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Green cleaning

What is green cleaning? Green cleaning involves cleaning your home without harming the environment or your health. It is an empowering step to take if you want to be more self-sufficient. Green cleaning means moving away from conventional products containing synthetic chemicals, or petroleum-based cleaning agents, and using safer ingredients instead. Many cupboard ingredients can be used for safe, natural and effective cleaning.

Prevention is better than cure

A major aspect of green cleaning is taking preventative measures. If you do not allow dirt, grease and germs to build up, you will not need harsh chemicals to deal with them. These simple but effective tips will save you hours of cleaning:

• Trap and remove dirt and pollutants before they enter your home with good-quality doormats.

• Regularly dust and vacuum to minimize particles in the air, which can lead to allergies.

• Wipe around kitchen and bathroom surfaces on a daily basis so that greasy spots and soap scum do not build up.

• Dry surfaces properly so that bacteria cannot multiply, reducing the risk of mould and mildew forming.

• Wash your hands before preparing food to reduce the need for antibacterial products around your home.

• Keep areas such as door handles, toilet flushes (handles) and light switches clean to give germs less chance to breed.

Conservation

Green cleaning takes into account conservation of water and energy too. For instance, only using the washing machine when you have a full load and using as cool a wash as possible will not only help the environment, it will save you money too. Most lightly soiled laundry can be washed at 30°C (86°F) with very good results.

Why should I green clean?

There are many reasons to green clean.

Safer for you

Many cleaning products contain a bewildering array of synthetic chemicals. Some are safe, others are not. Immediate effects of some of these chemicals include stinging or watery eyes, sneezing fits, a choking sensation, headaches, asthma, skin irritation and nausea.

Ongoing research shows that long-term exposure to some of these chemicals has been linked to more serious health conditions, such as hormone disruption, various cancers, central nervous system disruption and debilitating ‘modern’ illnesses, such as multiple chemical sensitivity. Scientists now believe that indoor air pollution is two to five times worse than outdoor air pollution, due to the amount of chemicals we use in our homes. That’s shocking isn’t it? Many of us are living in a chemical soup we have brought into our homes, believing that these products are keeping our homes clean and safe!

Safer for your family

If you have children or pets, they will benefit from a green, clean environment. Animals and children breathe much faster than adults and have smaller bodies, so the impact of inhaling and ingesting chemicals is much stronger and potentially harmful. In addition, they spend a lot of time playing on the floor and putting things in their mouths that can have chemical residues on them.

Safer for the environment

If you make your own cleaning products, you will have less packaging to dispose of. Many shop-bought products come in plastic packaging which cannot be recycled and ends up in the landfill where it stays for hundreds of years. Tiny pieces of plastic have been found on the ocean floor where they can cause devastation to wildlife. Mistaken for food, plastic can become lodged in the stomachs and throats of marine life, resulting in death. Additionally, by making your own products, you’ll know exactly what you are pouring into the water system. Every cleaning product we use eventually ends up in the environment at large.

Cheaper for you

You will save lots of money by making your own cleaning products! Most recipes can be made from basic household ingredients. Before the Second World War, housewives used baking soda, lemons and vinegar to do most of their cleaning.

Saves space

Finally, making your own cleaning products frees up cupboard space! You’ll find that you only need a small range of ingredients to cover every cleaning job in your home – safely, efficiently and naturally. As you go through the various cleaning jobs in this book, you’ll realize that many products are all-purpose and you don’t need a separate product for each task.

Basic rules

Making your own household cleaning products is fun and rewarding, but bear in mind that natural doesn’t necessarily mean safe. Turpentine, used for thinning oil-based paints and producing varnishes, is a natural product obtained from the resin of trees. However, its vapour can burn skin and eyes. When inhaled it can damage the lungs and central nervous system, and if ingested, can cause renal failure. You’ll be pleased to hear that many of the ingredients used in this book are safe to ingest, such as vinegar, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. Yet even these substances, in large enough quantities, can be toxic! Follow these simple rules when making your own cleaners to ensure you and your family stay safe and healthy.

Never mix different shop-bought household cleaners or solvents together. For example, bleach combined with household cleaners containing ammonia, such as toilet cleaners, produces a toxic and carcinogenic mix which can be fatal if breathed in.

Never reuse shop-bought cleaning containers as, even if rinsed out, they may still contain harmful chemical residues that might react with your own homemade products.

Never mix homemade cleaners and conventional products; you never know what fumes will be given off.

When you make your own household cleaners, label the containers and list all the ingredients.

Keep all household cleaning products out of reach of children and pets.

Wear rubber gloves where possible; even bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) can dry out your hands!

Now that you’ve remembered these simple precautions, we can learn about some of the toxic ingredients in some conventional household cleaners.