Be a Greener Cleaner

Did you know that cleaning products account for a huge percentage of the waste produced by most households each year? The average household has, at any one time, an average of eight cleaning products under the sink. Disposing of the containers these products use creates almost 30 billion pounds of plastic waste per year. And how much of this plastic waste is recycled? Only 7% or so - for some reason, cleaning product packaging is one of the last things that most people remember to recycle.

The simple fact is, the products you use to keep your home tidy and clean really dirty up the planet. Just changing the way you look at cleaning products can do a lot to lessen the impact you make.

The Most "Un-Green" Cleaning Products

Trash bags. A plastic garbage bag takes hundreds of years to break down in a landfill - which means your plastic bags will be decorating the Earth's surface long after you've left it. To be a greener cleaner, reduce the number of trash bags you use, start a compost pile, or use biodegradable trash bags made of recycled plastic. Want to make a big impact? Do all three.

Drain Cleaner. Drain cleaners (such as Drano and the like) don't just pollute the Earth with their containers; using the chemicals themselves is one of the most harmful things you can do to the environment. A good alternative? Pour baking soda and vinegar down the drain instead.

Paper Towels. The average household uses one or more rolls of paper towels per week. Though one paper towel doesn't seem like much waste, all of those little towels add up - and kill trees in the making. Want to keep your computer monitor sparkling clean so you can take a crystal - clear look at all the photos on your favorite internet dating site? A scrap of old t-shirt works just as well.

Plastic grocery bags. Sure, you tell yourself that you try to use up those extra grocery bags for other things. But generally, they sit there moldering under your sink, and only end up in the trash can. Plastic takes centuries to biodegrade. Reduce the amount you leave on the planet after you're gone by investing in reusable cloth shopping bags, instead.

Greener Cleaning Products

Concentrated products. When you buy most cleaning products, they come pre-mixed with water to create the right formula for normal use. But concentrated products work just as well with smaller amounts, and create a lot less waste product in their creation and distribution. Want to really make a difference? Look for concentrated products that are dye- and perfume-free.

All-purpose cleaners. You probably don't need those eight bottles of cleaning products hanging out under your sink-- and you'll save a lot of waste by using one or two good "all-purpose" cleaning products instead. As a bonus, you'll clear up clutter in your home while you're doing your part to help the environment.

Refill bottles. As people become more and more green-minded, several companies are introducing cleaning products with concentrated refills. After buying the dispenser bottle just once, you refill with tiny, concentrated bottles of refill product, which you mix with simple tap water. This saves money, reduces CO2 emissions created by transport, and eliminates extra waste.

You may not think much about the harm the products you use do to the environment. Fortunately, there are lots of small things you can do to make a difference in the amount of waste you create-- and most of them require very little effort. If all of us take bit of thought and make a few small changes, who knows what we can accomplish?

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