Green Cleaning Products – Better for You and the Earth

Admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:47:38 +0000

Choosing to use Green Cleaning Products can be a simple way to not only reduce the damage you do on the earth, but also to reduce the damage you do to yourself. How many of us actually abide by all the ‘how to use’ information on our home cleaning products?

My guess, not many. After all, most of us rarely even read such tiny instructions or warnings do we. We tend to assume that if something is sold to us it simply must be safe. But, though generally it is pretty easy not to kill yourself with multi-surface kitchen cleaner, all these products do have potential health risks. It isn’t just the concern about toddlers drinking things they really shouldn’t either (though household cleaners are the main cause of child poisonings today). No, the issue is how we use them and what we use them with.

Most cleaners will tell you that they should be used only in a well ventilated space. But lets be honest here, how many of our guest bathrooms are well ventilated? Ditto the oven and most of us do not own really great breathing apparatus, nor would we wear it when cleaning the oven? But, fail to follow the rules and you will definitely be breathing in far more of the fumes from your products than that deemed safe in their product testing.

If your eyes are running, you start sneezing or your skin is irritated can you really be happy about what is going on inside? Much better to choose greener cleaning products that are more mild to you who uses them. This is one of the reasons the Simple Green Cleaner range has done so extraordinarily well. After all, they are far from the most environmentally friendly ranges available. But, what they do have is a history of being used as workplace cleaners. Firstly this means that however green they are there first job is to be efficient. The second issue is that to be sold as industrial workplace cleaning products requires passing far more stringent safety legislation than anything used in the home. So, though they may have their detractors they are generally some of the safest cleaning products for you to be using, as far as your own health is concerned.

On the whole Green Cleaning Products are better for you, as well as for the earth. Relying less on harmful irritants means they are less likely to lead to health issues for those who use them. But, even if you use the most natural cleaner on the market do think about how you use them. Leave all natural vegetable soap on your skin and it will damage it, drying it with its alkaline nature. Vinegar may be the mildest antibacterial cleaner going but you wouldn’t want to inhale it when mixed with baking soda.

Green Cleaning Products are better for you and the earth, but only if you break the habit of a lifetime and read those instructions every now and again. And, think very carefully before using two different products together. The reaction to products mixing can be very different to when used alone.

Green Cleaning Products

Admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:15:53 +0000

Moving towards Eco Friendly Cleaning requires some Green Cleaning Products for your home. You can buy ready made ranges such as the Simple Green, Ecover or Mrs Meyer’s cleaning products. These of course are the easiest option, particularly if you are pressed for time.

You will really need to study the labels to ensure you purchase a green cleaning product that is up to your personal ‘green’ standards. Maybe you want less toxic, more easily disposed of cleaners. Or perhaps you want ‘all natural’ ingredients. You may have keen interest in packaging; how easy it is to recycle, whether it is produced from post consumer recycled materials to begin with, or is it plastic free (a pretty tough one this). For some the avoidance of petrochemicals is a must, or maybe you just want some super mild to protect your babies skin when you are dealing with the laundry.

The options are huge and to be honest no one range is likely to appeal to everyone. We all have compromises to make between being less harmful to the environment, and our standards of cleanliness. You must choose green cleaning products that are exactly right for you and your lifestyle.

An easy way to know exactly what ingredients are going into your green cleaning supplies is to use homemade remedies. Now very few of us have time to create all our own cleaning materials. But, switching one or two key items from pre-made formula to home-made Eco clean recipe can be done easily and with little trouble on your part. If nothing else use baking soda to deodorize your garbage pail rather than usually extremely toxic deodorizer sprays. Or ditch the windolene in favor of some vinegar and a microfiber cloth. A few homemade recipes can really cut costs to your pocket and the planet and are a great way to supplement your other less than perfect green cleaning products.

Our desire to make cleaning Eco friendly and live more sustainable, less polluting lifestyles, is a noble one. But we have to be realistic here and never forget that even one product changed is a help. Choose or make one Green Cleaning Product today and who knows, next month you may choose another until by next year perhaps all your household chores are more environmentally friendly?.