of tea tree oil in a cup of water and simply spray on any surfaces you want to disinfect. Let stand for a minute or two and wipe dry.

Grease splatters are quite easily removed by mixing equal parts water and white vinegar. Again, a bit of elbow grease is needed, but hey, it's great upper body exercise!

As for cost, the laundry detergent I now buy is equal in price to the brand name I used to buy. A bar of soap and a box of baking soda will literally last for months and costs just pennies a day to use. Plain white vinegar is equally cheap.

So there you have it, green cleaning for the same price as traditional cleaning, though my mother would argue that today's 'green' products were around long before commercially made cleaning products!

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